Princess Charlene's majestic palace home has secret nod to mother-in-law
Royal followers can imagine Princess Charlene feeling well at home in the Prince's Palace in Monaco. After all, the former Olympic swimmer, 46, has lived in Monaco since she retired from professional swimming in 2007.
Though Prince Albert and his wife live at the palace with their children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, both nine, the royal couple have ensured they maintain elements of the home that date back to his parents' era in the royal residence.
In a 2017 interview with CBS, the 66-year-old prince revealed that there are numerous belongings of his late mother and Hollywood legend Grace Kelly.
These sentimental items include childhood photos, letters, passports, items of clothing, and even her jewels. The most iconic item preserved in the royal home is Princess Grace's dress she wore to accept the Oscar for her role as Georgie Elgin in The Country Girl in 1954.
The timeless garment, designed by Edith Head, came in a pale mint green hue and featured ruching down the front and a satin train.
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The Princess' move from South Africa
In a sit-down interview with Tatler ahead of her 2011 royal wedding, Charlene revealed what it had been like to leave her life behind to marry into the royal family - much like what Grace Kelly had done in 1956 when she married Prince Rainier III.
"In the early stages of my relationship, I had no intention of moving from South Africa. Swimming was my only goal," the princess told Tatler.
"Giving up competitive swimming was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make,' she sighs. 'I was not emotionally prepared to retire or for the change of life that it entailed.'
Charlene's overhaul of the palace
Once she moved into her husband's home, which incidentally she has called "one of the most beautiful places in the world", she was determined to put her own stamp on the royal residence which was first acquired by the Grimaldi family in 1297.
From Tatler's time in the palace with Charlene, the magazine noted "an air of mournful neglect about the palace, which once symbolised the principality's decadence and theatricality."
DISCOVER: Princess Charlene's grand palace with husband Prince Albert and twins opens doors to guests
The royal bride-to-be commented: "This place needs a woman's touch," Charlene told Tatler. "You can tell that a woman hasn't lived here for a while. I want to make some big changes to the interiors to modernise things and liven it up."
