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Charlotte
Casiraghi
is turning 18!
by HELLO
On August 3, 1986, at Princess Grace Hospital, 29-year-old Princess
Caroline of Monaco and her husband of almost three years, Stefano
Casiraghi, welcomed their second child, Charlotte Marie Pomeline.
Like her elder brother Andrea, born in 1984, the 6lb 8oz little girl
would not receive a royal title, taking instead her father's last name.
In making this decision her mother presumably hoped Charlotte, named
after Prince Rainier's late mother, would be able to lead a more normal
life, escaping the difficulties associated with being a princess.
Caroline, fiercely private when it came to her growing family, was keen
on keeping the birth a secret for as long as possible. Just two hours
after Charlotte's arrival, Prince Rainier and 25-year-old Stefano, who
had driven Caroline to the hospital, attended a championship boxing
match together, while the press remained unaware Monaco had welcomed a
new little "princess".
Eight years after Charlotte's grandmother,
American
actress-turned-Monegasque royal Princess Grace, died in car crash, the
Grimaldi family once again suffered a tragic loss.
In 1990, Stefano – dad to six-year-old Andrea, four-year-old Charlotte
and Pierre, three – was killed in a speedboat accident during a world
championship trial race off the coast of Monaco. Handsome and
charismatic, Stefano, the 30-year-old son of a wealthy Italian
industrialist, had begun racing in 1984, winning the world title just
five years later.
After her husband's death, his widow Caroline settled, along with her
children, in the French village of Saint Remy de Provence. "For
personal reasons she wanted to move away from the gossip and hoopla of
Monaco," said her brother Prince Albert in 1997. "But she's here (in
Monaco) whenever she's needed."One legacy Charlotte's dashing young
father left her – and her
heart-throb siblings, Andrea and Pierre, for that matter – was his
Italian good looks. And the radiance of her American film star
grandmother has also carried through the generations.
"No one has failed to spot the incredible resemblance between Charlotte
and Caroline when she was her daughter's age," says one royal style
watcher. Another opines: "Charlotte is outstandingly attractive in that
dark Mediterranean way… She is a sweet girl with stunning looks who
remains very down to earth."
The press caught on early that Charlotte would take after her gorgeous
mother and grandmother. She was just five years old when newspaper
headlines trumpeted her as "Princess Charming" and heralded "the next
generation of Grimaldi beauties".
As a toddler Charlotte was known as a frequent visitor to high end
boutiques perusing the latest fashions alongside her mum. And she was
an eight-year-old schoolgirl when Chanel designer and family friend
Karl Lagerfeld pronounced: "She makes me think of Brigitte Bardot."
By the time she had reached the age of 15, Charlotte was already a
budding fashion icon and international teen pin-up. But while other
girls her age flocked to imitate the skimpy tops and low-slung jeans of
Britney Spears, Charlotte highlighted her model looks with an ultra
chic wardrobe.
"She is a princess and yet she's also cool," said celeb watcher
Nathalie Dupuys from Elle
magazine. "She's fantastically beautiful, so she can get away with just
about anything. But although she always wears the latest thing, her
look never lapses into vulgarity. She wouldn’t just wear trainers with
a crop top, showing off her belly button."
For a little girl with everything – her paternal grandparents even
presented her with a $9-million island off Sardinia for her fifth
birthday – it was only a matter of time before she had the world in the
palm of her hands.
And Charlotte, who seems to have had neither an awkward age nor a "wild
child" phase, has made the most of her youth. Always discreet, her
public romances are few and far between, though reports say she 's been
known to flirt with Andrea's pals David Alexis, the son of a French
businessman, and Hubertus Herring-Frankensdorf, a wealthy Austrian
business student.
The multi-lingual teenager – she speaks French, Italian and English as
well as a little German – counts playing piano and socialising with her
best friend Valentine Pozzo di Borgo among her pastimes. Her passions
include being big sister to her goddaughter and half-sibling Alexandra,
whose dad is Prince Ernst of Hanover, and of course, she's also famed
for her skills in equestrian pursuits. "She knows how to hold herself,
how to sit properly," said a friend. "She has class – like her
grandmother."
July 29, 2004
by HELLO
Monaco's newest glamour girl, Charlotte Casiraghi, is set to ring in
her 18th birthday in style this weekend with three days of lavish
celebrations in Monte Carlo.
Festivities kick off on Friday with a private party organised by
Charlotte herself at the Stars 'N' Bars restaurant, whose past clients
include Sharon Stone, Janet Jackson and Rod Stewart,
overlooking the Port de Monaco. Her closest pals, including best friend
Valentine Pozzo di Borgo and equestrian trainer Thierry Rozier, are
expected to attend.
On Saturday, Charlotte's brothers, Andrea and Pierre, have reportedly
planned a beachside brunch for the young beauty to continue the
celebrations. But it is the night's spectacular gala which is the
centrepiece of the weekend.
The birthday soiree will be held at Prince Rainier's
La Vigie, one of the most prestigious villas on the Riviera. The
historic 40-room mansion, famed for its panoramic views of the sea, was
apparently handpicked by Charlotte's mum, Princess Caroline, for the
occasion. Previous guests at La Vigie, restored by Chanel designer Karl
Lagerfeld during the 1990s, have included Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, who
stayed there while attending the Monaco Grand Prix this year.
Sunday will see the whirlwind weekend wind down, with a private
Grimaldi family breakfast at the royal palace. And August 6, three days
after her 18th birthday, Charlotte will make her official society debut
at the traditional Red Cross Ball.
Charlotte
Casiraghi comes of Age
(information and photos by HELLO magazine)
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