Monaco's prince weds bride in lavish ceremony

MONACO (AP) - Monaco's Prince Albert married Charlene Wittstock in an extravagant religious ceremony Saturday attended by international celebrities and royalty, bringing new allure to the tiny principality known for its luxurious casinos and as stomping ground for the rich and famous.

The Catholic service ended two days of pomp and followed an intimate civil ceremony Friday. The marriage of the 53-year-old prince and the 33-year-old Wittstock, a one-time Olympic swimmer from South Africa, ended a three-decade wait for a new princess.

The last wedding of a ruling prince in Monaco was in 1956 when Hollywood actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III.

Saturday's ceremony was attended by guests including Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, former James Bond actor Roger Moore and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Thousands of Monaco's residents cheered the proceedings while watching on large screens set up outside the palace.

Wittstock swept along the red carpet leading into the palace on her father's arm. In her sumptuous boat neck gown by Giorgio Armani Prive, her hair pulled back in a swirling French twist and with only the lightest touch of makeup, she seemed to channel the effortless elegance of Grace Kelly.

Throughout the ceremony, which lasted an hour and a half, both bride and groom had demure expressions. 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.

The tears flowed freely down the new princess' face after the ceremony, as she left her bouquet of lilies of the valley and other white blossoms at the Sainte Devote church - a tradition in Monaco.