I was going to say that Monaco’s Princess Charlene had a quiet 2017, but really, she’s been quiet ever since she gave birth to the twins. I think once she gave birth to the heir and spare (in one pregnancy), she was given a lot of freedom to do as she pleases. She was living separately from Prince Albert for a while – under the pretense of “renovations” being made at one of their homes – but I have no idea if they’re back to living under the same roof now. She shows up for the occasional event in Monaco, she quietly raises the kids and I would assume she is no longer obligated to make trips to the Insemination Dungeon.
So Charlene’s life is probably much happier now. She’s even making some bolder fashion choices here and there. This week, Charlene and Albert stepped out for an annual tradition for the Grimaldis: the sovereign passes out gifts to local children, and there’s some kind of nice palace reception for the kids too. This year, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse attended the party, and the kids were a mix of local Monegasque children and refugee kids. For the event, Charlene actually looked stunning in this amazing, vibrant red cape-coat-poncho thing. I think fashionistas would probably call it a cape-coat, but truly, this is just a fancy poncho. It’s lovely. I don’t mind the painted-on pants, and I like the sexy boots.
Charlene and Albert didn’t just do something nice for the children of Monaco: this year, they also made trips to some of the local nursing homes and they gave the old folks some Christmas gifts too. That’s really nice.
Charlene’s Instagram – !!!! – also posted this nice image of the twins from this year’s Christmas card photo shoot. These children are very cute. I love that Gabriella is a bit gingery. Let’s hope Jacques doesn’t end up like his cousin Andrea – very cute for a while, then his looks falling off a f–king cliff around the age of 25.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
I have a very similar red cape and it makes me feel glamorous.
I bet you look like a star! I have something similar in black wool and I always sweep around in it. I love it.
I love it.
I love the capes, they do look extra glam.
On the other hand, he looks creepy and I would not wanna trade places with her.
Good body language here with these two. No, she is not signalling for help…how ridiculous. He’s not gorgeous which is maybe why some shallow individuals are saying he’s creepy, but he seems kind and nice, what more can anyone want. Charlene is serene, elegant and beautiful…..a perfect princess.
The cape is beautiful but the shoulders are puckering because they’re too narrow for her broad swimmer’s build. So close to being perfect.
I’m a cape woman too! Add fur though …I have a white, black, white, gray and black with gray. Overkill? Maybe. But they are perfect to stay warm, throw over anything. And still make a statement.
Does the Princess still blink S.O.S with her eyes ??
Considering how much work she’s had done, I’m surprised she can blink at all. I really like her, so I’m not so much throwing shade at her as expressing sadness that she’s had so much work done. To me, she’s unrecognizable to her former self. Perhaps that’s what she wanted. But I thought she was awfully cute before. :/
I was just noticing that too AV. Her skin looks plumped. It is a shame, she had such nice delicate features before and I thought she was still pretty young right?
What? Are you for real? And where is the link so that I may view this plea for help?
Here you go but you can also click on her name tag right below the headline and see the older posts about her.
http://www.celebitchy.com/371774/princess_charlene_is_barely_showing_shes_reportedly_pregnant_with_twins_too/
I agree with you, AV. She looks fine, but all that tweaking was completely unnecessary, especially at her (young) age. He, as always, looks like a creepy oik.
Omg, I did not know about Andrea. But yeah if you Google Andrea of Monaco, you see a relatively cute long haired dude, and then a gelled-up Eric trump wanna be. It’s kinda freaky.
TBH there’s no need to Google Andrea: Albert himself is the perfect example of someone who had been cute for a couple of decades before turning into ..well….
So I googled him & I don’t understand. How can you be hot AND ugly??? This is a mystery & I am assuming he is just ugly now, the hot is in the past. SAD
Years of hard living will do that to you.
Apparently, Andrea and his billionaire wife are expecting number three.
I don’t know but Albert gives me the creeps. Kids are cute though. Why couldn’t we have a Christmas card like that instate of the 6-month old blah photo from the Cambridges?
yeah, Andrea Casiraghi used to be so handsome but no more. I don’t think Andrea and Tatiana are a very attractive couple. Especially compared to his bro Pierre and Beatrice…
Albert used to be cute long ago. I always have to remind myself how many children he has out there before these twins– is it two or 3?
She looks amazing! Love the coat, the boots, the pants ( are they pants?) and especially the hair.
ScarJo take notice, this is how you do a cute pixie. Scar Jo’s hair is a mess since she cut it.
I know nothing about them but the twins are cute af
*waits patiently for the post on the engagement photos*
She’s going to regret that black, lace-y feathered top in a few days. The pose is cute, but that top is no bueno.
It’s a teensy bit distracting.
Agreed LAK
Those kids are definitely cute. Girl looks like his side of family, boy hers.
Noticed the same.
1. Super cute kiddos!
2. “Lean your head in toward the big boy, Miss, that’s right, don’t worry we can get it in under three takes – done! Someone swab off her royalness, will ya? Okay now the money shot – we’ll be Velcro-ing a Santa hat to big boy’s dome, and giving him the ho ho noose, right, so you walk across the courtyard and try to — what? Yes, it’s fine if you give a little side-eye and smirk to your close friend, swimming billionaire Yuri Bucksacashncoinskura as you walk, we don’t care, we just need the money shot, right — yes, here’s the fab cape and boots and the money you wanted is in the suede envelope with the Bulgarian passport. Okay,baby, let’s work it, big smiles for the elves! That’s it amazing, you’re happy, happy,walking, walking, happy…”
My first laugh of the day.
Oh Liberty, may you continue to slay dragons.
You have an army of fans and if you ever decided to write a parody piss take of these people, we’d all be up for a copy.
Lol hello my dear! Merry Christmas!
Liberty, you’re back! Hilarious story as ever, you always deliver!!!! I don’t know if you take fan requests? As an unapologetic fan of yours, I was wondering if you could take one about the logistics of curtsying in the BRF when they do biggish family gatherings. Now that it’s almost Christmas, maybe something around the lunch. Thank you!
Hm, ok, for you. I shall give it a whirl later…
Liberty, you’re a star! Better said, a galaxy. Thanks so much, I can’t wait! 🌠✨🌟✴
Memo to Ms Markle
Office of the Palace Peep Keepers
It has come to our attention that you will be joining the Family for group Christmas events including but not limited to lunches, teas, dinners, elevenses, cocktails, and the massively secret warthog hunt (note: this year, Prince Andrew shall kindly play the part of the warthog).
With this in mind, we hoped to share with you certain forms of etiquette that had the distinction of arising from centuries-old traditions beloved by HRH. To make it easier for you, at the request of Her Majesty herself, we herewith provide the following directions for correct greeting of the Family.
HRH: a deep formal curtsy is normal, holding the strict posture of a head lady of the bedchamber crossed with a graceful Danube swan. However, Her Majesty and Prince Philip are delighted with the handy way you beat Mrs M at Beaver Charades last month. Thus you may simply smile and say, “Hi, Gran, good day, Grampy-o!” In the manner of your fiancé, Prince Henry.
Princess Anne: here too, a short smart curtsy is typical upon first meeting each other in front of the kippers and toast sideboard, but she has sent us a note saying in part “TG, I knew the ruddy fun little bloke wouldn’t bring home a dead fish, let’s get this party started, Sophie is bringing the flask!” You therefore need only nod a greeting before linking arms and skipping in an exuberant “circle of equality” around Catherine and William. You may thank the Princess for this rare honor.
Prince Charles: whilst curtsying in a sweeping motion and holding the pose long enough to mime planting an imaginary oak tree is preferred, and respecting the Duchess Camilla in His presence in the same manner is expected if cameras are present, the Prince states he finds you a topping little bit of crumpet and a bloody good wave of fresh air, eh, wot, ha. With this exceptional regard in place, you need only smile and say words of this sort: “Ooh wish I’d met you first, Daddy, eh, what! Aren’t you still a handsome devil!” His respected wife invites you to sit with her and “have a good Jabber” anytime and you need only say, “Huzzah Camilla, not a day for marshmallow, is it!” Which as you can imagine is also an honor.
Bill and Kitty: please observe every step of protocol you learned in your recent three week curtsy, bowing, humbling and head snaps course except, as noted, when with Princess Anne.
Ha!
Liberty that was just awesome! “Huzzah!” “Marshmallows!”
Delightful!
YAY! Liberty’s back! Love this! MORE! MORE!!
Happy Holidays to all!
@Liberty, humble thanks. You’re great! Looking forward to the next story!! 🎆
🙂 Merry Christmas, SoulSPA! Sorry it took so long, I was traveling :-/.
Merry Christmas to you too, Liberty. Thanks so much.
i love Royal Christmas season because they publish all these cute things and the junior (small) members are being very festive very publicly too.
i love that we get sightings of a very cute Charlotte yesterday on her way to dinner with great grandmum. i love the Monaco twins, and of course the Spanish duo. i love the Swedish Crown Princess family having fun in the snow, and their Danish cousins frolicking in baking Oz christmas sun.
i wish we get these coverage too 🙂 especially the Swedish one (just because they actually have a video we can all ooo and aaah at)
Yes! More Swedish and Danish royalty, please. They are charming and cheer me! 🙂
Liberty there are so many great royal gossip stories out there for you. Two second cousins (part of the Luxembourg and Austria families) had a baby together one week after they got engaged in October. She’s living with her parents in Switzerland, he’s in law school in Denmark. What you could do with stories like that!
Oooooh nota!!! Really? ooh putting my royalgossip hunting hat on! Thanks for the tip! I think it is the silly season, let’s have some fun!
Your characters are Archduchess Gabriella of Austria (daughter of Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid) and Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma (son of Prince Erik of Bourbon-Parma and Countess Lydia of Holstein-Ledreborg)
Kids are adorable, she looks amazing and Albert looks like a complete tool who deserves none of this.
Here’s a question. Charlene had twins, a daughter born first and then a son. For some reason though, the son is first in line to the throne. How does that work? (Thats some patriarchal bullshit)
Yes, that’s the way it works in Monaco. He needed a “legitimate” male heir, and male heirs win out over female ones according to their law. Oddly, if both twins were boys he was going to pick which one was heir when they turned 10.
Before the bashing begins, that is the law in that country. I’m not making judgements about children born in or out of wedlock, Monaco law does.
And Albert has a son from a previous ‘relationship’, right?
Albert himself isn’t the firstborn, Caroline is. But Monaco is very specifically passed through the male line. It was a big deal when Albert was still single with no legitimate kids, and if I remember correctly they had to change the law so Caroline could potentially inherit (who was rumored that she would then immediately pass it on to Andrea).
People forget about that dynamic when talking about Albert and Charlene. She displaced Caroline, who had been de facto First Lady of Monaco for almost her whole life.
It wasn’t that long ago (I think, right before Rainier died) that their constitution was changed so that females could inherit AT ALL. Prior to that, a female couldn’t inherit, even if she was the only child. With Albert still single, they needed to change the constitution so that Caroline and her kids could keep the throne going if Albert died. It’s a very backwards country in this respect.
It’s more complicated than that. Monaco’s succession, as legally recognized in their treaties with France, was essentially created so that it would ultimately return back to French hands. If I recall correctly, Rainer didn’t change the constitution, he signed a new treaty with the French. Previously, Monaco was passed ONLY through the direct male line – so, only son to son. No siblings, nephews, etc. however adoption into the line was legal and the French ended up hating that. So now, the line is able to pass indirectly, should the reigning prince not have a son. Though I’m actually not sure if that allows for a Princess to inherit.
Love the cape. Every woman must have at least one cape.
I’ve been thinking the same thing this season. I want a sophisticated one like Char’s and a knitted one for casual days.
@ HK9, Oh please no! There is no way I want to swan around in a Nanny and the professor style cape, just awful !!
“HSH” is Her Serene Highness…Serene? LOL
royals love themselves
I am pretty sure, but don’t take it as fact, the Serene titles have to do with the language in the “Italian” region where the Monegasque house had been established. Italy as such became a state much, much later. “Serene” may come either from Latin or a dialect of nowadays Italian that was spoken at that time in the territory of nowadays Monaco or via the Catholic religion that if my memory does not fail me, was the only religion then, enter the fact that secularization or separation of the state from the church happened much later. Enter Latin as the language of the Catholic church. I have a background in languages and fortunately we had a history module to put things in perspective but I don’t remember all details. I don’t know much about the Monegasque language, I’ve seen a text or two but I am pretty sure that even of it is a language derived from Latin, “serene” itself comes from the mother of many languages spoken natively in Europe directly or via a regional dialect.
It is also part of the royal “ranking” system. It goes something like Majesty, Imperial Highness, Royal Highness, Serene Highness, in decreasing order of importance.
@nota, yes to what you said. To add but you surely know it better than me, Monaco is a Principality not a Kingdom hence the ruler is a Prince, not a King. I don’t know why Monaco is not a kingdom, it may have something to do with its size and the historical and political context where it was established and developed ie the large number of city-states and other small forms of pre? medieval political control over small territories within the same geographical region.
ETA I just remembered that the house of Grimaldi that if my memory does not fail me were the house/family that ruled continuously over Monaco, are of Italian origin.
If I remember correctly Venice used to have “serene” in its title back when it was independent…
Yes, Redgrl. “Serenissima” in fact. Also, “-issima” denotes a superlative. As “the most” serene. Venetians must have had a lot of love for their republic/city-state. Its history is fascinating and up to this date, it’s the only city I long to go back to. Forever in my heart.
Charlene & Albert have been together throughout this. There used to be posters from Monaco who stated there were renovations being done and the family had decamped to their summer place. Charlene has been happier and more relaxed since the birth of the twins. But so has Albert. Whatever was going on earlier in their marriage has been resolved.
They’ve been bringing the twins out for engagements regularly. They went to a yachting event a few months ago, did a surprise visit to a senior citizens home, helped open a new daycare, were present at an event with a high-ranking Catholic representative, etc.
Charlene has also been sharing photos on IG of behind-the-scenes things like their first haircut.
I love her look, love the cape and adore the photo of the kids!
I would love to see the gray sweater under the cape/poncho thing. I love the whole outfit, she looks amazing.
She’s got a strong coat game. I loved the blue velvet Akris that she wore last month:
https://www.gofugyourself.com/photos/royals-round-up-november-22nd-2017/monaco-national-day-celebrations-monte-carlo-19-nov-2017
Oof, those fillers. They really destroyed her natural features. I find it sad.
Any dad who wears a Santa hat is okay with me.
I think she looks great – much more Her Serene Highness. Dare I say they look happy/content together? And the kids are adorable.
I’ve always found Charlene to be such a stunning beauty, but then I stumbled on a link to some of her before and after plastic surgery photos. How disappointing. I totally did not think she bought that face she has, but she did. She looks like a TOTALLY different person now. (Their children are precious!)
I think Jacques will be okay. He looks just like Charlene and she has aged pretty gracefully, regardless of having work done or no. Gabriella looks just like Albert to me. She has her father’s egg shaped face. Not knocking against Albert, I don’t find him ugly or handsome, just average. It will be interesting to see who they take after.
He was incredibly handsome as a young man – looks just like Grace. Gabriella would be incredibly lucky to take after that side of the family, looks wise.
Is he pulling a Trump and holding her hand super tight?
How did she let him out of the house wearing that hat and tie.