The Grimaldis welcomed leaders from one of their most important allies to Monaco for a state visit on Friday, with Princess Charlene and Princess Caroline bringing out some major jewels.
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco welcomed the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and his daughter, Laura, to the Prince’s Palace for an official welcome ceremony on Friday morning. Monaco and Italy have a shared history that goes back centuries, but this is the first time that an Italian president has made a state visit to the principality.
Albert and Charlene’s eleven-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques, also joined their parents for the welcome ceremony in the palace courtyard.
The reception continued inside the palace, where the Prince and the President held formal talks in the Salon de Famille. They were joined by Princess Charlene and Ms. Mattarella in the Salon des Glaces for an official exchange of decorations. President Mattarella received the Order of Saint Charles, and Laura Mattarella was presented with the Order of Grimaldi. Here, President Mattarella presents the insignia of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic to Princess Charlene. (Albert already has the order, having received it shortly after his enthronement in 2005.)
For the first events of the state visit program, Princess Charlene wore an ivory jacket and matching trousers from Christian Dior. Both pieces, diplomatically, are manufactured in Italy.
She added sparkle to the outfit with some major diamond pieces: a favorite pair of large diamond cluster earrings and her diamond engagement ring.
The state visit program continued into the evening with a pair of glamorous black-tie events. Here, the Prince and Princess pose with the President and his daughter again in front of the famous staircase in the palace courtyard.
Inside, the diplomatic relationship between the two nations was toasted during a state dinner in the palace’s Throne Room.
The princely couple also joined the Mattarellas at Monte Carlo’s famed Opera Garnier for a special performance by the Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli.
For the evening events on the first day of the visit, Princess Charlene wore a glamorous beaded gown from Elie Saab. The couturier describes the shade of the dress as “sand.”
She brought out even more diamonds for the dinner and the opera performance: a pair of diamond hoop and fringe earrings from Graff. The earrings have been in her jewelry box for several years.
Also present for the dinner and the performance was Prince Albert’s elder sister, Princess Caroline. She has deep family ties in Italy through her late husband, the Italian businessman Stefano Casiraghi.
Caroline brought out some fascinating jewelry pieces for the occasion, including a pair of blue earrings with a feather design and a necklace with pavé-set beads. Her beaded Armani jacket sparkled mightily on its own, but she also added more glitter with an Art Deco-era brooch, which she used as an improvised clasp.
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