1. Headline
  1. Headline

Video: Prince Albert’s wedding estimated $70 million

  1. Closed captioning of: Prince Albert’s wedding estimated $70 million

    >>> where another royal wedding is about to happen. the prince of monte carlo is about to marry former south african olympic swimmer charlene winstock. this is about as good an assignment as there is, michelle, good morning.

    >> i don't want to brag, but yes, it is another royal wedding . are you ready? an ultra stylish monaco, playground and tax haven to the rich and famous seems like money is no object here. this is estimated to be costing around $70 million. how is that possible. it's not without serious controversy. no, it won't be on the global scale of case big day back in april. but tiny monaco will celebrate prince albert and his chic bride to be in grand military style. 38 crown heads are expected to saunter in, plus fashion king giorgio armani , carl lauger felt, nick lai sarkozy, naomi campbell , even roger moore may be a guest of the jet-setting royal couple.

    >> i think those are similarities between the people here and the people of south africa , so, i don't know, bring some barbecuing back here.

    >> charlene at 33 is 30 years younger than her prince, a former olympic swimmer who left school at 16 to compete. the daughter of a photo copy salesman, she started playing albert . moved to a small apartment near the palace and waited. she's had to live up to constant scrutiny and comparison, albert 's mother, of course, was the beloved princess grace whose beautiful wedding to prince rennier is still iconic. she's endured snooty sniping, princess barbie, and whether speculation over whether the prince, 53, would ever propose. and days before the wedding, a mysterious cloud lingered or even broke. it started when a french news magazine reported that a week ago, charlene , a young woman with big royal shoes to fill got cold feet and made a run for it. nowhere to run to

    >> the magazine standing by the source claiming she bought a ticket home, and the palace authorities convinced her to stay, something the palace flatly denies and the public made a public appearance looking okay.

    >> the issues of the two illegitimate children he's had and with a's precipitated this is the rumors -- the alleged rumors of another love child .

    >> prince albert known for his many girlfriends has two children out of wedlock with a former flight attendant and american tourist. they cannot inherent the throne. a child by a married albert and charlene would. nothing is going to dull the sparkle, the ruler tying the knot at last. and now, all smiles. so today the french news magazine said three sources have confirmed their story while an aide to prince albert calls it all malicious, revoting, ugly, jealous rumors. but the wedding will go on. starting tomorrow, the eagles will play in the concert. saturday is the big religious ceremony followed up with a good old-fashioned white tie ball, matt?

Image: Prince Albert II of Monaco, Charlene Wittstock
Lionel Cironneau  /  AP
Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock plan to be wed in a civil ceremony on Friday and a religious ceremony on Saturday.
updated 6/30/2011 10:58:18 AM ET 2011-06-30T14:58:18

An aide to Prince Albert II of Monaco has dismissed as "ugly rumors" news reports the sovereign's fiancee, Charlene Wittstock, tried to call off the wedding and return to her native South Africa.

Christiane Stahl says the reports, which have appeared in several European publications, are "the very incarnation of jealousy."

Stahl told Monaco-Info Wednesday that "only jealousy could push people to start such violent, such ugly rumors just a few days before a marriage."

Video: Prince Albert’s wedding estimated $70 million (on this page)

Albert and Wittstock, a 33-year-old ex-Olympic swimmer, will be married in two-day-long festivities Friday and Saturday.

Stahl said the couple were "affected" by the rumors but added they are concentrating on last-minute preparations.

More on the Monaco wedding:
Monaco palace releases guest list for royal wedding
PhotoBlog: Flashback: Prince Rainier III marries Grace Kelly
Powerwall: 10 things to know about Prince Albert's fiancée

© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Discuss:

Discussion comments

,

Most active discussions

  1. votes comments
  2. votes comments
  3. votes comments
  4. votes comments

More on TODAY.com

None
  1. AP, Getty file

    Gone without a trace: 6 missing people

    6/19/2013 6:20:35 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T18:20:35
None
  1. Lucas Jackson / Reuters

    Post-its to text messages: Pop culture's worst breakups

    6/19/2013 4:33:41 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T16:33:41
None
  1. Courtesy of Jenna Wolfe

    Jenna Wolfe: Why bestie babymoons are great 

    6/19/2013 2:20:50 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T14:20:50
None
  1. What Duchess Kate’s ‘maternity leave’ means

    Officially, the Duchess of Cambridge is off the grid, trying to spend the final weeks of her pregnancy out of a limelight. Unofficially, she has gone on leave, one that may stretch through the rest of the year – and possibly longer.

    6/19/2013 3:52:49 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T15:52:49
  2. Kate to give birth in same hospital as Princess Diana
  3. slideshow Duchess Kate’s maternity style
  4. Getty Images
None
  1. TODAY

    Principal: Retirement flash mob 'meant everything'

    6/19/2013 5:26:00 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T17:26:00