Monaco Royals

Via The Crown Chronicle

The first half of a Royal Wedding took place this weekend in Monaco as Pierre Casiraghi, youngest son of Princess Caroline, wed his girlfriend of seven years, Beatrice Borromeo in a civil ceremony.

It was a fairly intimate occasion, as 70 of the couple’s closest friends and family gathered to watch as they said ‘oui’, promising themselves to each other. The brief ceremony took place on Saturday, 25th July, shortly before 11:30am, at Grimaldi Palace. Beatrice and Pierre had been engaged since 2008.

The 29-year-old bride wore a bespoke pink, lace gown by Valentino, with a simple floral headband, while Pierre, seventh in line to the Monegasque throne, looked dapper by her side in a simple grey suit. The pair seemed happy and relaxed as they made an appearance on the palace balcony.

Following the ceremony, the Mr and Mrs Casiraghi celebrated with over 500 guests at an informal garden party hosted by the groom’s uncle, Prince Albert, in the gardens of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.

The event had a Carnival theme, entertaining guests with local folklore dancing and music, while they dined on a buffet of finger foods and drinks. The event was an extremely private affair and as such no further details have been released, with photographers only able to capture the newlyweds as they left their cars.

The day was rounded out by a lavish party at the Hôtel de Paris. Guests had changed into evening gowns and tuxedos to enjoy an extravagant dinner. The bride, Italian heiress Beatrice, had also changed, arriving in a stunning white backless Valentino gown, with her blond hair transformed into a chic bun.

Prince Albert and his wife, Charlene, had to skip the final event of the day in order to attend another glamorous event, The Red Cross Charity Ball. The event is held yearly and is usually one of highlights of Monaco social calendar but for obvious reasons, much of the extended family were absent this year.

The religious ceremony is expected to follow next weekend, on the 1st August and will take place in Italy, on Isola Bella, an island owned by the Beatrice’s family.