- .Charlene married Prince Albert II of Monaco in a £68 million ceremony in 2011
- .Rumoured to have tried to call it off after rows with her fiance
- .According to Charlene, reports of altercations are 'categorical lies'
- .The princess also revealed that she plans to have children in the future
By RUTH STYLES
As she walked down the aisle in a bespoke Armani dress that had taken the Italian atelier an astonishing 2,500 hours to create, Charlene Wittstock, now Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, looked anything but the happy bride.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she exchanged vows with the principality's ruler, Prince Albert II, in front of a global audience of millions.
But her tears weren't, as reported, the result of a series of rows over her fiance's womanising ways and a failed escape attempt in the days leading up to her wedding.
In a rare interview, the South African former swimmer has revealed that they were tears of happiness and has described the speculation as 'categorical lies'.
Happily married: Princess Charlene pictured with her husband Prince Albert II of Monaco on Saturday
Overwhelmed: Charlene was pictured with tears streaming down her face but says they were happy ones
'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"'.
Despite the slew of negative headlines that marred her big day, Europe's newest royal wife has happy memories of her wedding.
'It was such a wonderful three days,' she told the Times Weekend Magazine. 'Even months afterwards I would get flashbacks and think, "Oh my goodness, did I really have the Eagles playing at my wedding?"
'I think back and wonder how we managed to pull it off. There was a lot going on. It was beautiful; it was sentimental, showing my most intimate moment to the world.'
Princess Charlene says she has happy memories of her wedding day and describes speculation as 'lies'
Enjoying life: Princess Charlene on the arm of her husband at a society party in Monaco earlier this month
Princess to be: Charlene was a professional swimmer before her marriage
Since her 2011 nuptials, Charlene has thrown herself into her new role, building relationships with other European royals and working on her charitable foundation which encourages French and Monégasque children to learn to swim.
'My cousin drowned when he was five years old,' she says. 'He went to swim in a neighbour's pool and fell in.
'Thousands of people drown in France every year... and I want to spearhead this water safety project of mine, giving people access to someone to teach them to swim free.'
She's working on smoothing the gap between the designer clad children of the super-rich and everyone else and is currently setting up a competition that will encourage Monégasque children to design their own school uniforms.
She also speaks warmly of her work with Dior designer Raf Simons who recently staged a show in the principality.
'I worked for two years on that,' she explains. 'I had a vision to arrange a fashion show between Cannes Film Festival and the [Monaco] Grand Prix, because everybody is here.
'I thought it would work out and people would love to see Raf Simons' line. I mean, he's the number one designer in the world! I'm still smiling about it.'
Another person who makes her smile is the Netherland's new queen, Maxima. 'Maxima has been unbelievably supportive if I need help with anything,' reveals Charlene.
'Because she came from Argentina and moved to Holland, we have made similar lifestyle choices. She has given me advice that I identified with.'
Relaxed: Princess Charlene was pictured enjoying a holiday with friends in Portofino earlier this month
Support: Queen Maxima has been a fount of good advice while the Duchess of Cambridge is 'lovely'
And Maxima isn't the only fellow royal to meet with Princess Charlene's approval. The Duchess of Cambridge, married just months before Charlene, has also proved a friendly source of support.
'She's very sweet and lovely,' says Charlene. 'I can understand it must be difficult for everyone being in this situation when you're not born into it.'
But as the Duchess of Cambridge, now a day overdue, prepares for the birth of her first child, does she hope for a little prince or princess of her own?
'Look, I'm not going to put myself under any pressure,' she says. 'I just got married. I'm just settling into this enormous place and getting used to having huge responsibilities.
'You know,' she adds, 'we travel a lot, so it's going to take time. But as I said, I'm not going to put myself under any pressure. It will happen; it will happen.'
No comments:
Post a Comment