Following the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011, monarchs and heads of state will have yet another reason to celebrate. The wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his lady love Charlene Wittstock will take place on July 1.
The couple will get married in a civil ceremony on July 1, followed by a religious ceremony the next day.
Like Kate, Charlene Wittstock is a commoner of South African, German and Rhodesian ancestry. She is the daughter of Michael Kenneth Wittstock, a sales manager, and Lynette Humberstone, a former competitive diver and swimming coach.
Charlene herself is a South African Olympic backstroke swimmer. She met Albert in 2000 at an international swimming competition held in Monaco and had been seen together since then at a number of high-profile events and ceremonies.
Like the wedding of Prince William and Kate, their wedding will also receive extensive media coverage and many diplomats and royal families have been invited for the official ceremony. Following the wedding on July 1, a large concert has been arranged on the Port with musician and composer, Jean-Michel Jarre. The religious ceremony will, however, take place on July 2 in the Main Courtyard of the Prince's Palace.
Start the slideshow to get a glimpse of the exclusive preparations for the royal wedding:
The Monaco fine china factory displays its official Royal Wedding commemorative collection for the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Reuters.The Monaco fine china factory displays its official Royal Wedding commemorative collection for the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Reuters.Monaco's Prince Albert and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock arrive for amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS 2011 event in Antibes during the 64th Cannes Film Festival May 19, 2011.Reuters.A vendor presents a plate created by the Monaco fine china factory which displays its official Royal Wedding commemorative collection for the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Reuters.View of a commemorative stamp that will be issued by the Monaco stamp office to mark the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Stamps will be available and on sale on July 1, the day of the civil wedding in the Principality.Reuters.View of stamps, first day cover and memorial inserts that will be issued by the Monaco stamp office to mark the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Stamps will be available and on sale on July 1, the day of the civil wedding in the Principality.Reuters.View of a sheet of a commemorative stamp that will be issued by the Monaco stamp office to mark the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Stamps will be available and on sale on July 1, the day of the civil wedding in the Principality.Reuters.View of a memory insert issued by the Monaco stamp office to commemorate the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, June 1, 2011. Stamps will be available and on sale on July 1, day of the civil wedding in the principality. Reuters.
