Monaco: Wedding Plans Revealed

The Palace in Monaco has announced that it wants to turn the city into a city of roses and become the world capital for romantics on the weekend of the wedding of Prince Albert to Charlene Wittstock. The wedding will be a two day affair with civil and religious ceremonies held separate days. 

Prince Albert, Princess Charlene of Monaco

Monaco is set to make sure that the wedding of the ruling prince will not become a footnote to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Where the latter will be an affair in keeping with times of budget cuts, Monaco will go all the way to make the wedding memorable. It is, after all, almost 60 years since Rainier III married Grace Kelly and some ostentation seems in order.

The Palace in Monaco has released planning details for the weekend of the wedding. On Friday, the civil ceremony will take place in the throne room of the Grimaldi Palace when Charlene Wittstock will become Monaco’s First Lady and HSH (Her Serene Highness) Princess Charlene of Monaco. The couple will present itself on the balcony of the palace after the nuptials before the cocktail party in the palace grounds will start. The cocktail party is open to all citizens of Monaco. The wedding gift of the city to the monarch will be presented during that party; I am rather intrigued what that will be as the couple has asked for charitable donations rather than gifts. A reception will be held later at the port open to inhabitants of Monaco that are not citizens with a concert in the soccer stadium of Monaco. Jean Michel Jarre will present a concert specially produced for the happy couple and present it to them, invited guests, and the citizens of Monaco on that occasion.

Saturday will see the Catholic wedding ceremony in the main courtyard of the Palace. After the ceremony, the couple will make their processional way to the Church of St Dévote. Following an age old tradition, Charlene will lay down her bridal bouquet there. St Dévote is the patron saint of Monaco. The official dinner will be held in the Museum for Oceanography founded by Albert’s ancestor and namesake Prince Albert I. It will be followed by a ball and fireworks.

The weekend will be inclusive rather than exclusive for everyone. Giant screens will be put up all over the city, and the whole city will be decked out in roses in the national colours of red and white. The city is aiming to become the world capital for romantic travellers for at least that weekend.

The guest list contains 4,000 names. 2,000 of them are rather official and include all the heads of state of the world including reigning Royalty as well as all accredited ambassadors in Monaco. The other half of the invitations is kept secret and is the list of private invitations. Leaks so far have indicated that apart from deposed Royalty it may contain a large number of circus ‘royalty’ from around the globe. Monaco is the world capital for circus artists and hands out the Oscars for circus artists: The Clowns. 

Further reading
How Many Monarchies Exist in Europe?
Digging for Gold in Europe
The Elect Circle of Elected Monarchs on Europe's Thrones