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Prince Albert Paternity Test

February 4, 2012 by · Comments Off on Prince Albert Paternity Test 

Prince Albert Paternity Test, The wedding was a glittering affair, the likes of which have not been seen since Prince Rainier III married Hollywood icon Grace Kelly in Monaco more than half a century ago.

Amid the splendour of the Mediterranean principality’s Italian Renaissance palace Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock, the former Olympic swimmer, had their marriage blessed in a Roman Catholic service on Saturday.

Among the guests at the ceremony, which followed a civil service on Friday, were crowned heads of Europe, heads of state and celebrities – there to see Miss Wittstock, the daughter of a South African photocopier salesman, became Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene de Monaco.

But as the couple took their vows, Prince Albert’s colourful past threatened to overshadow the proceedings.

It has now been revealed that, following the couple’s civil ceremony, a senior palace official confirmed rumours that Prince Albert is likely to undergo the test after claims that he has fathered a third child.

The French news agency Agence France Press said anonymous officials spoke of “the truth” of a reported falling out between the couple earlier in the week and of a probable demand that Prince Albert take a paternity test.

Albert already has a six-year-old son, Alexandre, through a former Togolese air hostess, Nicole Coste, and a 19-year-old daughter, Jazmin, with Tamara Rotola, an American estate agent.

Despite the development, none of Albert’s illegitimate children will have a claim to the throne under Monaco law, a source said. “Even if a third or even a fourth child is confirmed Albert will not have an official heir until Princess Charlene bears him one,” he added.

The French magazine, Public, has claimed that Prince Albert fathered “two new illegitimate children”, saying one is understood to be 18 months old and the son of an Italian woman who is preparing to take her story to the press.

Other publications, including Voici, have suggested that Miss Coste could have had a second baby to the Prince. The 40-year old raised eyebrows on Thursday when she was pictured in Monte Carlo on the eve of the wedding.

But for all the background rumours Monaco still basked in glittering pomp and majesty.

Huge red and white flags, the colours of the principality, were draped from windows of the world’s second smallest state’s luxury high-rises, along with the colours of South Africa.

And Princess Charlene herself didn’t disappoint as her father walked her down the red-carpeted aisle of the palace courtyard, transformed into a vast, open-air cathedral.

There was a touch of Grace as she glided past the spectacular horseshoe-shaped staircase, inspired by the one in Fontainebleau Chateau near Paris.

Around 800 guests gave the 33-year-old South African a standing ovation as she walked slowly into the main courtyard in a spectacular veiled white silk dress with a five-metre train, preceded by a gaggle of bridesmaids.

Designed by Italian designer Giorgio Armani, the dress was studded in crystal and pearl, taking 2,500 hours to prepare.

The embroidery alone took 700 hours, and “kilometres” of platinum-coated thread were sewn into 130 metres of off-white silk.

It bore 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl teardrops, and 30,000 “stones in gold shades” arranged in floral patterns.

Albert wore the cream summer uniform of Monaco’s palace guards, its sleeves embroidered with oak and olive leaves and the front fastened with monogrammed golden buttons.

His chest was emblazoned with medals representing the Order of Saint Charles, the Order of Grimaldi and France’s Legion of Honour, while his rigid fabric cap bore a rosette representing the Crown of Monaco.

Adding to the sense of occasion were the presence of the Earl of Wessex, who wore a honorary white Royal Navy suit, his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and scores of celebrity guests.

To the strains of Johan Sebastian Bach, but also traditional South African songs, the royal couple were watched by the kings of Spain, Sweden, Lesotho and Belgium; the presidents of France, Iceland, Ireland, Lebanon, Malta, Germany and Hungary.

Household names on the guest list included Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, whose fashion house made the bride’s sky blue civil wedding suit. Also present were supermodel Naomi Campbell, dressed in green, American soprano Renee Fleming and former James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore in large dark glasses.

In a solemn ceremony, the couple was asked to take each other as husband and wife. Both said “oui”, no doubt to the immense relief of palace officials.

Seconds before, they had renounced Satan and proclaimed their Christian faith, while Charlene smiled as the archbishop referred to fidelity and forgiveness.

Prince Albert winked at his bride before sealing their marriage with a rather awkward kiss, prompting cheers from some 3,500 Monegasque subjects watching on a giant screen in a square outside.

Unlike the recent British royal wedding there were no horse-drawn carriages.

Instead, the newly-weds left the palace in an low-emission, open-top hybrid Lexus LS 600h L car — a nod to the Prince’s green convictions.

Monegasques remained philosophical about their latest royal addition, and clearly relieved their “eternal bachelor” prince, who had been previously linked to Miss Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brooke Shields.

“We’ve been waiting for so many years for him to get married but we never gave up hope,” said Christian Becker, 57, a financial consultant. “Monaco is a place full of rumour, but one mustn’t believe it all. I think they’re in love, they both love sport, are Anglophones and will make a great team.”

Miss Wittstock, who was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa as a child, met Prince Albert during a 2000 swimming competition in Monaco.

He has been an International Olympic Committee member since 1985 and competed in five Winter Olympics as part of Monaco’s bobsleigh team.

Following the wedding service the new Princess shed tears as music played after she laid her bridal bouquet in Saint Dévote’s Chapel.

Later, the chef Alain Ducasse, whose restaurants command a combined 19 Michelin stars, served a Mediterranean-themed dinner at Monte-Carlo’s casino for about 500 guests, with everything but the champagne and South African wines sourced within six miles of Monaco.

To cap it all, some 200,000 tourists were treated to a spectacular fireworks display over the waters of Monaco Bay.

Monaco hopes the star-studded event will regild the fortunes of the low-tax haven, still struggling to recover from the financial crisis. Since 2008 tourism has fallen by 9 per cent in two years before picking up recently.

Takings at the casinos are down by 14 per cent.

Above all, the cosseted residents of this low-tax haven hope the new royal couple can keep the seven-century Grimaldi dream alive.

“A marriage brings us security for the succession,” said an 80-year-old retired casino manager. “Charlene’s very pretty, I just hope she adapts.

“We’re lucky to be Monegasque. We live the good life, protected jobs, no military service. It’s important to have a prince. With no prince there’s no principality,” he said.

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