When the playboy prince and the Olympian said 'oui': How Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco had TWO wedding ceremonies 13 years ago - but their uneasy kiss and her tears hinted at trouble

He was nan playboy prince and she was nan Olympic swimmer-turned-princess.

Thirteen years ago, crossed 2 wedding ceremonies that costs a mixed £53million pinch accompanying celebrations, Prince Albert of Monaco tied nan knot pinch nan past Charlene Wittstock.

With a sparkling 850-strong impermanent database that included Sir Roger Moore and Prince Edward, nan belief ceremonial connected July 2 followed nan civilian nuptials a time earlier. 

At nan latter, Charlene stunned successful an off-the-shoulder Armani dress boasting a six-metre train and studded pinch 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops.

But nan couple's uneasy buss - and nan truth that astatine 1 infinitesimal Charlene was successful tears - possibly betrayed nan problem that had already taken spot and nan further angst that was to come.

Days earlier nan large day, rumours began to move that Charlene had tried to fly nan state connected 3 occasions pinch a one-way summons to Johannesburg. 

And they spent nan first nighttime of their honeymoon in South Africa - nan federation that Zimbabwe-born Charlene represented during her swimming profession - successful abstracted hotels.

Three years later, Charlene gave commencement to twins Jacques and Gabriell, who were nan first morganatic heirs to nan throne aft Albert's children retired of wedlock. 

In 2021, nan princess took a prolonged aesculapian hiatus successful South Africa which saw her walk astir of nan twelvemonth distant from her hubby and children.

She missed some nan seventh day of her twins and her tenth wedding anniversary. 

Her clip distant followed caller allegations that Albert had fathered a 3rd emotion child, this clip successful 2005 pinch an unnamed Brazilian woman.

The Prince's lawyers dismissed nan declare arsenic a 'hoax'.  

In April 2022 nan mates were seen together for nan first clip successful much than 12 months. Charlene past returned to full-time nationalist work successful May that year. 

But nan return to normality was short-lived, for Charlene again vanished from nationalist life - this clip for much than 3 weeks - successful July past year.   

Her hubby meantime was spotted at Wimbledon without his wife. 

Before he met Charlene, Albert seemed destined for life arsenic a bachelor amid a soap opera of emotion kid scandals. 

When nan mates met, fewer expected romance to blossom - Charlene was aft each a  sports-mad olympian 20 years his junior. 

Yet nan mates fell successful emotion and made their first nationalist quality astatine nan 2006 Winter Olympics successful Turin. 

To wed into nan family, Charlene was require to study French and Monegasque and she had to person to Catholicism. The mates past became engaged successful June 2010. 

The similarities betwixt their emotion communicative and that of his father, Prince Rainier III, and his Hollywood character mother Grace Kelly did not spell unnoticed.    

French journalist Philippe Delorme went arsenic acold to show nan Daily Mail successful 2011: 'If nan Princess Grace communicative was a movie, past Princess Charlene is nan remake.'  

Days earlier nan wedding, a Parisian news magazine reported that Charlene had been stopped astatine Nice airdrome aft allegedly learning a 'distressing' revelation astir her early husband's backstage life.

A elder Monaco detective claimed astatine nan time: 'Charlene had her passport confiscated truthful that nan Prince's entourage could seduce her to stay'.  

The rumour mill successful France went into overdrive. Charlene had, it was suggested, heard talk of different illegitimate child, allegedly conceived erstwhile she was making love Prince Albert successful 2005.

But nan Princess would spell connected to disregard nan 'hilarious' rumours. She said: 'Why would he spell done each this effort to person our dearest friends travel subordinate us, for america to beryllium reluctant?'

Prince Albert added: 'My family person agelong been nan taxable of rumours calved retired of jealousy.'

At nan civilian ceremony, Charlene wore a custom-made aquamarine Chanel suit that was matched to nan colour of her eyes. 

With property rumours swirling astir them, nan mates posed for immoderate very awkward photos.

Then yet location was nan belief ceremony. 

Guests besides included nan then-French President Nicholas Sarkozy, his woman Carla Bruni, exemplary Naomi Campbell, businessman Philip Green and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Alain Ducasse, France's astir celebrated chef, provided nan food, while Johnny Hallyday and Andrea Bocelli were to perform.

As Charlene was asked, successful French, if she would wed Albert Grimaldi, Princess Stephanie, nan groom's younger sister, raised her eyes to nan elaborately panelled ceiling depicting nan history of Alexander nan Great, arsenic if invoking his help. 

Everyone held their breath.

Charlene said 'oui'. Then Albert said 'oui'. Outside, nan crowds burst into applause. Inside, Stephanie breathed out, and burst into tears.

Under bluish skies, nan erstwhile Olympic swimmer transformed into a royal and became her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco.

More than 7,000 citizens were past invited to post-ceremony cocktails connected nan quadrate extracurricular nan Prince's Palace.

The drinks reception was followed by a performance by nan French composer Jean Michel Jarre.

Prince Albert concluded nan formalities pinch a heartfelt reside to his caller princess. 'It has been a very affectional travel to this day, sometimes not an easy one,' he said.

'Charlene, convey you for putting up pinch my inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies. You are a awesome woman. 

'Marrying you is nan champion determination I've ever taken. I'm happy to stock my life pinch you.'

As for her tears, Charlene later told The Times: 'There were each nan mixed emotions because of nan rumours and evidently nan hostility built up and I burst into tears [immediately aft nan ceremony].

'And past I burst into tears immoderate much because I was reasoning "Oh no, now nan full world has seen maine cry''.'

Having tied nan knot, nan mates past flew into Durban, South Africa, for nan commencement of their honeymoon.

While they arrived astatine an assemblage pinch South Africa's past president, Jacob Zuma, a section newspaper reported that they near successful 2 abstracted vehicles.

The enigma deepened erstwhile it turned retired that Prince Albert was staying astatine nan Hilton edifice successful Durban, yet Charlene was bedding down astatine nan Oyster Box Hotel successful Umhlanga - much than 10 miles up nan coast. 

Despite nan speculation, it was later claimed that nan logic was elemental enough: that nan prince had remained successful Durban because he had an early gathering nan pursuing greeting and was worried astir getting stuck successful postulation had he travelled successful from extracurricular nan city.

The begetter of nan caller princess, retired photocopier salesman Mike Wittstock, explained astatine nan time: 'This is because Albert attended nan convention for nan International Olympic Committee astatine nan Hilton.

'The convention started astatine 7am and Albert did not want to get up unnecessarily early and to beryllium successful traffic.'

A Monaco Palace root later confirmed that 'for applicable reasons, it was better' for nan prince to enactment successful nan Hilton.

However, neither nan root nor Mr Wittstock explained why Charlene did not simply enactment astatine nan Hilton pinch him.

Despite this early strife, nan Prince and Charlene person stayed together - moreover done their much caller struggles.

Speaking of Charlene's 2021 absence from nationalist life, Albert told People magazine: 'She didn't time off Monaco successful a huff! She didn't time off because she was huffy astatine maine aliases astatine anybody else… She didn't spell into exile.

'It was perfectly conscionable a aesculapian problem which had to beryllium treated.'

He added that her unwellness had 'affected them some and it had not been addressed earlier because he was 'concentrating connected taking attraction of nan kids'.

Reflecting connected her narration pinch her hubby successful an question and reply pinch Tatler mag past year, Charlene said: '...The infinitesimal I met Albert, I felt a profound consciousness of destiny. I person been quoted arsenic saying I felt anemic astatine nan knees. 

'That is simply a somewhat trite measurement of phrasing it, but it is existent - I knew he was nan one.'

Last month, Princess Charlene again signalled a return to comparative normality pinch her outing astatine nan Monte Carlo Television show alongside her husband. 

It came aft she dazzled pinch an quality astatine nan Monaco Grand Prix successful May.