On Friday night, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene (formerly Charlene Wittstock) did their first big event together in Monaco since their July wedding. The event was the 63rd Red Cross Ball, held in Monte Carlo, where I’m assuming that Charlene and Albert were the host and hostess or the most significant patrons. Charlene’s gown is Akris, and I’m not sure what I think about it. I love the color on Charlene, who I think does too many neutrals and pale colors, so it’s nice to see her in something that “pops”. But the detailing on the back of the dress looks like fish scales to me, and I don’t think those are attractive. I also don’t like how the skirt looks too stiff. The jewelry is quite something, though! The necklace is custom-made Van Cleef & Arpels, given to her as a gift from her husband. I mean… yeah, he screws around on her, but he gives her great jewelry. Does make it alright? The necklace – which can also be worn as a tiara, is made from 88 round diamonds, 10 pear-shaped diamonds and 359 sapphires. According to Pop Sugar, “it was designed to evoke memories of the ocean…” … Because Charlene might have to swim home?
In the month since the wedding, all hell has broken loose, and there are serious questions about whether their honeymoon in South Africa was anything other than completely miserable. My theory is that Charlene has spent the last month undergoing some kind of princess brainwashing, which might explain why she looks so… glassy in these photos. It’s not that she looks miserable, it’s not that she looks angry with her husband (for screwing around on her and fathering a bunch of babies). She just looks… medicated. Her smiles seem less about being at her husband’s side and more about whatever pills she’s taking. Just my opinion. I guess the palace will say that she and her husband are just HAPPY and haters are gonna hate – or haters are gonna get sued, as the case may be.
Going back to Charlene’s style – she made this year’s Vanity Fair “Best Dressed” list, along with fellow new princess/duchess Catherine of Cambridge. And just like Catherine, Charlene’s style is receiving some high-profile criticism. The New York Times style critic Cathy Horyn was summarizing Vanity Fair’s list, and she mentioned her dislike of the inclusion of Charlene. Horyn wrote:
The… committee seemed to make an effort to broaden the list, not quite banishing obvious socialites and actresses but nearly so. I was glad to see, among others, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Christine Lagarde; Jenson Button; Colin Firth; and Shala Monroque. But Princess Charlene of Monaco was a stretch. Her style to me is something of a flat pancake, despite (or perhaps because of) the effort she applies.
[From The New York Times]
Ouch. So not only does Charlene’s marriage suck, but so does her style, at least according to this critic. Personally, I just think Charlene is trying to be all things to all people, style-wise. She’s trying to bring back Princess Grace’s effortless chic, while trying to become a clothes hanger for all of the important European designers.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Morning!
I don’t like it… it makes her look square, but the wosrt is that the shade is too similar to the tablecloths
thecolor is nice but the dress is awfull
i usually love Akris’ ready-to-wear stuff, but this dress is ‘the’ worst. 🙁
Hate the dress! It makes her look wide, and hides any waistline she might have. The color is pretty though, as is the necklace.
I think she looks gorgeous! The color really suits her!
Love the color of the dress… but hate everything else about it. Oh well. Good effort, Prisoner Bride!
Btw, Kaiser: were there any updates on the latest paternity tests? The ones that he took during (or right after?) the honeymoon?
She’s a stunning woman but her dress (while pretty at first glance) wears like a stiff and uncomfortable scaley corset of sadness.
It’s a metaphor for her marriage.
She would look better without the dumpy, balding manchild next to her.
Sell your soul to a royal toad for a hideous necklace that can be worn as a tiara! Oh, for a collapsing dance floor. These people are ridiculous!
Don’t like the dress but the color is great. Prince Al is still creepy.
Lacey – As far as I know, nothing has been publicly discussed about the paternity test(s). If you guys know anything different, please email me with a link!
They seem happy. I guess the DNA test came back in his favor.
Color is great on her, but the dress makes her look big.
She looks beautiful, but the smiles are not genuine. When someone is smiling for real, you can tell by the way the eyes crinkle up, or lift, or else sparkle a bit. I hope for Charlene’s sake that the press lays off a bit and gives her some breathing room. She’s already married to a philandering, desensitized person (reminiscent of Prince Charles back in the day), and deserves at least a little privacy to adjust to her new life.
The eyes have it: in pic 2, they can’t even take a photo without albert’s eye wandering. Her eyes just look sad, she smiles with her mouth but not her eyes.
I’ve seen better from Akris, but I do like the color on her.
I’ve been looking everywhere (French sites) about test results too… I wonder what’s taking them so long. Negotiations? Because if Prince Roundhead was cleared, they’d have announced it weeks ago.
I hate the way the middle part creeps up higher on the stomach area – it’s so unflattering, why would any designer do that?
I honestly think it is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen in my life -and yes, I have seen some ;D-.
I love the dress. It’s elegant, it’s got texture and a lovely sheen.
Dress=Ugly.
The dress is fugly from every angle. Her jewelry is magnificent.
She has the glazed-over look of a Stepford wife.
Hate the shiny, satiny front and pleating. Unflattering in general to her figure.
Like, but don’t love, the color.
He is SO gross and has an obvious mommy complex.
I love the color of the dress, but Marge is right. She clashes with the tablecloths.
I read somewhere (I think at that site the ex security guy of Albert’s has) that Charlene was indeed medicated and that her dad was threatened as well. I sort of hope that last part is true as he said (as she was xanaxed into submission) that her marriage was like winning the world cup.
I feel sorry for her; I hope she’s made her peace with it. She looks a bit different here; trying to figure out what it is.
PS Why am I in permanent moderation?
Out of the siblings Albert most resembles his mother Grace.
the necklace probably has a homing device in it so if she cuts and runs they can track her and drag her back.
and her smile, it looks like her favorite little brother was finally released from the prince’s torture room in the dungeon, but only on the condition that she promised to stop crying in public. “smile. smile and look happy darn you, or i’ll send your little brother back to the dark and deadly dungeon,” stormed the half mad and evil prince.
okay, make that her beloved papa, not a little brother being threatened in the dungeon.
do you have the name or a link to the security guy’s website? thanks!
She looks medicated, the dress ain’t workin’ and the marriage is what’s tragic.
her shoulders are her worst physical asset. they remind me of mothman’s shoulders – way to wide & boney for such a small head.
the color of the dress is nice, but the design is horrible. the top & back of it looks like it belongs on a fancy pillow.
the dress makes her look boxy and it looks so stiff but I love the color on her.
she looks medicated, that is the first thing I thought..looks like she’s wondering if she is reaaly there and smiling just in case its real and not a nightmare.
The dress has a kind of reptilian look. It doesn’t suit her figure either, looking like reptilian armour. The necklace is over the top for the dress, as hard as the dress, rather than some light long strands of dangling diamonds. Meh, she looks medicated.
But overall I take the greatest offense at the notion that the Courtesan (Waity) is a fashion icon.
Didn’t Al have a baby with a black flight attendant, deny it for a while, took a DNA and then the family proceeded to tell her that the child would never be recognized?
To complain that the poor woman’s dress clashes with the tablecloth is a bit much. How many of you coordinate your dress to an event’s tablecloth color? And to criticize her shoulders compared to the size of her head – do we really get pleasure tearing another person apart down to the size of their shoulders? There is a difference between funny gossip comments and being downright mean and critical.
Oops, i think she put that thing on backwards, and i’m not just talking about the dress.
As other have said the colour is lovely on her but the dress itself is horrible. She looks so wide, almost like a barn door. It is seriously not very flattering on her.
Gorgeous jewelry, unattractive dress but I do like the color.
Her eyes look haunted.
Hmm, the results of the DNA tests should’ve been out by now. If they had been negative, I’m sure Albert would’ve said so loud and clear. The fact that we’ve heard nothing probably means he silenced the press, and continues to refuse to acknowledge his youngest offspring.
Also? Charlene looks drugged to the gills.
I’m soo surprised no one has said this – but she look so orange! Stay out of the sun love. Yuck her dress look horriable, however her hair is nice – just not suited for the orange appeal.
The dress is quite beautiful and very fancy. she and her husband look happy regardless. I love the speculation about the misery but really, unless you know these people personally you are just a gossip monger perhaps jealous due to your boring life.
They’re keeping the paternity test results under wraps, just as sure as they’re keeping Charlene hopped down on happy pills. No one will convince me otherwise. At this point, she’s probably not even picking out her own clothes, so to bag on her for what she’s wearing is grossly unfair. (I do like the necklace/tiara/princess lo-jack though.)
First thought upon reading the headline: The marriage is what’s tragic.
@bluhare:
This is the website you are looking for that posts all the Monaco Gossip. (nothing yet about the Paternity Test!).
http://www.eringer33.com/
I hate the color of her dress and the overall effect is she’s wearing a colorful cinder block. The truth of their nonsensical wedding will be out before long because she won’t be able to hold up the falsehoods going on and will have a breakdown. You wouldn’t think stuff like this could happen in the 21st century, and it cant.
Geez… her skin looks cooked… is she trying to skin cancer her way out of the marriage?
On a previous thread, Mr Greek mentioned this site for Monaco gossip:
http://www.eringer33.com/2011_08_01_archive.html
Sorry, DSK-not… I didn’t see your link there.
@deb: I don’t coordinate my outfits with table cloth colors, mostly because I don’t know what the table cloth colors will be before I go. In this case, this was a huge charity event with Al and Char as guests of honor. As such, one would think the organizers would give them the color scheme so they dress accordingly. In this case the shades of pink aren’t necessarily complementary.
Heck, th Queen of England has people provide their outfit colors so no one has the same color she wears.
I like the necklace/tiara. A lot of thought was put into making it for Charlene and about Charlene.
I’m meh on the dress. I hate the front. It’s far too stiff and boxy, but love the back.
Beautiful woman and great dress! Different but I like it. Good job Charlene!!
She’s the beautiful new Princess of Monaco, the jealous haters need to get over it. Many are just plain jealous haters out there. She’s stunning and should ignore all the jealous haters. She looks very happy in her new role as HSH Princess of Monaco. Now this is a beautiful woman who looks like a Princess.
she looks like a combo of uma thurman and ch arlize theron, in these pics.
she flat out beautiful/gorgeous, the color IS amazing on her, but the style IS hideous. And she DOES look medicated/sad; the marriage is a tragic thing. Everything everyone said, melded into one, is, I think, the truth about this state of affairs.
I like Charlene much better than,socialclimbing underwear modeling Kate Middleton who used her entire grasping family and her-caught on camera-drug-using-dealing-Uncle on vacations &her socialclimbing family to ensare stupid bald Pr.William down the aisle. No one was pushed more than Pr.William was pushed into mrriage, by constant hovering Kate,the Middleton’s and the UK press.
She’s got some broad shoulders… but she is a very beautiful woman. The dress doesn’t really highlight anything for her though.
Do I spy Sophia Loren in the background in the 5th pic (behind Princesses’ Caroline & Stephanie)?
She looks completely out of it. Heavily medicated.
She is not wearing the dress; the dress is wearing. She is totally overpowered by the cut, color, and style of the dress.
Xanax is one of the most powerful benzodiazepines out there. Which makes it horrifically addictive. Stay. Away. From. Xanax.
They look very happy to me. Her eyes are quite beautiful and clear. She’s been dating Albert for years and known him for ten, she’s there and Princess because she wants to be there, get over it, hater’s.
@the original bellaluna: you are reading my mind. I agree completely.
At this point, if I were her and married to that philandering, gross potato-face, I would gladly swallow whatever “happy” medication they offered me.
Ugh, how did Princess Grace give birth to such an unattractive slug man?
She is a lovely woman, but that dress is all wrong for her. It’s too shiny; it screams of trying too hard. As a swimmer, her upper body is quite muscular. This dress being strapless and compressing her bust make her shoulders seem disproportionately large and wide. The waistline is too high, making her figure look boxy. And the back of the gown? ]Ugh.
She would have looked so much prettier in aomething more flowy and less “built” appearing. Same bright color without the shine, with a fitted bodice and waistline and she would look stunning.
She is a very large woman and I don’t think whomever is dressing her is taking that into account. By “large” I mean Amazonian, not fat. She is very tall and has very broad shoulders.
The fashion industry only makes clothes for size 0 women between 5’7″ and 5’9″ She has to be at least 6′ and not a 0.
Gorgeous colour, but very strangely cut. Maybe she is preggers and they are trying to hide it while they convince her to stay in Monaco. She is a gorgeous woman, but yes she does have very sad eyes.
She looks stoned.
Whether you love it or hate it, the dress is at least interesting and shows some personality, which is more than can be said for Waity’s clothes. Personally, I love the color and the hair, the jewels are pretty stunning as well.
Cathy Horyn needs to set down the silly juice, no way you can argue that Charlene’s style is too boring to make the Vanity Fair list, but Waity’s isn’t.
I’d be medicated too if I had to have sex with him.
I’m Ukrainian and unfortunately, I have wide shoulders like Charlene. It makes wearing strapless or off the shoulder gowns and shirts nearly impossible, as it draws more attention to how big they are.
I think the dress would have looked better if it was in a blue or green color, or even a dark red or purple.
Charlene is very beautiful. Albert is looking smug. Perhaps it was found out he wasn’t the father after all?
Kaiser you are so wright. She looks MEDICATED. No expression, just the same one, smile on. And her eyes dont give any fealing! Im not kidding, guys. Seriously. Look. Weak before wedding she ran to home, for that, she had to go firsth from Monaco to France.(only way to get to Africa, from monaco not possible) in France, Nizza airport, they took her passport. Stopped her from leaving. Convinced her for about 5h. to return, and talk to “prince”. Quastion, thats legal shead? Taking away person’s papers, and not let to go where a person wants, when all documents are in order. No king or president here cant by LAW stop a person from traveling, if papers are ok. As european, and beeing here at this wright moment, I can asure thats what the law says. France broke the law, with this, its own country’s, and eu’s law. It was talked about it in forums here, for a while. But, not anymoore. And now. Look at the “happy couple”. I wish france would not brake a law, would not take her passport and stop her.
I can’t see the dress for the eyes. 🙁
@Koubea: I don’t think you used “jealous haters” near enough times in that post.
Geez, can’t people respect other’s opinions without whipping out the same tired “jealous haters” card? I mean, grow the hell up.
She’s a very pretty lady, yes, but the dress is hideous. Not only does it obstruct her figure, but the design is wretched. The color looks alright, but does it matter? No color can mend the pattern or cut of the dress that makes it so horrible.
@rainbow – in French, it’s Nice, in Italian – Nizza (rhymes with pizza) 😉
And thank you Venefica Delirium for your response to Koubea – me thinks the lady doth protest too much as well.
It’s not that we’re jealous, and it’s not that we hate…i for one wish i could be jealous of a princess, and i just feel too much pity for her to hate her…no, Koubea, it’s not that, it’s just the let down factor, i mean, sure, they’re royals, they have to put on a show, but the show they put on to conceal the real show was not as interesting or as effective.
On the other hand, seems this decade’s trend is all about shattering illusions, so bring it on. I think that’s the real issue here, not jealousy or hate. That went out with short shorts and high heels.
Oh that dress is just all wrong!!!
Never ever match the clutch in not only the same color but same fabric as your dress…
Dear needs a stylist.
Medicated was the word that came to my mind too!!
I love the colour, but the dress is too stiff and too long, and it makes her waist look thick, when she clearly has a good figure with a good waist.
I do not like the dress colour. It is too loud. I can’t imagine at what event one would wear that colour. But give Princess Charlene a chance! She has barely had one month yet to ease into her new role and find her OWN style. Cut her some slack is what I say!
totally OT…
@ 55. Nymeria — Winter is coming!!!
Ridiculous looking!
@coucou
I didn’t know that its Nice:-) I did study french a lil bit:-(
but also, here in finland, sweden, norw, rus, they use name Nizza. If you say Nice, most probably will be like eegh where’s that?:-) its not only italians that use this name. BUT who cares!!!!:-):-):-) Its the same thing. I DO AGREE, it would be bether to use the WRIGHT ORIGINAL name.
moja13: “Whether you love it or hate it, the dress is at least interesting and shows some personality, which is more than can be said for Waity’s clothes. Personally, I love the color and the hair, the jewels are pretty stunning as well.
Cathy Horyn needs to set down the silly juice, no way you can argue that Charlene’s style is too boring to make the Vanity Fair list, but Waity’s isn’t. ”
I agree moja, Charlene is lovely, she looks stunning, she looks happy and imo her clothes are always much better made than Kate Middleton’s. I find Kate’s skelaton body lately and her clothes just boring and the way she dresses completely boring. Charene is smiling and happy, I believe people are just maKing up crap. Charlene has been with the Prince for years and known him for a decade, she wanted to marry him and she did. Some can’t just let her alone. She’s a lovely lady.
I worry more about Pr.William in a few years wondering why he never dated more and married his FIRST serious girlfriend Kate. That entire thing was pushed on weak William by her family, imo.
@Rodney56
she wanted to marrie Albert and she did? She wanted to not get married, but was brainwashed to return and do it. Does that sound like a happy woman, escaping from country, weak before tha happyday. She wanted to leave the older cheatful dood.
He made children to other women, while beeing with her. And Katys William gave her his word not to continue with his armyservice , and few days after weading, signed a contract for a couple moore years. You NEVER know them:-(
@ INeedANap (#72) – It’s cool, dawg. We Direwolves are down with snow. 😉
Eeegh. I hope that Charlene will get out before having a child. But that would be like unbelieveble. I wish I could be her friend. To smack her, and say- what f you stay with that old weaner when he makes other women preagnant. Diamonts dont make sweat, when a husband like that. She is in golden cage. I would sujest people to watch Grace Kelly’s speach and how she looked like, that clip before getting to the ship, then the travelling, to the weading. Brainwashing can be VERY much the deal. You’d newer know, how is it, if newer had experienced this kind of manipulation.