Monaco Royal Wedding: Prince Albert & Charlene Wittstock Marry In Religious Ceremony (PHOTOS) 6/26/12 4:23 PM

Throughout the ceremony, which lasted an hour and a half, both bride and groom wore demure expressions, their eyes mostly downcast. Only as they took their vows and exchanged rings did the solemn facade crack: As they slipped on the 18 carat white gold Cartier rings onto each other's fingers, Albert – in a white military uniform – shot her a wink, and Charlene cracked a broad, sincere smile. BACK TO ARTICLE SHARE 6 / 64 THIS TheSLIDE tears flowed freely down the new princess' face after the ceremony, as she left her bouquet of lilies ADVERTISEMENTof the valley and other white blossoms at the Sainte Devote church – a tradition in Monaco.

With photographers shouting for the attention of the A-list guests as they streamed into the palace, the wedding had something of the flavor of a star-studded red carpet at the film festival in neighboring Cannes.

British actor Roger Moore, a longtime Monaco resident and a former James Bond, lent a touch of secret agent glamour. The carpet might as well have been a catwalk for British model Naomi Campbell and Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova – or for Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, who cut a mean figure in his skintight suit.

Royal guests included the kings of Sweden and Belgium and Denmark's crown princess. Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims, and Empress Farah Pahlavi, wife of Iran's deposed shah, chatted with former French first CURRENT TOP 5 SLIDES lady Bernadette Chirac inside the palace. #1 #2 #3 The last guest to enter according to protocol, Sarkozy, elicited extensive applause and hoots of approval in what was likely the warmest welcome the French leader, whose popularity ratings hover at record lows, has received in a long time.

The most enthusiastic welcome was reserved for the bride and membersRATE of the THIS Grimaldi PHOTO family, oneRANK# of Europe's 7 | AVERAGE oldest 7.8 dynasties. Albert's sisters, Princesses Stephanie and Caroline, both looked fetching in1 their2 short3 4 taupe5 6 dresses,7 8 9 Caroline's10 steely blue eyes hidden behind the oversized brim of her hat. Her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, was breathtaking in a pink off-the-shoulder cocktail dress by Chanel. Fine... Fave! While Charlene – whose name is now officially written with an accent to give it a more French resonance – woreVOTE a blue ensemble of her own design to Friday's civil ceremony, she opted for one of her longtimeUSERS WHOfavorite VOTED designers, ON THIS SLIDE Armani, for Saturday's wedding gown. The "petites mains" or seamstresses of his haute couture atelier put more than 2,500 hours of work into the dress, a strong-lined, made-to-measurePart of Stylelist concoction of more than 130 meters (about 140 yards) of different silks, 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother of pearl beads. SLIDESHOW THUMBNAILS The 5 meter- (6 yard-) long train – which dwarfed the demure little train at the summer's other royal wedding, that of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton – proved difficult to negotiate. At one point, Charlene got stuck and Albert had to tug at the long silk flourish to free her.

The ceremony, officiated by Monseigneur Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco, included moving performances by U.S. soprano Renee Fleming and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, as well as a tradition "click song" by South Africa's Pumeza Matshikiza – a nod to the princess' roots.

After the ceremony, about 450 select guests tucked into a multi-course gala prepared by celebrated French-born chef Alain Ducasse.

Filet of golden mullet and a vegetable medley "arranged to portray a landscape typical of the coast of the Riviera," according to a statement, was the main event at the three-course meal, where everything besides the South African wines and Champagnes were sourced from within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius of Monaco.

Ducasse, who like many in his tax bracket has taken citizenship in Monaco, is the first chef to earn three Michelin stars in three different cities, including three for his Louis XV restaurant in the principality.

Charlene was born in Zimbabwe, but moved to neighboring South Africa as a child, and under the tutelage of her mother, a swim

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