Monaco royal newlyweds throw lavish S.Africa party (AFP)

UMHLANGA, South Africa (AFP) – Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco threw a swank party Thursday for members of the International Olympic Committee and assorted glitterati at a five-star hotel in South Africa.

The newlyweds, who are in Charlene's home country for a meeting of the IOC, held a dinner reception for nearly 500 guests at the Oyster Box, a seaside luxury hotel in the Indian Ocean resort town of Umhlanga.

The couple made a brief appearance on the red carpet in front of the hotel, obliging the crowd of photographers, journalists and several dozen royal-watchers with a quick kiss on the lips.

They spent about a minute posing for the cameras -- Albert dressed in a black suit and red tie, Charlene in a black sleeveless gown with a diamond-shaped pattern that appeared inspired by African design -- then headed back inside to the invitation-only event.

"We're just so thrilled," said Joanne Hayes, public relations chief for the hotel.

The Oyster Box has spent weeks preparing for the event, which follows on the couple's wedding at the weekend in Albert's tiny Mediterranean principality.

Guests arrived to drumming and dancing by a group of young Zulu men dressed in traditional animal-skin garb, and were also serenaded by a local choir.

Dressed mostly in evening gowns and suits, they queued on the red carpet to pass through a security checkpoint at the entrance to the hotel, which was decked out in the red and white of the Monaco flag.

Hayes said the menu would include a dish created in Charlene's honour.

"We've created a special dish called Oysters Charlene. It's created by our executive chef, Kevin Joseph," she told AFP.

"Basically it's oysters baked with creamed spinach, curried lentils and asparagus."

The guest list, which ran to nearly 500 people, included IOC President Jacques Rogge, South African Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss and an assortment of business magnates, local notables and heavy hitters in the sporting world.

South African President Jacob Zuma, who had lunch with the couple Wednesday, had planned to attend but was detained on other business in the northern province of Limpopo, his office said.

Two of Zuma's four wives did however show up for the party, which began at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT).

The newlyweds' South African tour has been part honeymoon and part business trip.

Albert, a member of the IOC, took part in Wednesday's election of the 2018 Winter Olympics host city, which saw Pyeongchang, South Korea beat out Munich, Germany and Annecy, France.

On Friday, Charlene will be welcomed by South African anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu at his HIV foundation in Cape Town.

She will be a co-patron of a collective of 10 charities known as The Giving Organisation Trust, carrying out her first duties as patron with visits to two charities that focus on children and HIV-AIDS and a project working to preserve the region's unique fynbos vegetation in the winelands.

The focus of the trust's charities range from children to health and animal protection.

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Monaco newlyweds lunch with Zuma on S.Africa visit (AFP)

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) – Monaco's newlyweds Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene lunched with President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday, smiling for the cameras as they tried to move past "runaway bride" rumours.

After their weekend wedding in the Mediterranean principality, they arrived Tuesday in Durban, where Charlene used to train for South Africa's Olympic swim team.

The trip is part honeymoon, part business.

Albert is a member of the International Olympic Committee, which is meeting in Durban to vote Wednesday on the venue for the 2018 Winter Games.

Zuma greeted them Tuesday evening at the official opening of the session, where Charlene's appearance in a black gown was splashed across South African media.

The polygamist president, who has four current wives, teased Albert about adhering to South Africa's tradition of grooms giving cattle to the bride's family, a gift known as lobola.

"She has again done us proud by bringing us the royal in-laws from Monaco," Zuma said in welcoming Charlene.

"We usually say you can't get a wife free of charge, you must pay lobola -- the cattle," Zuma joked.

Zuma invited the couple to lunch with him Wednesday at King's House, the presidential residence in Durban, a stately cream-coloured building with columns and balconies overlooking the sea and Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup.

The couple arrived all smiles for the assembled press, with Charlene in a white crochet dress, greeting reporters' questions with a simple "Fine, how are you?"

They shook hands with Zuma and his third wife Thobeka Madiba Zuma, smiled for the cameras and went inside for a late lunch.

"I'm very pleased that there has been this courtesy call. I had to pay for the fact that I did not go to the wedding," Zuma joked after the meal. Zuma was at the African Union summit last week and sent his tourism minister to the wedding in his place.

On their way out, Albert gave Charlene a kiss on the cheek -- at the request of waiting reporters -- before they left in separate cars.

Once the official Olympics business is finished, the couple are throwing a reception Thursday for 400 guests at the five-star Oyster Box hotel in the resort town of Umhlanga, just north of Durban.

The town has draped its streetposts with the flags of Monaco and South Africa. Guests at the hotel have gushed to South African media about their chance encounters with Charlene.

"My golly, it had been only about 20 seconds after walking out that I saw this lovely tall person, from the rear. She then turned around and I saw it was Charlene," 90-year-old Mavis Warder-Griffin told The Star newspaper.

"She said hello and put her hand out to shake mine. It was really unbelievable, all a lovely, lovely surprise. What a delightful person. It was one of those unexpected events, and I am on cloud nine. I don't think I'll wash my hands, I?ve touched royalty."

Her daughter Meryl Marshall was also enthralled, saying: "Her beauty took my breath away. She was warm and friendly and will be a wonderful ambassador for South Africa."

Charlene's warm reception home has largely overshadowed reports of rumours that she had tried to flee to South Africa before the wedding, with newspapers instead running stories about "our royal couple".

Palace officials in Monaco said there had been a "hiccup" in the wedding preparations when Charlene learned that Albert may face demands for a paternity test after a claim by a former lover.

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Monaco royal newlyweds arrive in S.Africa (AFP)

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) – Newlyweds Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco arrived in her home country South Africa Tuesday after their weekend wedding, according to the hotel where they are hosting a reception.

The couple are in the eastern port city of Durban for the annual session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and are planning a lavish dinner reception for 400 guests Thursday night at a hotel in the nearby resort town of Umhlanga.

The five-star Oyster Box Hotel said the princess had dropped by shortly after arriving to go over plans for the party.

"She arrived today, to discuss arrangements for Thursday's reception," General Manager Wayne Coetzer, told AFP.

"Obviously we are delighted, it is wonderful for Umhlanga and of course the Oyster Box."

South African media have reported that the couple are staying in the hotel's lavish presidential suite, but the Oyster Box declined to confirm if they are guests.

"The whereabouts of our guests and who is staying at the hotel is private information which we do not divulge," spokeswoman Joanne Hayes said.

Both Albert and Charlene are former Olympians -- he a bobsleigh racer for Monaco, she a backstroke swimmer for South Africa.

Charlene, 33, trained in Durban ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The couple moved their wedding up by six days to be able to attend the IOC meeting, where the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics will be decided on Wednesday.

Albert, the 53-year-old son of late Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been a member of the IOC since 1985.

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Monaco royal wedding: live report (AFP)

1617 GMT: "Compared to yesterday's tense ceremony, the Princess seems a little more relaxed," says AFP's Dave Clark.

"But journalists here and -- judging by Twitter responses -- many viewers out there are a little disappointed by the lack of obvious chemistry.

"He did wink at here earlier, and they shared a chat after the vows, but now they seem to be blanking each other.

"Let's hope it's just the solemnity of the moment -- it is after all a religious and political ceremony as well as the wedding of two lovers.

"We might see a kiss later. After all, as part of the ceremony Albert was asked if he "renounces Satan and all evil desires". He said: "I do". Which is reassuring."

And on that note, we're wrapping up this live report. Thanks for reading, and visit our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/AFP, for video coverage of the celebrations.

1605 GMT: Communion begins, to strains of Saint-Saens' Symphony Number Three (Poco Adagio).

1603 GMT: Meanwhile, some dark clouds are gathering outside above the Rock of Monaco. Luckily the reception's inside the city's famous casino.

1556 GMT: And there's a final kiss on the lips.

1554 GMT: Back to the service itself. The Archbishop has read the Lord's Prayer, and is blessing the couple.

1548 GMT: And here's some details on the rings: They're 18 carat white gold and platinum, made by the House of Cartier.

1547 GMT: Later on, Princess Charlene is to change into another Armani dress that sounds like a less-formal version of the one she's wearing now -- off-white silk chiffon with a broad neckline and embroidered four-tier train.

The South African princess may be taking her cue from Kate Middleton -- who changed into a simplified version of her Alexander McQueen wedding gown after her marriage to Britain's Prince William in April.

1544 GMT: As this is a Catholic ceremony, the couple will both be taking Holy Communion. The bread and wine are being blessed.

1543 GMT: The soprano Renee Fleming is singing extracts from Mozart's Solemn Vespers.

1542 GMT: Alexandra Hanover reads the Universal Prayers.

1538 GMT: And in a nod to the bride's birthplace, a traditional South African song strikes up, wishing good fortune to the new couple.

1537 GMT: Albert winks at his bride, and seals the deal with a rather awkward kiss.

1536 GMT: Alexandra of Hanover brings the rings.

1535 GMT: The couple are asked to take each other as husband and wife, and both say yes, no doubt to the immense relief of palace officials.

1534 GMT: The witnesses are called... and now it's time for the couple to exchange vows.

1533 GMT: The couple renounce Satan and proclaim their Christian faith.

1532 GMT: Charlene smiles when the Archbishop refers to fidelity and forgiveness, AFP's Laure Brumont can't help noting.

Senior officials in Monaco now privately admit is the "truth" of the rumour that Albert faces a paternity test following a claim by at least one former lover.

There had been claims -- denied by the palace -- that Charlene had threatened to call off the wedding, days before, when she heard about this.

1527 GMT: "It is the god of love that has allowed the meeting of Albert and Charlene," the Archbishop says.

1525 GMT: Later on, Princess Charlene is to change into another Armani dress for the reception -- off-white silk chiffon with a broad neckline and embroidered four-tier train.

It sounds like a less formal version of the one she's wearing now -- in this respect, the South African princess may be taking a leaf out of Kate Middleton's book. Middleton, who married, Britain's Prince William in April,

1523 GMT: The bride looks calm as she listens to the service, kneeling at the altar with Albert.

1520 GMT: Reading in French, the Archbishop begins the marriage service.

1518 GMT: The first reading, the First Letter of St John, is by Charlotte Casiraghi, second daughter of Albert's sister Princess Caroline.

1515 GMT: Charlene's seven young bridesmaids (not six, according to our earlier post), are wearing embroidered taffeta bodices and red and cream striped taffeta skirts with velvet ribbons.

Their outfits are topped off with wide-brimmed straw hats lined with silk and embroidered in cream mimosa, and each has a black velvet choker decorated with a Provencal gold cross donated by the groom.

1513 GMT: We've got some more details on the dress, which has been confirmed as a Giorgio Armani creation -- no surprises there...

Studded in crystal and pearl, it took 2,500 hours to prepare, according to the palace. The embroidery alone took 700 hours, and "kilometres" of platinum-coated thread were sewn into 130 metres of off-white silk.

Charlene's broad swimming champion's shoulders also had to bear the weight of 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops and 30,000 "stones in gold shades", the palace announced.

The stones and crystals were arranged in floral patterns and the ensemble was topped off with a long train and subtly embroidered off-white veil made from 20 metres of silk tulle, itself requiring 100 hours of labour.

Albert is wearing the cream summer uniform of Monaco's palace guards, its sleeves embrodered with oak and olive leaves and the front fastened with monogrammed golden buttons.

His chest is emblazoned with medals representing the Order of Saint Charles, the Order of Grimaldi and France's Legion of Honour. His rigid fabric cap is topped off with a rosette representing the Crown of Monaco.

1505 GMT: And the service has begun -- with cries of "Gloria!" from the choir.

1504 GMT: Following her are six bridesmaids, representing the six districts of Monaco.

1503 GMT: Composed and smiling, with her her swept stylishly back, she's now at the altar with Prince Albert.

1501 GMT: Princess Charlene has arrived and is slowly making her way through the chapel on the arm of her father. The sleeveless dress, in ivory, has a long train.

1500 GMT: There's applause as Albert comes down the stairs.

1459 GMT: "We're told that many of Charlene's fellow South Africans have decided to watch the rugby today instead of the wedding, says Dave Clark.

"But there certainly seem to be a lot of them tweeting about it -- so maybe they're not all as tough and sporty as they like to seem, and they're secretly at home enjoying the dresses and the hats?"

1458 GMT: Sarkozy, wearing a black suit without tails, gets a round of applause from the crowd of French tourists watching nearby on big screens.

1456 GMT: France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived, without his pregnant wife Carla Bruni. The cameras have all focused on His Excellency Monsignor Bernard Barsi, Archbishop for Monaco. It looks like the ceremony's about to begin.

1454 GMT: Albert II of Belgium and his wife Queen Paola have arrived, followed by Queen Silvia of Sweden.

1450 GMT: We've had a flood of royal arrivals now: from Monaco, Pierre, Charlotte, Andrea, and Alexandra, all children of Princess Caroline. Following close behind are the Moroccan princesses, Mary, the Crown Princess of Denmark, and Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Representing Queen Elizabeth II of England is her grandson Prince Edward and his wife Sophie. Edward is wearing a Royal Navy uniform -- "Presumably an honorary one," notes Dave Clark, "as he didn't stay long in the forces before leaving to go into television production."

1443 GMT: The bride's family have arrived.

1442 GMT: "We must be getting closer to the wedding itself -- Albert's sisters Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie and their kids have just arrived, to warm applause from the 3,800 of their fellow Monegasques in the outer courtyard," says AFP's Dave Clark.

"The royals do seem to be genuinely appreciated in Monaco, which is so small -- only 7,800 nationals and 35,000 foreign residents -- that you meet many people who know them personally, or went to school with them.

"Then again, as subjects of a state with no taxes to speak of and a policy of prioritising locals for jobs, why wouldn't they like the bosses?"

1440 GMT: Some more well-bred guests arriving: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, and the Count of Paris. Farah Diba, Empress of Iran before the country's 1979 Islamic revolution, is also here.

1438 GMT: A correction -- it's the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra that's striking up with Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata No 35.

1436 GMT: British supermodel Naomi Campbell has arrived in a green off-the-shoulder number.

"I've just learned that some consider it unlucky to wear green at a wedding," says Dave Clark, "but then Naomi is not afraid of causing a fuss.

"Monaco television claims that she turned down an invite to Kate Moss's wedding to come to Monaco. No idea if that's true, but it must have been a tough call if it is.

"The Monte Carlo symphony orchestra has started a sound check. They sound ready.

"It really is very sunny and hot out there. There are protective cloths shading the courtyard where the wedding is taking place, but it must be hot inside some of those outfits."

1434 GMT: Bringing a touch of European aristocracy to the red carpet is Emanuele Filiberto, the Duke of Savoy, and his actress wife Clotilde Courau, who is in red. Emanuele Filiberto is the grandson of Umberto II, the last king of Italy.

1430 GMT: "Many of the guests arriving are instantly recognisable celebrities, but all seem to have to produce their invitation as the arrive at the palace gate," reports Dave Clark.

"Bernadette Chirac has just arrived, escported by elegantly dressed and tough-looking body guards, but not her elderly husband. The former first lady still seems popular with the crowds, who cheer her, and she waves briefly and mouths "bonjour" to onlookers.

"Not many guests have brought their kids, but French style icon Ines de la Fressange did, and is taking pictures of them in the courtyard.

"Another young family just arrived, with three excited but slightly awed looking young girls with pretty dresses. No idea who they were, but I bet they won't forget the day they met the princesses," says Clark. Who adds, uncertainly: "Unless they were princesses."

1427 GMT: World motorsports chief Jean Todt has arrived with his wife, the actress Michelle Yeoh. Along with Roger Moore, Yeoh brings a touch of James Bond glamour to the festivities -- she co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies".

1419 GMT: More details of those latest arrivals from my colleague Dave Clark.

"The guests are pouring in thick and fast now, ferried in from the presitigious Hotel de Paris, near the Casino, and other luxury addresses.

"Lots of sportsmen, models and fashion designers. Former James Bond actor Roger Moore is a Monaco resident and big crowd favourite. Big cheers for Karl Lagerfeld, a good friend of Charlene's, who has shot many of her most famous photo portraits.

"Prince Emmanuel de Svoie and wife French actress Clothilde Coureau are en route.

"Giorgio Armani is tanned a dark teak colour, arriving on the arm of an extraordinary tall woman in sweeping elegant dress. Pre-wedding rumours have been unanimous that Charlene's dress will be Armani, but the details are still firmly under wraps."

1417 GMT: An impressive trio of fashion giants has arrived: Italy's Roberto Cavalli, Germany's Karl Lagerfeld, and Italy's Giorgio Armani.

French model Ines de la Fressange, looking very elegant in black, has also arrived with her two daughters.

1413 GMT: Joining the list of sports stars on the list -- both bride and groom have represented their countries at the Olympics -- is former Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase, one of the top players of the 1970s.

1410 GMT: Hot on his heels is Michel Roger, Monaco's Minister of State.

1409 GMT: Monaco's mayor, Georges Marsan, has arrived to great applause.

1408 GMT: And we've had the first casualty of the day. Attempting to make a graceful exit from her car, a guest promptly topples over on her high heels.

1405 GMT: With the sun beating down on the crowd, hats are de rigeur. There's a few shouts for water to be handed out, too.

1402 GMT: A few members of the press appear to have forgotten they're here to work. "Some journalists are having their pictures taken in front of the palace by their colleagues," says an AFP correspondent.

1359 GMT: Upon arrival, the VIP guests step onto a red carpet, embroidered in white, and are promptly saluted by the Prince's uniformed guards.

1358 GMT: French electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, in an open-necked shirt, has arrived to great applause after last night's spectacular light and sound show over the city.

1349 GMT: The weather's looking good: "Warm, with a few light clouds," says my colleague Laure Brumont at the palace.

1345 GMT: "Celebrities have begun to arrive at the palace for the religious ceremony, ferried to the red carpet in a fleet of 200 BMW 7 Series cars," AFP's Dave Clark adds.

"No global stars yet, but we have seen French tennis star of yesteryear Henri Leconte and television quiz show hostess Victoria Silvstedt."

1343 GMT: "A few hundred tourists are scattered along the route between the Rock of Monaco (a 141-metre, or 459-foot tall monolith on the principality's coast) and the chapel, trying to get the best seats," says my colleague at the scene.

"But attendance is very sparse at the moment."

1339 GMT: So what can we expect during Saturday's celebrations?

One thing's for sure, there'll be plenty of glitz, glamour and big names at the wedding feast, which will be held later at Monaco's famous casino.

The most senior guest will be France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose pregnant wife Carla Bruni is holidaying at her family's nearby villa.

Britain's royals will be meanwhile be represented by Elizabeth II's son Prince Edward.

Armani-clad Princess Charlene and her new husband plan to cross the city state in an open topped Lexus hybrid, a gesture to the prince's green credentials amid otherwise extravagant scenes of champagne quaffing and fireworks.

Indeed, whatever carbon is offset by the couple's choice of vehicle, will itself be more than compensated for by the 200-strong fleet of BMX 7 Series saloons that will ferry the guests to the ceremony.

Several more European and African kings and princes will be there, along with supermodels such as Naomi Campbell and several sporting friends of Albert and Charlene, who have both represented their countries at the Olympics.

1330 GMT: Welcome to AFP's live coverage of the wedding of Monaco's Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock, which has seen hundreds of world leaders, fellow royals and stars of sport and fashion descend upon the tiny Mediterranean realm.

Here's a quick round-up of the celebrations so far:

- Saturday marks day two of the nuptials, after yesterday's civil ceremony in the palace throne room. It's set to be marked with a spectacular open-air religious ceremony in front of 800 guests and 3,500 subjects in the palace courtyard.

- Organisers hope the spectacle will overshadow what senior Monaco officials now privately admit is the "truth" of the rumour that Albert faces a paternity test following a claim by at least one former lover.

- There had been reports in the run-up to the wedding that the new Princess Charlene, a South African former Olympic swimmer, threatened to leave when she learned her prince's latest secret.

- Albert is, at 53, two decades older than his bride. He has two children from previous relationships, but even if a third or a fourth is confirmed he will still not have an official heir until his wife bears him one.

- Charlene appeared tense but poised at Friday's civil marriage ceremony in the throne room, but relaxed slightly at a buffet reception for Monaco's people, where she posed for pictures and hugged babies.

- Later, she and the prince joined an estimated 80,000 people -- double the normal population of the state -- at the waterfront for a spectacular sound and light show by veteran French electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.

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Albert, Charlene set for Monaco religious wedding (AP)

MONACO – Newlyweds Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene, a one-time Olympic swimmer from South Africa, are ready to say their vows again, this time in a star-studded religious ceremony.

The couple was married in an intimate civil service on Friday in the prince's palace. Albert, the son of Grace Kelly and the late Prince Rainier III, is Monaco's reigning prince.

The big wedding event, however, is Saturday. Guests expected at the Catholic service and gala dinner to follow include assorted European royals, top models and world class athletes.

Celebrated French-born chef Alain Ducasse is preparing a multi-course dinner for 450 guests. He has said freshly caught fish and vegetables grown on Albert's farm will be on the menu.

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Royals tour Canada, Monaco gets a new princess (AP)

Friday was a royal watcher's bonanza, with wedding vows, an official visit — and poignant reminders of princesses past.

Monaco's Prince Albert II took the plunge with Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock of South Africa, marrying her in a civil ceremony ahead of a religious service Saturday. His father, Prince Rainier III, wed Hollywood actress Grace Kelly in the tiny country 55 years ago.

British royal newlyweds Prince William and Kate — the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — won raucous cheers from an estimated 300,000 people while touring Ottawa on Canada's national holiday. It was their first official visit abroad after their widely watched wedding in April.

And admirers of the late Princess Diana gathered at the gates of Kensington Palace in London to leave tributes to her and share their memories on what would have been the 50th birthday of "the people's princess."

Kathy Martin of Australia who left a tribute at the gates said both Grace and Diana were icons who died in car accidents at a young age — Grace in 1982 and Diana in 1997.

"They'll be remembered as princesses — beautiful, radiant princesses," Martin said.

Diana also was on the minds of some Canadians in the crowd greeting her son, William, and his wife.

"Happy Birthday Lady Di. Canadians love you," read one sign held up during the Canada Day celebrations.

The red-and-white-clad crowd chanted "Will and Kate" frequently during their appearance on Parliament Hill to mark Canada's 144th birthday on the second day of the royal visit.

Kate was similarly attired in Canada's colors, wearing a cream dress by the London designer Reiss, complete with a maple leaf brooch, and a brilliant red hat topped with a maple leaf. Queen Elizabeth II loaned the brooch to the duchess for the tour; the queen wore it in 1951 as a princess on her first visit to Canada.

William, who wore a blue suit and a red tie, thrilled the crowd as he spoke in English and French for the second day in a row and drew loud cheers when he referred to his grandmother as "the queen of Canada."

He also reminded the crowd how Kate's grandfather "held Canada dear to his heart" after training in the province of Alberta as a young pilot in World War II.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomed the royal couple as "the world's most famous newlyweds."

Their other stops in Canada include Quebec City and Calgary before traveling to Los Angeles on July 8.

In sun-splashed Monaco, residents of the principality cheered as Prince Albert and his new bride appeared at a palace window, waved and kissed shyly after exchanging vows in the civil ceremony.

Albert's sisters — Princess Stephanie and Princess Caroline — were among an audience of several dozen inside the throne room, the red silk-walled hall where Grace and Rainier once took their vows. Rainier died in 2005.

Wittstock wore a silken blue jacket with ankle-length palazzo pants, an outfit press handlers said was made by fashion house Chanel, while Albert wore a sober dark suit and white tie.

Saturday's Roman Catholic ceremony will also take place in the palace, followed by a gala dinner by famed chef Alain Ducasse. The guest list included the kings of Spain, Sweden, Lesotho and Belgium; the presidents of France, Iceland, Ireland, Lebanon, Malta, Germany and Hungary; opera singers, models and race car drivers.

Wittstock swam for South Africa at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, while Albert has been an International Olympic Committee member since 1985 and competed in five Winter Olympics as part of Monaco's bobsled team. They met at a 2000 swimming competition in Monaco.

Albert, 53, acknowledged having fathered two children out of wedlock — a now-teenage daughter with a California woman and a son with a flight attendant of Togolese origin.

Before the wedding, the 33-year-old Wittstock said she wanted children of her own.

"I love children and have always wanted to have children of my own," she said on BFM television, sitting next to Albert with a close-lipped, tense smile. "We'll see in the next couple of months or years."

___

Associated Press Writers Jenny Barchfield in Monaco; Rob Gillies in Ottawa, Ontario; Charmaine Noronha in Toronto, and Matt Dunham in London contributed to this story.

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Monaco prepares for more wedding festivities (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – Monaco geared up for more celebrations Saturday as Prince Albert II prepared to go through a second, Catholic, marriage ceremony with his bride, South African beauty Charlene Wittstock.

Saturday's service is to be attended by fellow royals and stars from fashion and showbusiness.

Celebrations began Friday in the Mediterranean nation as the nervous looking couple went through a civil ceremony before close friends and family, transmitted on giant screens to a cheering crowd.

All 7,810 adult Monegasque subjects were invited to a buffet reception at the Grimaldis' medieval palace, overlooking the tiny tax haven's main marina.

"Once again in its seven-century history the Grimaldi dynasty is opening up to a new world," declared Philippe Narmino, Monaco's senior legal officer and registrar, as he conducted the civil ceremony.

"In joining it, mademoiselle, you are bringing the freshness of your youth, the richness of another culture, and the modernity of your gaze," he said, as Charlene -- clad in a powder-blue gown she designed herself -- smiled.

Asked whether she accepted Albert's hand, she responded firmly "Oui" and the groom kissed her hand, as around 90 close friends and family looked on and Albert's sister Princess Stephanie dried her eyes with a hanky.

The throne room ceremony was transmitted to the crowds on giant screens, before the couple emerged onto a balcony, shared a brief kiss and waved to wellwishers before descending to join them to cries of "Hurrah!".

"We've been waiting for this marriage for quite a while," said a 30-year-old onlooker, herself to marry next month. "It's a modern marriage, international, not dynastic. He chose someone simple, and discreet, like us."

The 53-year-old playboy prince's lengthy bachelorhood had begun to try the patience of his subjects, who live crammed in a tight hillside warren of concrete tower blocks alongside tens of thousands more foreign tax exiles.

Now he has presented them with a princess that looks the part, a statuesque blonde with poise and style, and locals hope the couple will ensure an orderly succession by producing a legitimate heir.

Monaco's privileged status as an independent principality that sets its own low tax rates and regulates its own financial services depends on it having a prince, and Albert's Grimaldi clan has ruled since the 13th century.

The local elite hopes the wedding will give the Grimaldi image a boost, just as the year's previous royal wedding in London gave the British monarchy a much-needed shot in the arm.

"I hope that this day marks a new start for our country," Albert said to the crowd, promising "a new page in the history of the principality."

The couple's subjects had clubbed together to buy them gifts of artwork: a piece by 19th century French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle and a gouache painted by Russian expressionist Wassily Kandinsky.

Later the Monegasque nationals headed down to the port for a braai, a traditional barbecue in swimming champ Charlene's homeland, and drinks with thousands of the wealthy foreign residents.

A pink beer brewed with cranberries has been produced by Monaco's own small brewery, and entertainment was provided by sexagenarian electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre with a massive waterfront sound and light show.

Jarre declared before a crowd of 85,000: "I have the great honour and privilege to welcome on stage a newly wed couple whom we love." One new number was dedicated "to you, Princess Charlene".

The concert wound up to the sound of horns from the yachts in the port echoing out.

"It's a happy day. Monaco has seen enough grief," said an 86-year-old local who still remembers the 1956 nuptials of Albert's father Rainier and Hollywood siren Grace Kelly. "The important thing is that there be an heir."

Gossip is endemic in Monaco's tiny native community, but many are reluctant to share their concerns with outsiders, and most of those who spoke to AFP did so on condition of anonymity.

"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.

Albert has illegitimate children with two women but has yet to produce a royal heir. In 2002, fearing Albert would die without a legitimate prince, Monaco changed its constitution to allow a princess to inherit.

Albert's mother, Princess Grace, died in a car crash in 1982. Her daughter Caroline lost second husband Stefano Casiraghi in a 1990 motorboat accident.

The other royal sister, Stephanie, has also been unlucky in love, in the words of Wednesday's edition of Le Parisien "marrying almost as often as she falls in love" and finding herself betrayed by her bodyguard lover.

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Prince Albert of Monaco weds Charlene Wittstock (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – South African swimming champion Charlene Wittstock married Prince Albert II of Monaco on Friday and became Princess of Monaco, in a civil ceremony in the throne room of her new palace.

The couple were to celebrate their wedding with their subjects in the tiny Mediterranean principality with a waterfront barbecue and pop concert before solemnising their marriage at a religious ceremony on Saturday.

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Monaco has new princess after nearly 30-year wait (AP)

MONACO – After waiting for nearly 30 years, the glitzy principality of Monaco has a new princess.

Charlene Wittstock, a one-time Olympic swimmer from South Africa, married Prince Albert II in an intimate civil ceremony Friday.

Wittstock succeeds Grace Kelly, the Hollywood beauty who wed Albert's late father, Prince Rainier III, in 1956 and had three children with him before dying in a car crash in 1982.

Dressed in a dusty blue jacket and matching palazzo pants made by Chanel, her blond hair pulled back, 33-year-old Wittstock seemed to be channeling a bit of Princess Grace's legendary elegance.

The couple took their vows in a ceremony before several dozen guests in the palace's sumptuous, red silk-walled throne room, where Grace and Rainier also married.

"Oui," both responded in voices so soft as to be barely audible, when asked if they took each other as their spouse. The marriage became official — and Monaco finally had its princess — when the president of Monaco's Council of State, Philippe Narmino, who officiated the ceremony, pronounced "I declare you united by the bonds of marriage."

"A new page in the history of the principality has opened today," Albert told his subjects in a florid, post-ceremony address. "I know that (Princess Charlene's) spontaneity and generosity will come into full bloom ... to the great joy of the principality and its inhabitants."

Many of Monaco's 7,618 citizens braved the scorching sun to watch the ceremony live on two giant screens set up in front of the palace, some of them decked out for the occasion in suits or formal gowns and heels.

Cheers erupted from the crowd when, after the 15-minute-long ceremony, the newlyweds emerged from a window to wave at their subjects. The couple's brief, embarrassed peck on the mouth garnered even more enthusiastic applause.

"It's a gift that they've given us," said Henri Doria, a retired 73-year-old, as he watched the ceremony. "We've waited to long for him to marry and now he's given us this lovely bride, who will hopefully give us children, heirs. That's would be the most beautiful gift of all."

Long regarded as one of Europe's most eligible bachelors and reputed for his string of romances with some of the world's most beautiful women, 53-year-old Albert long eschewed marriage. His reticence to settle down was known to have exasperated his father and made many here despair of him ever tying the knot.

Albert's prolonged bachelorhood even sparked persistent rumors he was gay, though those were largely quashed after he acknowledged having fathered two children out of wedlock — a now-teenage daughter with a California woman and a little boy with a stewardess of Togolese origin.

Rumors that a third illegitimate child may have recently surfaced have overshadowed the wedding. News reports emerged earlier this week suggested that Wittstock learned of the child and allegedly tried to break off the engagement and return home to South Africa days before the wedding.

The palace unequivocally denied the reports, which a top aide to Albert dismissed as "ugly rumors" born out of jealousy and spite.

Still, the tensions were evident when Wittstock talked in a rare TV interview before the wedding about wanting to have her own children.

"I love children and have always wanted to have children of my own," she told BFM television, sitting next to Albert with a close-lipped, tense smile. "We'll see in the next couple of months or years."

Wittstock was born in Zimbabwe but moved to neighboring South Africa when she was 12, and under the tutelage of her mother, a swim coach, competed for that country at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Like his now wife, Albert is a former Olympic athlete. A member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985, he competed in five Winter Olympics as part of Monaco's bobsled team.

Albert met Wittstock during a 2000 swimming competition in Monaco. Wittstock then began appearing regularly at social events and moved to Monaco, known for its lax tax laws and high-stakes casinos, in 2006. Locals say she has since maintained a low profile and is rarely seen out and about the principality.

"She seems like a very calm, very clear-headed young woman, but honestly we don't know that much about her yet," said Abeda Testa, a 56-year-old housewife dressed in screaming pink for Friday's festivities. "Now is when we'll start to really get to know her."

After the ceremony, the couple joined their subjects on the palace square for a cocktail. Monaco's mayor presented the newlyweds with two gifts from the people of Monaco, a painting by Russia's Wassily Kandinsky and a bronze by French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. A concert by French composer Jean Michel Jarre and a laser light show were to cap the evening.

Perhaps in a bid to focus media attention on Saturday's religious ceremony and star-studded gala dinner and away from the lower-key civil proceedings, palace minders hemmed journalists into holding areas and kept from interacting with residents, who were sipping Champagne and snacking on trays piled with finger foods.

The guest list for Saturday's festivities reads like a who's who of Europe's rich and famous. Billionaire businessmen, assorted royalty including the kings of Spain, Sweden, Lesotho and Belgium, heads of state, celebrated opera singers, top models and race car divers will converge on the palace for Saturday's Catholic ceremony and the gala dinner to follow.

Household names on the guest list include Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani — the perma-tanned Italian designer behind Saturday's wedding gown — as well as supermodel Naomi Campbell, American soprano Renee Fleming, former James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore and gold medal winning Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci.

Alain Ducasse — the world famous French chef who like many in his tax bracket has taken Monegasque citizenship — is serving up a three-course gala dinner based on the tastes and smells of the Mediterranean. Besides the Champagne and South African wines, everything at the dinner will be sourced in a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius around the hive of high rises, Art Deco casinos and five-star hotels that is Monaco. The main course will be line fished out of the waters off Monaco the morning of, and the vegetables will be harvested hours before they hit the plate, Ducasse has said.

Ducasse is also helping prepare a Sunday brunch that will cap the wedding festivities before the newlyweds head off to South Africa for an IOC meeting. They'll take their honeymoon in August.

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Monaco royals invite subjects to populist marriage (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – Monaco's medieval royal house threw open its princely marriage to the tiny Mediterranean realm's tax-shy denizens on Friday as the ruling Grimaldi clan prepared to welcome a glamorous new member.

Balding sports administrator Prince Albert II, 53, was to marry South African swimming champ Charlene Wittstock in a ceremony heralded by a late night rock concert by Californian nostalgia rockers The Eagles.

On the eve of the ceremony, the happy couple joined a 15,000-strong crowd of their subjects and residents of their low-tax municipality to cheer the 1970s band at the stadium of Monaco's recently relegated football team.

They may have made the appearance to lay to rest persistent rumours that the statuesque 33-year-old blonde athlete has cold feet about going through with the marriage, but they appeared to share the joy of the crowd.

A smiling Charlene, who already appeared relaxed and content earlier on Thursday when she arrived for a wedding rehearsal, even tried out some dance steps with His Most Serene Highness as the fans cheered.

Charlene showed off her swimmer's shoulders in a black bustier, despite reports that she is seeking to modify her exercise routine to achieve a more classically elegant shape, and Albert wore a dark jacket.

The Eagles played their standout 1976 hit "Hotel California" early in their set, but kept the crowd amused by dedicating "Love will keep us alive" to host Albert, a former playboy who has kept Monaco waiting for a bride.

Charlene, meanwhile, was due to become "Princess of Monaco" shortly after 5.00pm (1500 GMT) Friday, when Philippe Narmino, Monaco's top legal official and president of the state council, pronounces the couple man and wife.

Late Friday the entire enclave will resound to the pulsing electropop of 63-year-old French showman Jean-Michel Jarre, then on Saturday the couple will wed again in a Catholic ceremony attended by celebrity guests.

The plan is not just to rejuvenate the seven-century-old Monegasque brand of the Grimaldi family, which runs a principality that has grown rich on offshore banking, tourism and casino receipts, but also to cheer its subjects,

This communication strategy seemed to hit a snag this week when French media reported rumours that Charlene had learned a new dark secret about her former playboy husband and had tried to flee back to South Africa.

The palace firmly denied the reports, as did Charlene's family, including her father Mike, who is in Monaco for the wedding. The Monaco public, while relishing the gossip, appeared unperturbed as the ceremony approached.

"I'll let the music run its course," said an 86-year-old local who still remembers the 1956 nuptials of Albert's father Rainier and Hollywood siren Grace Kelly. "It's a happy day. Monaco has seen enough grief."

But, reflecting the view of many who talked to AFP, he also moved quickly onto the next big question: "The important thing is that there be an heir."

Albert has illegitimate children with two other women but has yet to produce a royal heir, a matter of some concern to Monaco constitutionalists, who fear instability should the throne revert to his sister Caroline.

Since the 13th century, Monaco has been run by the Grimaldi family, the crown passing through the male line. In 2002, fearing Albert would die without an heir, Monaco changed its constitution to allow a princess to inherit.

If Albert should die in the absence of any heir, Monaco would become a French protectorate, and might lose its lucrative tax-free status.

Albert's mother, US film star Grace Kelly turned Princess Grace, died in a car crash in 1982. Her daughter Caroline lost her second husband Stefano Casiraghi in a 1990 motorboat accident.

The other royal sister, Princess Stephanie, has also been unlucky in love, in the words of Wednesday's edition of Le Parisien "marrying almost as often as she falls in love" and finding herself betrayed by her bodyguard lover.

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Monaco royal wedding party begins despite rumours (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – The Mediterranean principality of Monaco on Thursday began three days of royal wedding festivities marked by glamour and romance but also, thanks to last minute rumours, suspense and intrigue.

Californian rockers The Eagles were tuning up to mark the start of the party with a late night concert on the eve of Prince Albert II's Friday civil wedding to statuesque South African swimming champ Charlene Wittstock.

After a 40 minute ceremony, Charlene will become Princess of Monaco at the moment Philippe Narmino, Monaco's senior legal official and president of the state council, pronounces the couple man and wife.

On Saturday, the royal union will be solemnised by a very public Catholic religious ceremony, which the palace hopes will put paid once and for all to rumours that the bride has cold feet.

Star guests at the religious ceremony will include France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, several European, Middle Eastern and African kings and princes, and several leading sportsmen and women.

From the world of fashion Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Naomi Campbell will rub stylishly attired shoulders with former James Bond actor Roger Moore.

It will be the biggest day in Monaco since Albert's father Rainier III married Hollywood actress Grace Kelly in 1956, but preparations have been clouded by claims that Charlene attempted to call it off.

Press reports suggested she had learned of some secret from Albert's private life and decided to head home to South Africa, only to be intercepted by royal aides as she approached Nice airport and persuaded to stay.

The royal house and family friends dismissed the claim.

"These rumours have no other goal than to severely damage the reputation of the monarch and thereby that of Miss Wittstock and severely undermine this happy event," said the palace, which is banking on a wedding tourist boom.

Wittstock's father Mike also weighed in, insisting his daughter had been heading to Paris to do some pre-wedding shopping, and not fleeing home.

Albert, 53, has children with two other women but has yet to produce an heir, a matter of some concern to Monaco constitutionalists, who fear instability should the throne revert to his sister Caroline.

For nine centuries Monaco has been run by the Grimaldi family, the crown passing through the male line. In 2002, fearing Albert would die without an heir, Monaco changed its constitution to allow a princess to inherit.

In the absence of any heir, Monaco would become a French protectorate.

Until Tuesday, all appeared to be going to plan. Charlene's blonde locks, high cheekbones and impressively broad shoulders have graced the covers of magazines and celebrity guests are converging on the Mediterranean enclave.

The wedding was never going to compete for column inches with Britain's marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but the Monaco brand was looking forward to receiving a rejuvenating shot in the arm.

Palace advisor and television royal wedding commentator Stephane Bern also tried to dismiss the rumours, but not without adding to the speculation by citing rumours of another love child.

"A woman could easily pretend that she's pregnant by a prince," he told Le Parisien. "You can't do a DNA test to check three days before a wedding!"

The Monaco royal clan has an unlucky matrimonial history.

Albert's mother, US film star Grace Kelly -- turned Princess Grace on her marriage to Rainier III -- died in a car crash in 1982. Her daughter Caroline lost her second husband Stephano Casiraghi in a 1990 motorboat accident.

The other royal sister, Princess Stephanie, has also been unlucky in love, in the words of Wednesday's edition of Le Parisien "marrying almost as often as she falls in love" and finding herself betrayed by her bodyguard lover.

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Monaco palace rejects 'ugly rumors' about wedding (AP)

MONACO – An aide to Prince Albert II of Monaco has dismissed as "ugly rumors" news reports the sovereign's fiancee, Charlene Wittstock, tried to call off the wedding and return to her native South Africa.

Christiane Stahl says the reports, which have appeared in several European publications, are "the very incarnation of jealousy."

Stahl told Monaco-Info Wednesday that "only jealousy could push people to start such violent, such ugly rumors just a few days before a marriage."

Albert and Wittstock, a 33-year-old ex-Olympic swimmer, will be married in two-day-long festivities Friday and Saturday.

Stahl said the couple were "affected" by the rumors but added they are concentrating on last-minute preparations.

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'Everything fine' ahead of Monaco wedding (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South African Olympic swimmer Ryk Neethling told local media Wednesday that "everything is fine" ahead of Charlene Wittstock's marriage to Monaco's Prince Albert II, despite rumours of cold feet.

Neethling, a gold medalist friend of Wittstock's who is attending the wedding Friday and Saturday, said he phoned to check on her after South Africa's Times newspaper called him to confirm rumours that she had tried to leave Monaco.

"I just spoke to her assistant and whatever the story is, it's not true. I'll be very surprised if it's true. I called her and asked if everything is okay, and they said everything is fine," he told the paper.

Neethling said he was still flying to Monaco for the wedding.

Monaco's royal palace Tuesday angrily denied an online report by French magazine L'Express that said Wittstock had interrupted her wedding preparations and tried to take a flight home a week ago.

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Rumours cloud build-up to Monaco royal wedding (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – The flags are out, the fireworks are primed and the dress is under wraps, but it took an ugly rumour of a threatened split to catapult the Monaco royal wedding onto the front pages Wednesday.

Prince Albert II is due to marry statuesque South African swimming champion Charlene Wittstock on Friday in a festival of princely pomp, hoping to save his realm by finally providing it with a legitimate heir.

Reports that Wittstock might be getting cold feet sent shockwaves through the principality, despite fierce denials from the palace and family friends.

"I just spoke to her assistant and whatever the story is, it's not true. I called her and asked if everything is okay, and they said everything is fine," said Ryk Neethling, a fellow South African Olympic swimmer.

"These rumours have no other goal than to severely damage the reputation of the monarch and thereby that of Miss Wittstock and severely undermine this happy event," said the palace, which is banking on a wedding tourist boom.

Albert, 53, has had children with two other women but if he cannot produce a legitimate heir the Grimaldi clan will be forced to cede Monaco to France and lose a territory they have held since 1297.

All appeared to be going to plan. Charlene's blonde locks, high cheekbones and impressively broad shoulders have graced the covers of magazines and celebrity guests are converging on the Mediterranean enclave.

The wedding was never going to compete with Britain's marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton -- now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- and the Monaco brand was looking due for a rejuvenating shot in the arm.

But the celebrity press gives, and the press takes away. On Tuesday, reports surfaced of a royal falling out. Charlene, it was said, had learned a dark secret about her stocky, balding partner and flown the coop.

The 33-year-old was reported by L'Express magazine's website and a slew of blogs and Twitter postings to have sought a one-way ticket home to South Africa, only to be intercepted in Nice and returned to her gilded cage.

"Albert and Charlene, a marriage in danger," screamed the headline, above a breathless description of the alleged race to the airport laced with heavy but vague insinuations about the nature of the secret:

"Charlene Wittstock had learned a few hours earlier that the private life of the man she was about to marry, who publicly acknowledged in 2005 a child from an adulterous relationship, was not as exemplary as she had imagined."

An outraged palace firmly denied the tale, the royal couple made a sudden inspection visit to the wedding site to be photographed arm-in-arm and their lawyer announced that he intended to sue for defamation.

The couple's media advisor and the commentator on the wedding for French state television, Stephane Bern, also attempted to deny the rumour, but not without adding to the speculation by citing rumours of another love child.

"A woman could easily pretend that she's pregnant by a prince," he told Le Parisien. "You can't do a DNA test to check three days before a wedding!"

The world's press was abuzz on Wednesday with the story -- and, as some cynics noted, also with advance publicity for the event -- and lawyer Thierry Lacoste had suddenly abandoned his threat of legal action.

Lacoste said he had dropped the case when L'Express agreed to withdraw the article, but it was nevertheless still available on the site, unchanged apart from a brief footnote to acknowledge the princely denial.

L'Express told AFP it had not received any writ and stood by the article.

Meanwhile, other media had joined in dropping hints about the supposed secret, and raking over the details of the prince's previous liaisons -- including his siring of illegitimate children with at least two women.

The Monaco royal clan has an unlucky matrimonial history.

Albert's mother, US film star Grace Kelly -- turned Princess Grace on her marriage to Rainier III -- died in a car crash in 1982. Her daughter Caroline lost her second husband Stephano Casiraghi in a 1990 motorboat accident.

The other royal sister, Princess Stephanie, has also been unlucky in love, in the words of Wednesday's edition of Le Parisien "marrying almost as often as she falls in love" and finding herself betrayed by her bodyguard lover.

The clan's latest experiment in matrimony will begin with a civil ceremony on Friday, followed by a concert by electropop veteran Jean-Michel Jarre, then on Saturday by a Catholic religious ceremony and grand ball.

Assuming the bride hasn't already fled.

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Monaco seeks new golden era with princely wedding (Reuters)

MONACO (Reuters) – Tragedy and scandal have chipped away at the fairy tale principality of Monaco but locals hope a long-awaited wedding between Prince Albert and his South African fiancee will revive a faded gem on the Cote d'Azur.

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, the 53-year-old ruler of the tiny city-state of Monaco and head of the centuries-old House of Grimaldi, will wed Charlene Wittstock, 33, this weekend in the palace courtyard during a lavish three-day celebration.

Monaco, the sunny stomping ground of the rich, known as much for its Grand Prix car race as for its lack of income tax, is abuzz with the nuptials, which take place just two months after Britain's royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

Monegasques -- who number only around 8,000 -- hope having a dazzling new princess could revive the fortunes of Monaco, and the gambling center of Monte Carlo, which lives off its image as the epicenter of luxury, fast cars and betting tables.

"Now there will be a princess," sighed Martine Ruelle, who has worked at a Formula One store for 20 years. "It brings a dynamism to Monaco and a very beautiful image."

Saturday's wedding will be the first of a ruling prince in Monaco since Albert's father, Prince Rainier III, married Hollywood actress Grace Kelly in 1956, and locals hope Wittstock could bring back some of the glamour which died alongside Kelly in a 1982 car crash.

Albert met Wittstock -- a statuesque former national swimming champion whose champagne blonde hair and sculptured figure draws comparisons with Kelly -- in 2000 when he presided over a swimming contest in which she was competing.

Keen to dazzle the world with the new couple, the palace is laying on two tons of red carpet, a Giorgio Armani wedding gown, 3,500 guests, including some 20 heads of state, a dinner prepared by chef Alain Ducasse and a hybrid Lexus to whisk away the newlyweds. It has issued a decree encouraging residents to decorate their houses for the event.

Rumors that all was not well with the couple threatened to spoil the mood, however. The palace vehemently denied a report by French weekly L'Express on Tuesday that Wittstock tried to skip town on a one-way flight to South Africa.

The report said it had required "infinite persuasion" by the prince and members of his entourage to convince her to stay.

HAPPY EVENT

For weeks, flags heralding the wedding in Monaco's colors of red and white have waved from Monte Carlo's famous casino and from private homes on Le Rocher, the steep rock from which the palace peers down over the Mediterranean.

At less lofty heights, workers have erected TV screens and barricades for the crowds expected to celebrate the civil union on Friday and the religious wedding on Saturday.

Recent parking tickets have been forgiven and Friday has been made a public holiday.

The smiling couple beams in an official photograph displayed everywhere, from the upscale jewellers, designer boutiques and florists surrounding Monte Carlo's luxury hotels to a humble hardware store on the rue Grimaldi along the port.

"It allows the people to dream," said Patricia Verrando, a bathroom attendant working just steps from the palace.

"They are simple people and they are very close to their subjects. I am very patriotic and one must not say anything bad about the princely family."

The Monegasque -- a title which distinguishes Monaco's citizens from the thousands of others who live, work or play here -- said she planned to cheer the couple along the procession routes and join the public festivities: "It's something I'll recount all my life."

Luxury resorts all bank on a degree of magic to sustain themselves and Monaco is no exception. Ruled since 1297 by the Grimaldi family, the building of the Monaco myth in the modern age began with Kelly, the glamorous film star who gave up her career to marry Rainier, jumpstarting the glory days of this playground for the rich.

Kelly's death was a crushing blow for Monaco, and was followed by a series of divorces and scandals involving the couple's three children.

Prince Albert has admitted fathering a child with a flight attendant from Togo and another with a woman from California, while his sisters Stephanie and Caroline have weathered a storm of media attention over their own rocky love lives.

In another blow, the strong-minded Rainier, who had put his stamp on the principality for decades, died in 2005.

"Finally it's a happy event for Monaco," said Greek hotel worker Ari Nicolaidis, a long-time Monaco resident, of the upcoming wedding. "With this event, they'll try to forget."

"LOVE A PRINCESS STORY"

For some, wedding bells aren't only happy, but lucrative.

After a decade of 8 to 10 percent growth, Monaco's tourism industry received a rude awakening when the economic crisis hit in 2009, causing a 9 percent drop in hotel guests.

Thus far, 2011 has been "very positive," and on track for a full recovery, said a tourism bureau spokesman.

The principality is now promoting VIP weddings, using the slogan "Monaco, global capital of romance." Michel Bouquier, head of the tourism board, said Monaco wants to become "the unique place for exceptional and prestigious weddings."

Monaco's gaming industry has not fared as well. Hotel and casino operator Societe des Bains de Mer, Monaco's biggest employer, is still feeling the effects of the crisis. Gambling revenues fell 14 percent in the fiscal year to May though hotel revenues recovered.

Chief Executive Bernard Lambert said the wedding should enhance business by re-introducing Monaco to people with a crowded choice of global gaming locales from Las Vegas to Macao.

"Everybody loves a princess story," Lambert said. "We have to keep the adrenaline, excitement and glamour in this casino which for me is the only truly European casino left."

While Monaco's excesses are evident -- "My first impression was 'Are we going to afford to sit somewhere and have a Coke?'" joked one British tourist floored by the red Ferraris and silver Rolls Royces around him -- some say it's resting on its laurels and the wedding excitement masks a simmering desperation.

"It's over," said a casino worker who asked not to be named.

High-rollers who once dropped bundles of cash at the tables no longer want to come, put off by what they see as a more vulgar clientele and a sense the glory days are over, he said.

As well as the ubiquitous cruise ship tourists, a new wave of moneyed visitors from emerging markets like Ukraine, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan now come seeking the European high life, and the safety Monaco prides itself on. The tourism office has recently opened offices in Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and New Delhi.

Prince Albert has also sought to clean up Monaco's reputation as a haven for tax evaders, tightening banking standards and bringing more transparency to the place British novelist Somerset Maugham once called: "a sunny place for shady people."

One thing talked about in the shadows is Prince Albert's motivation for his wedding. Some in Monaco whisper that the groom, described as good at heart but a prisoner to his heritage, is less than enthusiastic.

The marriage and an eventual heir are crucial for the future of Monaco and more about business interests than love, they say.

One Monegasque who preferred to remain anonymous put into succinct context the realities for citizens of a modern monarchy whose economic stability and political security partly rest on efforts to burnish a fairy tale image.

"We need to have dreams but we have to know if it's an illusion."

(Additional reporting by Pierre Thebault; Editing by Catherine Bremer and Paul Casciato)

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Monaco palace slams wedding strife 'rumours' (AFP)

MONACO, France (AFP) – Monaco's royal palace Tuesday angrily denied media rumours that princess-to-be Charlene Wittstock tried to leave the principality in a huff days before her marriage to Prince Albert II.

"A few days before the marriage of His Most Serene Highness Prince Albert with Miss Charlene Wittstock, the princely palace firmly denies the lying allegations," it said, responding to an online report by L'Express magazine.

The news weekly reported on its site lexpress.fr that Wittstock had interrupted preparations for Friday and Saturday's lavish celebrations and prepared to take a flight a week ago for her home country South Africa.

It cited "a tense atmosphere, rumours of discord and a clash between the two fiances" linked to unspecified revelations about Prince Albert's "private life".

It named no sources but said an unnamed newspaper "possesses all the details."

"These rumours have the sole aim of harming the image of the Sovereign and consequently that of Miss Wittstock, and cause serious damage to this happy event," the palace retorted.

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'Lavish' SA party to follow Monaco royal wedding (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Prince Albert II of Monaco and his swimming champ fiancee, Charlene Wittstock, will host a "lavish" party in her home country South Africa after their wedding in July, a newspaper said Sunday.

The couple will host 200 guests, including international royalty, at a seaside luxury hotel in the eastern city of Durban on July 7, five days after their wedding in Monaco, the Sunday Times reported.

"We're keeping everything under wraps, but I can say it will be a luxurious affair," Wayne Coetser, general manager of the five-star Oyster Box Hotel, told the newspaper.

"It's a lavish affair, with a menu that will feature some South African delicacies" and the "best champagne", he added.

Albert and Wittstock had already announced they would travel to South Africa after the wedding to attend a July 5-9 meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Durban, when the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics will be decided.

The two former Olympians -- he was a bobsleigh racer, she a backstroke swimmer -- in August moved their wedding up by six days to be able to attend the meeting.

Albert, the 53-year-old son of late Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been a member of the IOC since 1985.

The playboy prince announced his engagement to Zimbabwe-born Wittstock, 33, last June.

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