One day after they married in a civil ceremony, Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock brought Monaco to a standstill as they exchanged vows in a religious ceremony yesterday.
The 53-year-old royal and the former Olympic swimmer, 33, were married by the Archbishop of Monaco in a star-studded ceremony in the courtyard of the Royal Palace, watched by more than 850 guests.
In pictures: Monaco’s royal wedding
Albert donned the cream summer uniform of Monaco’s palace guards while the bride wore an off-the-shoulder Armani gown with a five-metre long train. The dress was embroidered with 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops and 30,000 ‘stones in gold shades’.
It was crafted from 130 metres of off-white silk and took Armani’s team more than 2,500 hours to make.
After the ceremony, the royal couple went to the nearby Sainte Devote Church to place Charlene’s bouquet in honour of the Patroness of Monaco. The stunning blonde was seen wiping away a tear as she left the church.
Albert and Charlene then took a ride in a open-topped car through crowded streets to their reception, which was held at the Prince’s Palace. Once there, Charlene changed into another custom-made Armani gown.
More than 450 guests, including Naomi Campbell, Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Roger Moore, helped the couple celebrate their marriage with a multi-course dinner prepared by French chef Alain Ducasse followed by a fireworks display.
In keeping with Monaco royal tradition, Albert and Charlene married in a civil ceremony on Friday — which saw Charlene receive the title Princess Charlene of Monaco — before wedding again yesterday.
The lead-up to the $75 million wedding has been plagued with scandal. A French newspaper claimed Charlene had tried to return to her native South Africa earlier this week, amid claims Albert had fathered a third love child with a mystery woman.
Albert and Charlene have furiously denied claims their relationship is in trouble, and have put on several public displays of affection in the past few days.
Related: Monaco royals deny ‘runaway bride’ rumours
Albert met Charlene in 2000 at a swimming competition in Monaco. They started dating in 2005.
Albert has two confirmed love children, aged six and 19, born after flings with a flight attendant and a real estate agent.
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