Christening of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella: May 10, 2015

[lazuli]

Originally Posted by carlota

shame gabriella didn't get the same treatment as her brother...

Yes, it seems awkward to our sensibility, we so privilege equality between sexes. But i guess it has to do with the fact that P. Jacques indeed the hereditary prince and that fact must be somehow stressed to society. I hope ( and i believe ) that within the family both children have the same treatment...

[melina premiere]

Why the children would not have the same traitment in privat ? Princess Charlene loves her children , she does not do the difference between her children within the family, nobody would ask this question for the other royal princes , it is bad to pose this question.
Preparation for the wedding published by the palace


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...4700945&type=3

for the christening , I lost my head.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I love how people fawning over a select group who are deemed more important than the rest of us simply because of birth are upset about fairness between the twins. No matter what one child will be regarded as more important just like in every royal family, that is hardly fair.

[eya]

We all forgive you and thank you for the information you give us. Keep going.

[Lee-Z]

Originally Posted by melina premiere

Why the children would not have the same traitment in privat ? Princess Charlene loves her children , she does not do the difference between her children within the family, nobody would ask this question for the other royal princes , it is bad to pose this question.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that P.Charlene treats her children differently; it's just the official differences made between the second-born heir and the first-born spare that are a little unusual to our western ears so we comment on that..

In most other (at least west european) monarchies if the situation had occured there, the first-born would be the heir and the second-born the spare, regardless of gender. So if Gabriella and Jacques were for instance born in the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Gabriella would a the future Queen (not Jacques the future King)

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by cdm

Wasn't Andrea in Monaco for a soccer match a week or so after India was born?

I have high hopes the whole family will come, it's quite a historical moment in the history of the principality.



The fact that Jacques is always named first in communiqués (except for their birth announcement) was the first visible difference IMO.

That is natural, in any monarchy, the Heir -be it male or female- will be mentioned first. Name them all: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Christian, Princess Ingrid-Alexandra, etc. That is not really a "difference": you have to start somewhere when you write down names.

Handing over different Orders to Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella is really a visible difference: when the twin wear their Orders during a gala event, it is clear.

The Grand Croix has a riband and a breast star. The Grand Officier wears a neck badge and a breast star.

[princess carmen]

This is a big family event I would expect the whole family to be present Andrea isn't with his wife 24 hours a day i'm sure she can handle the children without him. The Grimaldis have their own private jet it would not be hard for Andreas family to be there.

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by lazuli

Well, Tatiana has recently given birth and it's not likely that she'll travel to London leaving her baby behind ( also i think the baby is still too young to travel... ). I don't think Andrea will leave her alone in London, travel to Monaco and attend the ceremony all by himself. I just don't see him doing that. Plus, i think Charlotte is too busy with her life in Paris, and, since i don't believe Gad has been invited, i have my doubts that she will attend. As for Stephanie's children, Louis and Pauline they're both studing abroad and i don't think it would be easy for them to travel to Monaco to attend the ceremony. But... Let's wait and see

I seriously doubt that Albert and Charlene would be rude and dumb enough to invite Charlotte and snub her partner, who is also the father of her child. And no matter how "busy" Charlotte is this is a big day in the reign of her uncle. She has traditionally made an appearance at this type of event.

Charlene is also Raphael's godmother.

[Charlotte_Aster]

Doesn't a Grand Officer get elevated to Grand Cross after 5 years? Is it just for "civilians"?

[cdm]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

That is natural, in any monarchy, the Heir -be it male or female- will be mentioned first. Name them all: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Christian, Princess Ingrid-Alexandra, etc. That is not really a "difference": you have to start somewhere when you write down names.

Well, we don't know if they are named first because they are the heirs or because they are the oldest, because they are both.

[Noble Consort Ming]

Originally Posted by Charlotte_Aster

Doesn't a Grand Officer get elevated to Grand Cross after 5 years? Is it just for "civilians"?

You can get elevated after 5 years but I'm not sure if it's automatic.

This is the official site which lays it out but I haven't read through it yet:

LégiMonaco - Textes non codifiés - Ordonnance n. 2.284 du 20/07/1960 instituant l'Ordre de la Couronne

(It's in French)

Edited to add: It doesn't say anything about moving up the ranks in the link.

[Fürstin Taxis]

Looking forward how the twins look like now. They change a lot in 5 month :)

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

I don't think anyone is suggesting that P.Charlene treats her children differently; it's just the official differences made between the second-born heir and the first-born spare that are a little unusual to our western ears so we comment on that..

In most other (at least west european) monarchies if the situation had occured there, the first-born would be the heir and the second-born the spare, regardless of gender. So if Gabriella and Jacques were for instance born in the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Gabriella would a the future Queen (not Jacques the future King)

Monaco, like Japan and a few other monarchies, continues to practice male primogeniture. I personally do not have a problem with it nor do I find it strange.

It's their country, their tradition. I'm just relieved that the Principality finally has a legitimate Heir!

[TRCRoyal]

Originally Posted by lazuli

I'll be happy if P. Caroline and her children ( at least some of them - I doubt Andrea and Charlotte attend ) and P. Stephanie with her children ( at least Camille ) attend the ceremony...

I'm quite sure the Grimaldis will attend in full force. The event is a historical one just like the wedding. I meant international royals from other families. But it seems highly unlikely!

[HereditaryPrincess]

I'm a little disappointed that there will be no royal godparents. I had guessed that one of Grace's relatives would be a godparent, so I'm not surprised that Chris LeVine has been chosen. I was hoping that Queen Maxima would be one of the godparents, as I've read that she and Charlene are meant to be quite close.
Oh well, I'm still looking forward to the christening, it will be lovely to see the twins again and see how much they've grown.

I think male primogeniture is a little old fashioned in these modern times, particularly as most of the other European monarchies now have female primogeniture. But maybe Albert is a traditionalist, as I haven't seen any reports about decisions or speculations to change the succession in Monaco, ever.

[Ithaca]

There are beautiful pictures on the Palace Facebook of the Cathedral and Palais Princier being readied for the baptism tomorrow. Lovely flowers.

[QUEENECE29]

Monaco Royal Christening | Selda Göktaş

[Moonmaiden23]

I've seen the entrance to the Cathedral. It's decorated beautifully.

This is going to be a very grand, emotional event. I can't wait!

[sophie25]

The flowers are stunning!

I don't think Prince Albert has felt comfortable giving one child an Order and the other nothing at all so Jacques will receive the Grand Cross and his sister one wrung below. I think if Gabriella had been born as a single child she wouldn't have received anything at all at her baptism just as Caroline didn't. I think it makes sense for the heir to receive something unique and they will both be adorable in their miniature insignia, Jaques in his little sash and his sister in her little neck badge.

[AdmirerUS]

Is this also grand Prix day? Dad was there with the trophy: http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/472...C1KZ%2fw%3d%3d
And Getty has no pics of the ride to the palace, as yet.