Charlene of Monaco told crowds in Australia she was “thrilled” to be back in their country. And in return they gave Prince Albert's new bride a thunderous welcome. Hundreds of locals gathered in the town of Bendigo, north of Melbourne, where the princess was opening an exhibition in honour of the iconic royal who would have been her mother-in-law, Grace Kelly.
Waving Monegasque and Australian flags, they cheered and clamoured to get close to the glamorous visitor, who spent several minutes high-fiving a group of primary school children. “Australia holds a very special place in my heart,” she said. “I often travelled here to train and to compete with my Australian mates, surely among the finest athletes in the world. “I am also touched by the gracious hospitality of the great people of Bendigo, their city and their legendary art gallery, and so thrilled to be back in this great country.” The statuesque blonde, who wore a dusky pink dress by Aussie designer Johanna Johnson, went on to describe Grace as “perhaps one of the most captivating personalities of all time”.
“Knowing the life, talents and achievements of Princess Grace, where do we begin to tell the incredible story of such an accomplished artist, a patron of the arts, a humanitarian, a princess, and indeed a style icon? She also touched on her iconic style, deeming it "so gracefully unique that it remains an inspiration across generations and cultures".
