It’s been five years since Princess Charlene went home to South Africa and developed some kind of complicated medical situation. She ended up staying in South Africa for months and months, all while Prince Albert and the children stayed in Monaco. Some people thought it was an “escape attempt” by Charlene. Some people thought it was a real medical situation, albeit not the one being discussed. I still don’t know. Charlene eventually went back to Monaco, then she was sent to a treatment center in Switzerland, and there are rumors that Charlene still maintains a Swiss home and that she lives there most of the time.
In the past few years, Charlene has been seen in Monaco often enough, mostly for the “big events” where she’s expected to show up. For years, she maintained a super-short pixie cut, which Albert reportedly hated. Her hair is now grown out, she’s had some fresh cosmetic work, and she looks really good. Charlene joined Albert at Monaco’s annual Red Cross Ball, and Tatler pointed out that she was channeling Albert’s mother, Grace Kelly:
Princess Charlene of Monaco was the picture of Old Hollywood perfection at the Red Cross ball over the weekend. The wife of Prince Albert II clearly had her late mother-in-law, Grace Kelly, in mind as she dressed for the ball, channelling the film star in a gorgeous gold gown from Elie Saab, a designer beloved by the likes of the Princess of Wales and Princess Rajwa of Jordan.
The Monégasque princess – who wore her signature short hair in a style that further evoked Princess Grace – looked like she could have played a starring role in To Catch a Thief, the 1955 film that cemented the American actress’s status as one of the industry’s all-time style icons.
Looking through the photos and… yeah. She was absolutely going for Grace Kelly. Thoughts? She looks great, as I said. But it’s a bit creepy, right? I think the same thing when the Princess of Wales copies Diana’s whole aesthetic too, but at least with Kate, she has those brown/bronde wiglets. She’s not trying to copy Diana’s hair and face, just Diana’s outfits. This is something else.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- NO TABLOID – TT.SS.HH. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the 77th Monaco Red Cross Gala at the ‘Salle des Etoiles’ of the Monte-Carlo Sporting.,Image: 1117303558, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO TABLOID, Model Release: no , Credit line: Olivier Huitel/Avalon
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- NO TABLOID – TT.SS.HH. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the 77th Monaco Red Cross Gala at the ‘Salle des Etoiles’ of the Monte-Carlo Sporting.,Image: 1117303232, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO TABLOID, Model Release: no , Credit line: Olivier Huitel/Avalon
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- NO TABLOID – TT.SS.HH. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the 77th Monaco Red Cross Gala at the ‘Salle des Etoiles’ of the Monte-Carlo Sporting.,Image: 1117303344, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO TABLOID, Model Release: no , Credit line: Olivier Huitel/Avalon
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- NO TABLOID – Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the 77th Monaco Red Cross Gala at the ‘Salle des Etoiles’ of the Monte-Carlo Sporting.,Image: 1117303449, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO TABLOID, Model Release: no , Credit line: Olivier Huitel/Avalon
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- NO TABLOID – TT.SS.HH. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the 77th Monaco Red Cross Gala at the ‘Salle des Etoiles’ of the Monte-Carlo Sporting.,Image: 1117303485, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO TABLOID, Model Release: no , Credit line: Olivier Huitel/Avalon
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- Grace Kelly,Image: 505500184, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: Personalities/Avalon
Imagining one bald prince calling another bald prince asking him how he makes his marriage work: “Ask your wife to dress up like your late mum. Works for me!”
The dress-up part has a certain ick factor to it.
But this particular bald prince at least took the kids to Souh Africa for a visit. Whereas the other one… went once, if at all.
When these two are together, they don’t seem to come across as repulsed of each other as TOB and Wiglet.
And this baldy has (had) affairs and kids, but the other two are being sold as wholesome, while there are credible rumours as to affairs (and probably a kid)
Hilarious!! Sue, you are great. I cackled.
Yeah, that’s a bit creepy.
She looks lovely. I’ve always thought that Albert — for all his foibles — kind of reached a modus vivendi with his wife that other royals simply were unable to attain. It might not be a classic love story, but he’s been supportive, respectful, and given her plenty of space when she needed it, as well as an acknowledged status in Monaco. I’m sure their relationship is complicated like most of our relationships, but they make it work.
I agree. I believe he genuinely cares for her. I don’t think most of the general public can imagine how nasty courtiers can be, which is why I’m glad they seem to have worked it out. I love Princess Charlene, I like her style, and I wish she wore hairstyles more suitable for her fine hair, though with this dress I’m not sure I’m a fan of the colour – or I wish the background were different.
Isn’t the resemblance why he married her? Every inch of this marriage is creepy.
That was always my guess.
She looks a little like Lisa Kudrow.
All of the above (yikes, but I hope she’s finally getting what she needs from this agreement), but on the dress, she would have been well served to go with the ethereal blue Grace often favored vs. champagne which becomes very monotone.
I’ve watched a lot of Grace Kelly movies and Charlene’s face is clearly Charlene’s face, not Grace Kelly’s. Also, she’s not as reed slim as Grace was before she married. So I do take this as an homage and to me, it isn’t creepy. It’s not like she does this ALL the time, like Kate does to copy Diana and Meghan. Charlene looks lovely. I’m glad she lives in Switzerland if that’s what she wants. It’s a fair compromise. The children probably go back and forth. How many years did it take to arrange a tolerable life for Charlene? Far too long. She was ailing for a long time.
This is the first time I have ever seen her looking good. She didn’t even look good at her wedding. Here she looks glamorous and dare I say “happy”?
I thought she looked gorgeous and regal at her wedding. Deeply unhappy, yes, but I loved her hair, veil, and dress.
Could be a method to keep her husband away.
Whatever arrangement Albert and Charlene have these days seems to be working out well. Charlene seems happier than she has in a long time. I hope the rumors of her having her own place are true. I hope she has her own life for the majority of the time and Albert allows her freedom provided she’s discreet.
As for the outfit, I have no doubt it was to turn heads and bring attention to Monaco. I imagine Albert’s team said “wear this, and meet your makeup artist” who was following instructions. I genuinely don’t think Albert and Charlene have slept together in years. Charlene seems fine with just following along.
This has Hollywood glam written all over it, but it’s more of an homage to that period in time. Monaco has lost a lot of its cachet as playground to the beautiful people. Dubai is increasingly seen as the successor to the Côte d’Azur. Maybe this is an effort to gain some appeal with the younger set.
Charlene is clearly doing well; Albert is still ick. YMMV
This was my thought. Her hair evokes Grace Kelly but its a shorter blonde hairstyle, so of course its going to evoke Grace Kelly. But the overall vibe to me just seems like old school Hollywood glamour, not “Charlene is wearing a replica of the black and white dress Grace wore in Rear Window” (one of my favorite dresses from any movie ever.)
So while its a little weird if you think she’s trying to copy Albert’s dead mother, if you think of it as just an homage to a different Hollywood golden age, it works better IMO.