In advance of what we can only hope will be Prince Albert's only wedding, how about a look back at his stylish sister and her three ceremony outfits?
In 1978, 21-year-old Princess Caroline married 38-year-old playboy Philippe Junot. They were civilly married on June 28th with a religious ceremony on the following day. For her wedding gown, Caroline turned to Marc Bohan at Christian Dior.
The end result was not precisely the original design intent: Bohan had to make last minute changes after details of the bride's look leaked. It's hard to concentrate on the fairly plain dress with the Princess Leia hair, isn't it? One wonders if keeping the original design despite the spoilers might not have been the way to go.
Caroline and Philippe were divorced in 1980 amid accusations of infidelity (from both sides, apparently). Their marriage was annulled by the Catholic Church in 1992.
Next, Caroline married Stefano Casiraghi in a civil ceremony on December 29, 1983.
Once again, Christian Dior provided the dress: this time, a draped silk charmeuse affair with matching bow in her hair. A far more sophisticated look than the first wedding, no?
Caroline and Stefano had three children together: Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre. (Andrea was born about 5 months after the wedding.) Stefano died in a speed boat accident in 1990 at the age of 30, leaving Caroline a widow and single mother.
Caroline is currently married to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, making her title HRH The Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco. Caroline and Ernst were married civilly on January 23, 1999 after Ernst received permission from Queen Elizabeth II in accordance with the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. (He still lost his position in the line of succession to the British throne, though, as Caroline is a Catholic.) The bride wore a light blue Chanel suit for her small and secretive third wedding.
Once again, the marriage was not without scandal. Ernst's first wife was a close friend of Caroline's, which has raised a few eyebrows. At the time of the wedding, Caroline was 3 months pregnant with Princess Alexandra, the couple's only child. And the scandals haven't stopped in the years since the wedding: Ernst is an interesting character, to say the least. He's been photographed kissing another woman. They are still married, but haven't been seen in public together for a long time. Needless to say, many will be on the lookout for Ernst's presence or absence at the upcoming royal wedding.
Do you have a favorite of these three? I've always loved number two, myself. That dress would still be stylish today, and that's quite the feat when you consider its 1983 origins.
