The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly's crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco's Prince Rainier III and France's Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.
“Fairytales tell imaginary stories. Me, I’m a living person. I exist. If the story of my life as a real women were to be told one day, people would at last discover the real being that I am.”
(Click above to start full replay of Monaco Twins christening ceremony of May 10, 2015 – or watch summary video below)
FIRST PHOTOS OF MONACO TWINS BAPTISM
Prince Jacques baptized
Princess Gabriella Baptised
Exactly five months after the birth of Crown Prince Jacques and his sister Princess Gabriella, Monaco celebrated the baptism of the royal twins on Sunday 10th May. Thousands of locals and tourists lined the streets of the Principality to mark the momentous occasion.
On what felt like the warmest and sunniest day of the year so far, an air of excitement and festivity pervaded throughout the Principality ahead of the twins’ baptism.
The cathedral, which was adorned with 6,000 white roses and lilies, welcomed 700 invited guests for a ceremony to begin at 10.30am. Gunshots were fired in honour of the twins before they were carried into the cathedral by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, who wore a Dior Haute Couture 2015 ivory dress, while the twins were presented in matching christening gowns by Baby Dior.
The service was delivered by Archbishop of Monaco Bernard Barsi, who also performed the marriage ceremony at the wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene in 2011, and was televised live on a screen installed on the Place du Palais.
Amongst the guests, which included some local personalities as well as various elected officials, were Charlene’s parents Lynette and Michael Whittstock and their sons Gareth and Sean, who had made the journey from South Africa for the occassion. Albert’s cousin Christopher Le Vine Jr and Diane de Polignac Nigra stepped forward as Prince Jacques’ godparents, while Charlene’s brother Gareth was chosen as Princess Gabriella’s godfather and Nerine Pienaar, a close friend of the South African born princess, as godmother.
At around 12.20pm, the twins were carried out onto the steps of the cathedral for photographs of the family to be taken, where they were met by cheers and applause from the waiting crowds. Jacques and Gabriella were taken to the palace by car while their parents travelled on foot, followed by a sea of blue and pink balloons waved by the hundreds of residents and visitors to the Principality.
Following the festivities, a formal ceremony was performed inside the Palace, during which Prince Jacques was appointed as Grand Cross in the Order of Grimaldi, while Princess Gabriella was named Grand Officer in the Order of Grimaldi.
Relatives of the Princely Family were then served lunch in the Palace gardens.
The Palace of Monaco released the following scheduled events for the May 10, 2015 Monaco Twins christening:
Baptism of the Princely Children
The baptism of the Princely Children of T.S.H. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Jacques and H.S.H. Princess Gabriella, will be celebrated at a religious ceremony to take place on Sunday 10 May 2015 at 10.30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. EST / Click above image for countdown clock) in Monaco Cathedral in the presence of members of the Princely Family and the Wittstock family.
The Godfather and Godmother of Hereditary Prince Jacques are
Mr. Christopher Le Vine Jr and Mrs. Diane de Polignac Nigra.
The Godfather and Godmother of Princess Gabriella are
Mr. Gareth Wittstock and Mrs. Nerine Pienaar.
The Monegasque people, the Residents and all the friends of the Principality will be able to follow the religious ceremony from the Place du Palais, where a giant screen will be installed. At noon, after the Mass, the population will be able to cheer the Royal Couple, who will return to the Palace on foot via the Rue Bellando de Castro, accompanied by Monegasque, auvergnats and Provencal folk groups.
The entire religious ceremony will be broadcast on television on the Monaco Info channel, streamed on Monaco Channel (www.monacochannel.mc and via the Prince’s Palace’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/palaismonaco).
A decoration ceremony will be held in the Throne Room where Hereditary Prince Jacques will be named Grand Cross of the Order of Grimaldi and Princess Gabriella Grand Officer of the Order of Grimaldi.
The Godfather and Godmother of Prince Jacques will be named Officers of the Order of St. Charles and those of Princess Gabriella will be named Officers of the Order of Grimaldi.
While North America celebrates Mother’s Day on May 10th, all royal eyes – and the rest of the world – will be watching the christening of the Monaco twins. Photos and video are immediately released thanks to our digital age – not like when Princess Grace’s first baby was christened. Back in 1957, one could see the most coverage of Princess Caroline’s christening in the movie theaters, as a pre-movie newsreel feature – thanks to Pathé News.
Prince of Monaco Christening
The christening of Prince Albert, heir to the throne of Monaco, was also captured on video
“When Prince Albert was born, Prince Rainier wrote to Martin: “I want to thank [you] so much for your very kind letter you so very nicely sent me for the birth of little Prince Albert. The 14th of March was a wonderful day that will count in my memory and heart as it will in the history of this little country. The Princess and myself were so touched by the gesture of the U.S. Navy. It was indeed so moving and so delicate that the USS SALEM came to honour the little Prince by a gun salute on the day he was a week old. I am writing to Admiral Brown to express to him our most sincere appreciation.”
On April 20, 1958, Martin and I attended the baptism of H.S.H. Prince Albert, hereditary Prince, at the Cathedral of Monaco. We were again invited to sit with the Diplomatic Corps in the right transept, as we had for Princess Caroline’s christening the year before. We arrived by ten thirty in the morning, and the glorious spring fragrance of white lilacs and tulips filled the Cathedral. It was a quiet, dignified ceremony befitting the joyous occasion. Grace looked radiant, and Prince Rainier was beaming with pride at having a son and heir.”
