Saturday, August 21, 2010

Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Albert III weddings


Bachelor monarch Prince Albert II of Monaco announced his engagement to former South African swimmer Charlene Wittsock in July, with a wedding date set for Saturday, July 2nd (civil) and Sunday, July 3rd (religious) in the tiny European principality.

Never married Albert, 52, has been dating Wittsock since 2006, but had always kept his intentions to wed, and father a natural heir to the throne, to himself. He has an 18-year-old daughter, Jazmin, with a woman in California, and a four-year-old son, Alexandre, with Togan flight attendant Nicole Coste. He has paid child support to both children, but neither are heirs to the Monegasque throne due to being born out of wedlock.

And on June 19th, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria was married to her former personal trainer Daniel Westling at the Storkyrkan Cathedral in Stockholm, Sweden. Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their future queen, while hundreds of guests witnessed the traditional ceremony inside the church - the largest gathering of the world's royalty since the wedding of Prince Felipe of Spain to Letizia Ortiz in 2004.

The princess wore a gown created by Swedish designer Par Engsheven and borrowed the cameo tiara and veil worn by her mother, Queen Silvia, on the same date 34 years ago. Archbishop Anders Wejryd of the Swedish Lutheran Church presided over the ceremony - through most of which the groom was in tears, gently wiped away by his bride.

The newlyweds embarked on a six-week honeymoon in Tahiti, New York City, Colorado, and at the summer cottage of Westling's parents, Olle and Eva, in Acktjara, Sweden.

Sources: PRINCE'S PALACE OF MONACO; ROYALTY IN THE NEWS

PHOTO CREDITS: (Albert & Charlene) Reuters/Jean Paul Pelissier; (Victoria & Daniel) Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe/FILE

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