Albert and Charlene, 10 years: A look back at Princess Charlène’s third wedding outfit

Ten years ago, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene tied the knot in a ceremony in the Main Courtyard at the Princely Palace of Monaco. 

The reception and evening ball were held at the Montecarlo Opera and featured the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra playing under the conduction of Maestro Lawrence Foster. The evening was concluded by a fireworks display and the opening of the Opéra Ball. 

For the occasion, all participants, including the bride and groom, had a change of wardrobe, which meant tuxedos for the men (or gala uniforms for those in the military) and gowns with tiaras for the ladies. 

Princess Charlène, who was no doubt still getting used to her new title at that point, wore another pièce by Giorgio Armani, created within his line Armani Privé.  

The dress featured a sleeveless bodice with upper transparency and a four-tiered skirt. The entire gown was made of off-white silk chiffon, featuring gold and platinum-coloured Swarovski crystals. In an interview with Vogue, she explained that her wedding gown was cumbersome because it was made of duchess satin silk and had a double train and that she wanted to change into something lighter and easier to move in for the night festivities. She tasked Armani to create her second dress for the day so that there would be a form of continuity, which is a thing that many brides who opt for multiple dresses do.

The new Princess debuted one of the two tiaras she received as a wedding present from Prince Albert in her hair. The Diamond Foam Tiara was created especially for her by jeweller Lorenz Bäumer and was designed to resemble a spray of water, which suited the swimmer princess in a Mediterranean Principality. However, when she wore the tiara on the night of her wedding, she wore it on the opposite side, meaning that in the original design, the “spray” is supposed to come out of her right ear, whereas on her wedding night, it was behind her left ear. This reversal, and the fact that she tilted the piece more, made it lose its tridimensional effect and made it look more like a hairband rather than a tiara. She hasn’t worn this piece since, although it has been featured in a few exhibitions.

There is more about the marriage of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in our new book, Royal Weddings: A Collection. It contains over 140 features on some of the most famous royal weddings in history and is available as a paperback and an ebook on Amazon.