On December 10, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s precious cherubs celebrated their first birthday.
Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques had a relatively low key celebration after visiting a school in Monaco where the pupils put on a fabulous little birthday party for the brother and sister duo.
The school’s kitchen prepared the young royals and their parent’s two delicious cheese cakes, appropriately coloured pink and blue.
Prince Jacques took the opportunity to show off to the crowd is new-found ability to walk – and it was incredibly adorable.
It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since we first met Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, and Prince Jacques Honoré Rainier.
The twins have had a jam-packed 12 months. From their first balcony introduction to their magical May christening and even joining mum and dad in a climate change march just last month, they’ve fit a lot in.
Although Princess Gabriella was born first, her younger brother will inherit the throne. They also have two other half-siblings who they’ll be getting to know.
Half-sister Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, whose mother Tamara Rotolo had a three-week fling with the Prince during a holiday to the French Riviera in 1991, says she can’t wait to get to know her younger brother and sister.
“I can’t wait to be a sister to them and watch them grow up,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in July. Albert also has a 12-year-old son called Alexandre Coste with Nicole Cost, however due to the fact the they were both born out of wedlock, they’ll never be an heir to the Monaco throne, or have any royal title.
Speaking about her children, South African beauty Charlene told Paris Match they were well and truly growing into their own little people.
“Jacques is a real boss. He’s grown a lot and seems to have taken after his father. He only needs a little sleep, and he’s looking around all the time,” Charlene, who married Albert in 2011, revealed of her son.
“He’s very observant and has developed a real protective side, which he directs towards his sister Gabriella. They interact in their own little world. It’s amazing to watch them.”
As for her darling daughter, “We’ve noticed, funnily enough, that she’s developing a real princess attitude. I can tell you that her favourite colour is pink and that ‘no’ is a word she doesn’t like.”
So what will their big day behold? “I’ve a few things in mind. But I really haven’t decided yet whether to give them something significant, which they’ll keep for years to come, or just give them better toys than they already have in the nursery,” the 57-year-old told People.
Click through the gallery to check out the twins’ amazing first year!
Celebrating their first birthday, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella went to a local school in Monaco where a birthday party was held in their honour.
Prince Jacques took the opportunity to show off his new-found ability to walk, while Gabriella preferred to remain in the safety of her doting dad’s arms.
No party is complete without a little cake!
First family photo! Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco cradle their twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques at the Grace Hospital Center, which is named after their late grandmother, in Monaco shortly after their birth in December last year.
A month after their December arrival, Charlene and Albert officially introduced their newborns to the world on the Palace of Monaco’s balcony.
Their debut was met with complete adoration from the roaring crowds below.
In May, the world was given another glimpse of the divine duo at their christening.
The couple couldn’t hide their pride during the baptism, which was held at Cathedral de Monaco.
The new mum was brimming with joy on her babies’ special day.
The proud parents couldn’t take their eyes off their little tots.
Meanwhile their half-sibling Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, whose mother Tamara Rotolo had a three week fling with the Prince during a holiday to the French Riviera in 1991, says she can’t wait to form a bond with Jacques and Gabriella. “I can’t wait to be a sister to them and watch them grow up,” the 23-year-old told Harper’s Bazaar.
“We’ve noticed, funnily enough, that she’s developing a real princess attitude. I can tell you that her favourite colour is pink and that ‘no’ is a word she doesn’t like,” Charlene has remarked of her daughter.
“He’s very observant and has developed a real protective side, which he directs towards his sister Gabriella. They interact in their own little world. It’s amazing to watch them,” she explained of Jacques.
At the end of November, the pair joined mum and dad at the end for a climate change March around Monaco.
It was a huge milestone for the family back in July when Prince Albert and Princess Charlene threw the most epic of celebrations to commemorate the 57-year-old’s ten year anniversary on the throne.
The twins, then seven months old, watched on from the balcony with their nannies.
It was all too much for Prince Jacques of Monaco, who snoozed away in his nanny’s arm.
They’ve grown so much!
There’s no doubt the future is bright for the twins! With an Olympic swimmer mum, pictured here in 2006, and an Olympic bobsledding father who competed at four winter Olympics, we can’t wait to see what they become.
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