Monaco’s royal family will gather for the nuptials of Charlotte Casiraghi and Dimitri Rassam on Saturday 1 June, with the celebration expected to double up with another special occasion – the baptism of their son Balthazar, who was born in October.
As we eagerly await the latest royal wedding – just two weeks after Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston tied the knot – let’s take a look back at some of the other Monaco royal weddings, including that of Charlotte’s brother Pierre Casiraghi to Beatrice Borromeo just four years ago.
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco
Prince Rainier III of Monaco married American actress Grace Kelly in April 1956. A civil ceremony was first held on 18 April, followed by a religious ceremony the next day, held at the St. Nicholas Cathedral. The bride wore a lace gown designed by Helen Rose from MGM, which took inspiration from costumes in the MGM archives and has gone on to become one of the most remembered wedding dresses of all time.
Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo
Charlotte’s younger brother Pierre married Beatrice Borromeo in 2015. The couple first held a civil ceremony at Monaco’s Grimaldi palace in front of 70 of their closest friends and family, before hosting a second ceremony in Italy the following week. The religious ceremony was held on the private Isolino di San Giovanni in Lake Maggiore, with the beautiful bride wearing a custom Armani Privé wedding dress.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco’s nuptials spanned three days from 30 June until 2 July 2011, and were attended by the Monaco royals, as well as prestigious guests such as Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, and supermodel Naomi Campbell.
The couple first held a civil ceremony, before hosting a Roman Catholic ceremony in the presence of global celebrities and various heads of state. Charlene was the epitome of sophistication for her big day, wearing an off-the-shoulder Armani Privé silk gown, which took three seamstresses 2,500 hours to make.
GALLERY: See royal christening photos
For their civil ceremony, Princess Charlene was her very own ‘something blue’, wearing a chiffon jumpsuit with palazzo pants and complementing blazer designed by Karl Lagerfeld.
Princess Charlene’s wedding dress for the religious ceremony was designed by Giorgio Armani, and featured an off-the-shoulder neckline and was embroidered with an estimated 40,000 Swarovski crystals.
Tatiana and Andrea Casiraghi
Another of Princess Caroline’s children, Andrea Casiraghi, married Tatiana Santo Domingo in a civil ceremony in August 2013. The royal couple hosted a second candlelit ceremony in Gstaad six months later in February 2014, where the bride wore a bespoke Valentino gown and an elegant cream fur cape. As well as members of Monaco’s royal family, guests included Valentino, Margherita Missoni, and Mario Testino. The celebrations lasted three days and included a Pink Panther themed fondue party and a lavish brunch on the final day.
Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Ekaterina Malysheva
The stepson of Princess Caroline of Monaco, Prince August of Hanover, married in a royal wedding on Saturday 8 July 2017, in Hanover. Though the groom’s father, Caroline's ex-husband, also named Prince Ernst August, did not attend due to a financial dispute, the German royals happily wed before 600 guests, as well as thousands of members of the public who gathered outside, in the town's Market Church. The happy couple, who had officially tied the knot in a civil wedding on July 6 at the town hall in Hanover, also held two private receptions: a luncheon at the historic Herrenhauser Gardens and an evening reception at Marienburg Castle.
Prince Christian of Hanover and Alessandra De Osma
Another of Princess Caroline’s stepsons, Prince Christian of Hanover, married Alessandra De Osma in a lavish ceremony in Peru in March 2018. The ceremony was held at Basilica San Pedro in Lima, the bride’s native country, five months after their initial civil ceremony in London.
Princess Caroline and Philippe Junot
Princess Caroline of Monaco has been married three times, the first of which was to Philippe Junot in June 1978. Guests at their civil ceremony included Hollywood stars Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra. However, the couple divorced in October 1980. The Princess went on to marry Stefano Casiraghi in December 1983, and they welcomed their three children together, but he was tragically killed in a speedboat accident in 1990.