General News & Information about Albert, Charlene & Family 2: March 2012 - May 2015

[Kotroman]

I can imagine Dowager Princess Charlene begging her nephew, Prince Andrea, who had never forgiven her for failing to appear at his wedding, to allow her to remarry. Wait, wrong century

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

Well, even my parents had two ceremonies (with several months apart), just slightly less grand
A separate civil and church wedding is quite normal in some cultures, and a couple of weeks in between is normal too..

Hah! My parents' religious and civil marriage ceremonies were 4 years apart. I got to attend the second one! (And apparently the first one too, sort of... )

[Tiggersk8]

Melina, I would love to reply to your entire post, but just trying to make sense of it due to how you worded it made my head hurt. I can try to answer the one part I was kind of able to make sense of.

You asked me, I think, what did I expect from Charlene at The Olympic Games? Especially as she's not a Member of the IOC?

She is an Olympian!!! Out of all the Partners/Wives/Husbands/Consorts who went to those Games w/their significant others, she *should* get just how much it means for her Fellow Olympians from Monaco to have her there cheering them on. So she was there for the Opening Ceremonies and to meet the Members of the Monaco Olympic Team. How much time did that take? One day? Maybe two? Then she was gone and the next time we see her, she's acting like a stupid teenager who doesn't know any better and getting drunk on an outdoor patio during the day w/friends of hers somewhere warm. As an Olympian, the Wife of an Olympian and Member of the IOC, but most importantly the Princess of Monaco and First Lady of that Country, her place was in Sochi attending various events as long as Albert was there.

Look at Princess Anne and Admiral Tim Laurence for comparison. Tim isn't an Olympian, nor a Member of the IOC, but he was there w/Anne cheering on Team GB and looking like he was having a ball too. Even when it was an event Team GB would not have a chance to medal in, he was there!! Because he knows being the husband of HRH The Princess Royal means attending events w/his wife because of who and what she is. Many times that means attending events he would rather not and sometimes getting to attend events like The Winter Olympics, but by marrying Princess Anne, he knew that would be part of the package of marrying a Senior British Royal.

He is not in the same situation as Charlene rank and title wise, yet seems to have a far better grasp of the role a Royal Consort/mate plays than Charlene seems to.

It's past time for Charlene to get her act together. I actually thought that was finally happening and then those new pictures of her on that patio come out and... :(

You can only defend someone by saying "She's still adjusting to her new role." for so long and for this statement of " Prince Albert isn't expecting her to fulfill all the duties of the other Princesses in Europe..." to have been made in the first place!?! What the Hell was he or the PR Dept of the Palace thinking!?! It certainly doesn't help Charlene's image and it sure doesn't do much for Albert's either.

They had a perfect chance to show Charlene was growing even more comfortable in her role of Princess of Monaco at these Games. There were all sorts of casual meetings taking place at lunch or supper time during the Games. Charlene could have gotten together w/several Third World/African Olympic Organizations over a meal and come up w/a scheme or agreement between them and her Foundation. Isn't one of it's goals to help underprivileged children learn to swim? Something like that would have been such a huge win for her, her image and her Foundation all rolled into one.

Instead, she went off to Party and gave her reputation yet another dive into an area she can ill afford it going into. :(

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

Well, even my parents had two ceremonies (with several months apart), just slightly less grand
A separate civil and church wedding is quite normal in some cultures, and a couple of weeks in between is normal too..

I realise that, but Charlene was raised in Rhodesia and South Africa where all the legal and religious requirements can be done in the one ceremony in a church, and she was also raised a protestant (even though she converted before she married) so her brain is probably not programmed to regard the second ceremony as being as important as someone raised a devout Catholic in a country where you need two ceremonies.

[redtulip]

Originally Posted by Roslyn

I realise that, but Charlene was raised in Rhodesia and South Africa where all the legal and religious requirements can be done in the one ceremony in a church, and she was also raised a protestant (even though she converted before she married) so her brain is probably not programmed to regard the second ceremony as being as important as someone raised a devout Catholic in a country where you need two ceremonies.

This is true. But I find it perfectly reasonable for an adult person to adjust. Changing one's behaviour pattern to accommodate the customs of the new country of residence, especially for a person in an official position in the new country, is only to be expected.

We're not talking about "Big Issues" like a Muslim converting into Christianity, but small adjustments every immigrant has to make, regardless of the name of the adoptive country.

[Roslyn]

I just don't see it as a big or important issue in the general scheme of things. Getting married again when you're already married to the person, especially when the two of you already had a child before the first marriage so the argument about the religious importance of it flies out the window because they clearly didn't care about what the Catholic Church might think then otherwise they would have married before the child was born, just isn't a big deal. She went to the first wedding - the legal one - and some other events related to their marriage, and as far as I am concerned that should be enough.

[smdouglas]

It appears to me that a "second" wedding celebration is simply a Great Party...and from the photos - I'd enjoy being invited. What's all the fuss about?

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by smdouglas

It appears to me that a "second" wedding celebration is simply a Great Party...and from the photos - I'd enjoy being invited. What's all the fuss about?

Charlene didn't go to it, and that seems to have ruffled some feathers on the basis that by not going she neglected/shirked an important duty.

[Lee-Z]

Said it before and sticking to it:
if P.Albert did not approve, it wouldn't have happened, so apparently for him it wasn't a problem that she only came to one of the wedding-festivities..

[redtulip]

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

Said it before and sticking to it:
if P.Albert did not approve, it wouldn't have happened, so apparently for him it wasn't a problem that she only came to one of the wedding-festivities..

I think it's perfectly fine for you to stick to what you want to say.
And I assume you accept that what you are saying is pure speculation. -Yes, we all speculate and so on...

As for me; I find it totally impossible to speculate anything about anything anyone else may be thinking.

[Lee-Z]

Originally Posted by redtulip

I think it's perfectly fine for you to stick to what you want to say.
And I assume you accept that what you are saying is pure speculation. -Yes, we all speculate and so on...

As for me; I find it totally impossible to speculate anything about anything anyone else may be thinking.

Yes, that is purely my opinion based on what i hear about how P.Albert rules his country; i have no facts whatsoever and certainly no inside information

[redtulip]

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

Yes, that is purely my opinion based on what i hear about how P.Albert rules his country; i have no facts whatsoever and certainly no inside information

And I applaud you for your honesty and kindness in your post! If it were possible, I would hand you a bunch of flowers, but internet still has its limitations!

[Lee-Z]

Originally Posted by redtulip

And I applaud you for your honesty and kindness in your post! If it were possible, I would hand you a bunch of flowers, but internet still has its limitations!

As i'm having a bad cold at the moment and am feeling bit sorry for myself i'll take the emoticon as real flowers
(this post will probably be deleted anyway as way OT)

[redtulip]

They were as close to real flowers as I could get! And I hope you get better soon!

To the administration: I also agree that these couple of posts are off topic, but I hope they will be allowed to stay, because they are samples of genuine goodwill between posters expressing completely different views. Which is the way it always should be.

[Marty91charmed]

Scandale à Monaco : Rien ne va plus entre Charlène et Albert de Monaco !
Here we go again

Sorry I forgot to translate: It basically say that the pics of Charlene in Saint Barths made a scandal in Monaco and that because of them nothing works anymore between Albert and his wife... And stuff like this... Just gossip, no sources

[Baroness of Books]

Thank you for the summary; I guess it's another slow day for the world media!

[Marty91charmed]

Well, to be honest this marriage hasn' t convinced me from the very beginning but that' s just my opinion... If they are still together then it means that for them it's ok, wether they are in love or have an agreement... And if they are all right, I agree as well.

[Baroness of Books]

I agree; if their marriage/relationship is good enough for Albert and Charlene, then it should be good enough for us.

[Dman]

I think they're just fine. Got to look past all the speculations and rumors.

[Marty91charmed]

Sometime "the perfect couple" can be perfect just in appeareance while other who seems not to match can be the best... Who know what happens in their private life... Dont' know if you get what I mean... I don't know an english proverb sorry! It italian we say " Appearance can cheat!":-)

[Lenora]

Only future will tell the truth. I hope that all gossips remain gossips.