Fresh from their brief holiday in Antiparos, Greece, Their Serene Highnesses Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco, hosted an official visit for the “… Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Fra’ Matthew Festing on July 31, 2011.”  

According to the official site for the princely family of Monaco, Mr. Festing was:

…welcomed at 11.15 am at the Palais Princier de Monaco by H.S.H. Prince Albert II, H.E. Mr Michel Roger, Minister of State and Colonel Luc Fringant, Chamberlain.

[Mr. Festing] received military honors,  and a mass was celebrated led by H.E. Mr Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco and Canon César Penzo in the Palace chapel.

At 12.15 pm, H.S.H. the Prince granted an audience to H.M.E.H. Fra’ Matthew Festing. After, the Grand Master named H.S.H. the Prince as an ‘Honorary Bailiff Grand Cross’. The Sovereign and H.M.E.H. Fra’ Matthew Festing then had a working lunch in the residence of the Minister of State.

At 9.30 pm, H.M.E.H. Fra’ Matthew Festing, the Prince and Princess Charlene attended a benefit concert for the charitable organisations of the Order of Malta in the Prince’s Lodge of the Main Courtyard.

There was also lovely dinner at the Palais Princier de Monaco in honor of Fra’ Matthew Festing’s visit to the tiny principality that evening.

To view photos please click the links here and here.

Source: Palais Princier de Monaco

Photo courtesy of: Palais.mc

Just one day after filing a lawsuit against the French newspaper, L’Express, for invasion of privacy and spreading false rumors, the princely couple of Monaco were already on holiday in the Greek Islands.

According to the online newspaper, Greek Reporter, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II visited Antiparos, Greece to simply, well, chill, “They enjoyed walks along the amazing beaches of Antiparos and were polite to all on-looking admirers.” (source)

South African journalist, Clyde Meela, confirms the couple’s holiday in Greece in his latest article.  Apparently, the beautiful princess sent Mr. Meela an Email last Friday evening whereupon she noted, “…we are off to cruise the Greek Islands tomorrow for a couple of days…”

Fabulous.

The next event for Their Serene Highnesses Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco will be the Monaco Red Cross Ball.

To read the article by Mr. Clyde Meela please click the link here. 

To learn more about the island of Antiparos please click here.

Source: The Greek Reporter and BCT

Well, it happened.  Their Serene Highnesses Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco went ahead and decided to sue the French newspaper, L’Express.

Per AFP news via ABC news:

Monaco’s Prince Albert II and his new wife Charlene have filed a suit against a French magazine they claim spread false rumours of discord ahead of their wedding this month, their lawyer confirmed.

Summons were filed against L’Express magazine at a court in Nanterre, west of Paris, for invasion of privacy and publishing ‘incorrect facts about their private life,’ lawyer Thierry Lacoste told AFP.

The magazine declined comment.

Despite the drama that continues to swirl around Their Serene Highnesses Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco the couple once again stepped out together this afternoon to attend the 2011 Herculis International Athletics Competition at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.  This world-class event brought out the best of the best in track and field including Allyson Felix, David Rudisha, and Usain Bolt.

To learn more about this event please click the link here.  To view photos please click here.

According to the news site, AFP, the princely couple intend to sue the “…French magazine for spreading [rumors about] them.”  That French magazine/newspaper is the respected, L’Express.

Per AFP:

‘It is very distressing,’ [Michel] Roger, whose official title is minister of state, told journalists of the gossip that swirled around the wedding held over two days in early July.

Rumours that Charlene Wittstock tried to leave the principality in a huff just days before the royal wedding have already been rejected by the palace, a lawyer for the princely pair, as well as by Albert himself.

‘They are all false,’ added Roger.

L’Express magazine had reported on its website that Wittstock, now Princess Charlene, interrupted preparations for the lavish celebrations and prepared to take a flight for her home country South Africa.

In fact, ‘she left for Greece accompanied by a Monegasque delegation’ for the Special Olympics — a competition for the intellectually disabled that opened in Athens on June 25, said Roger.

As for allegations that Albert fathered a third child out of wedlock while engaged to Charlene, the politician said: ‘We have proof that this is false’.

To read the article in its entirety please click the link here.  Another source. 

Source: AFP News

Photo courtesy of: CBS News

On July 21, 2011, Their Serene Highnesses Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco attended the L’Histoire du Mariage Princier exhibit at the Musée Océanographique de Monaco.

The newlyweds just returned from their honeymoon in Mozambique, Africa late yesterday evening so it was a nice surprise for the visitors at the Musée to see the princely couple mingling with others.

To view photos please click the links here and here.  To learn more about the L’Histoire du Marriage Princier exhibit click the link here.   🙂

Photos courtesy of: Daylife/AP Photo

Their Serene Highnesses Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco just returned from their peaceful honeymoon in Mozambique.

They had a lovely time.

Anyway, one of the first things the Prince Albert II did once he arrived home was to summon three journalists to the Palais Princier de Monaco to express his anger regarding those rumors about his marriage to Princess Charlene:

We want to express our indignation at these rumors… It’s unbearable. What’s regrettable is that the media pick up these rumours without verifying the information…We are honestly feeling aggrieved by the current rumours. It is simply not acceptable anymore.

I find that unworthy on the part of your colleagues. I’ve always respected freedom of expression. But publishing false information is lamentable and subject to criminal penalties.

Sometimes these rumours make us smile, for example when the media reported that the princess and I did not sleep in the same hotel in South Africa. That was for obvious practical reasons. AFP News

There are two slightly longer articles from the French newspapers, Le Point and  Nice-Matin; however, I do not have time to translate them for you.  If you can understand French then click the links here and here.  Or, you can read another story in English here.