Princess Charlene of Monaco, 46, wore two striking Armani Privé wedding dresses to marry Prince Albert, 66, but one of them came with hidden problems.
The former Olympic swimmer walked down the aisle in a glittering off-the-shoulder ivory dress adorned with 40,000 crystals. Vogue reported it took "three seamstresses 2,500 hours to make [and featured] 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother-of-pearl teardrops".
© GettyHer double train, which spanned a whopping five metres, left a lasting memory among fans as it trailed behind her at the Prince's Palace, and it was paired with an equally striking cathedral-length veil. But when the time came to exit the ceremony and head to her wedding dinner and ball at the Opera Garnier, Charlene appeared hesitant about getting into the car. Take a look at the video below…
Princess Charlene's second wedding dress
© GettyPrincess Charlene changed into another show-stopping evening gown, featuring a sheer illusion neckline, an embellished belt and rows of material cascading down the length of the skirt in elegant ruffles adorned with rows of sequins.
Without the same show-stopping train as her first gown, Charlene's second dress was lighter and offered easier movement. "The wedding dress is pretty heavy so I wanted to change into something light, soft and easy to move in for the evening," she explained.
Charlene's iconic pixie cut was nowhere to be seen, as the Princess sported a low side bun with a bejewelled Alice band.
Charlene and Albert's wedding
© HandoutThe royal couple's three-day wedding festivities were attended by high-profile guests including Prince Edward, Duchess Sophie, and Naomi Campbell. They enjoyed an Eagles concert on 30 June 2011 – where the bride famously wore an unconventional pale blue jumpsuit – followed by the ceremony the following day, where Charlene was pictured getting emotional.
Charlene said in an interview with The Times: "Everything was just so overwhelming and there were all the mixed emotions because of the rumours, and obviously the tension built up and I burst into tears [immediately after the ceremony].
"And then I burst into tears some more because I was thinking "Oh no, now the whole world has seen me cry"'. The weekend concluded with a lavish reception on 2 July.
Grace Kelly's son met Charlene (née Wittstock) at the Mare Nostrum swimming meet in Monaco in 2000, and they made their public debut at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In an interview with Vogue, Charlene - who now shares twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella - said: "Our first public appearance was at the Turin Olympic Games in 2006. Albert put me at ease. It was clear that we shared the same passions; we both became very emotional watching the athletes. Sport is the common denominator of our lives."
