Monaco has a princess at last
(CBS)The Catholic wedding service Saturday in Monaco, capping two days of pomp and pageantry. ended Monaco's three-decade wait for a new princess.
Pictures: Monaco wedding's civil ceremony
Pictures: Charlene Wittstock
Pictures: The Religious Ceremony
Pictures: Wedding preparations
Special section: Monaco's royal wedding
The last wedding of a ruling prince in Monaco was in 1956 when Hollywood actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III.Priince Albert is their only son and one of their three children.
Throughout the ceremony, which lasted an hour and a half, both bride and groom had demure expressions. Only as they took their vows and exchanged rings did the solemn facade crack: As they slipped on the 18 carat white gold Cartier rings onto each other's fingers, Albert in a white military uniform shot her a wink, and Charlene cracked a broad, sincere smile.
The tears flowed freely down the new princess' face after the ceremony, as she left her bouquet of lilies of the valley and other white blossoms at the Sainte Devote church a tradition in Monaco.
Charlene, whose name is now officially written with an accent to give it a more French resonance, paid homage e to her African roots by recruiting South Africa's Pumeza Matshikiza to perform a traditional "click song" at the ceremony. U.S. soprano Renee Fleming and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli also performed.
The menu for the wedding dinner also included South African wines .
The 33-year-old bride was born in Zimbabwe, but moved to neighboring South Africa as a child and swam for that country at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Her mother, a swimming coach, tutored her in the sport.
Albert has been an International Olympic Committee member since 1985 and competed in five Winter Olympics as part of Monaco's bobsled team. Last week, Wittstock was named to the board of the International Special Olympics.
She met the 53-year-old bachelor princemet during a 2000 swimming competition in Monaco. She then began appearing regularly at social events and moved to Monaco in 2006. Residents say Charlene has since maintained a low profile.
Rumors have swirled in recent days that reports of a third illegitimate child for Albert had surfaced prompting Charlene to allegedly try to call off the wedding and return to South Africa days before the festivities.
The palace has denied the reports, dismissing them as "ugly rumors" prompted by spite and jealousy.
Charlene has told interviewers she would like to have children, and Archbishop Barsi asked those at Saturday's ceremony to pray for the fecundity of the princely union.