Despite a long roster of famous guests, members of the Grimaldi and Wittstock families remained at the center of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s religious wedding on July 2, 2011. The Grimaldi matriarch, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Hanover, dressed the part in a Chanel ensemble with wide-brimmed white straw picture hat. The hat, likely from Maison Michel (Chanel’s in-house millinery division) was simply trimmed with a dusky pink ribbon hatband, cuffed at the back. It’s a simple design that packs a lot of drama!
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Charlotte Casiraghi topped her pink and black Chanel frock with a bandeau headpiece, likely also from Maison Michel. Solid black and grey ombre flowers covered a black headband base that anchored a black honeycomb veil designed to hug the face. The ensemble’s pink and black scheme was a chic one with the black accessories and edgy headpiece tempering the pink dress to create a very haute couture look.
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Princess Alexandra of Hanover was just 11 years old at the time and the white silk flowers studded around her half chignon created a pretty and celebratory look for the young princess.
Tatiana Santo Domingo and Beatrice Borromeo attended this event as royal girlfriends, Tatiana in an interesting ecru folded cloche hat and Beatrice in a ruffled silk aqua calot. While the cloche shape fit Tatiana’s boho aesthetic well, it seemed like an odd pairing with her magenta dress. The scale and texture of Beatrice’s headpiece worked well for her (I also like its placement, snaking over one ear and barely peeking out behind the other) but its execution was much less refined than her beautiful lace dress, making the two pieces a little at odds. Alas, both ladies significantly upped their millinery game in subsequent years since joining Monaco’s royal family.
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While Princess Stephanie opted out of any head-wear (again), her daughter Pauline, who was 17 years old, wore a pale blue straw multi-looped bow fascinator trimmed with raw edged crin and a scattering of costume pearls at the center. I suppose the rough edges on the piece were meant to coordinate with the fringe on her Chanel bouclé dress but the scale of the headpiece made it seem like little more than an oversize hair bow. But let’s give her credit- at least she made an effort.
Prince Albert’s extended de Massy family in attendance included his first cousin Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, seen below in a red dress and simple black straw hat with gently sidesweeping brim. Elizabeth-Anne’s sister-in-law, Baroness Cécile de Massy (wife of Elizabeth-Ann’s brother Baron Christian Louis de Massy, seated in between these two women below) wore a taupe straw button percher woven with metallic gold threads and trimmed with a gold feather spray.
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Elizabeth-Ann’s daughter Melanie is shown below, at the far right behind Pauline Ducruet, in an ivory fabric hat with double overlay of gently ruffled organdie on the brim, a ruched crown and organdie twists and multi-looped bows on the side.
Charlene’s mother, Lynette Wittstock wore an ecru straw disc percher hat. Built on a small saucer base, the main disc was elevated by a silk rose and large, multi-looped straw bow. From front view, the hat carries on the sleek, minimalist lines of Lynette’s oyster suit.. It’s a different story in the back, where Lynette’s curled hairstyle showed the hat to supreme effect. I always feel for non-royal family members dressing for these high-profile events but Lynette looked fantastic.
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The Grimaldis are not typically a hat-wearing bunch and their millinery, even for such a grand event as this was, as usual, a bit hit and miss. Looking back nine years on, what are your impressions of these millinery looks?
Jump to this post for an index of other royal hats that appeared at this wedding.
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Like Máxima’s slice hats, Caroline’s wide-brimmed panama hat brought drama while remaining very simplistic in its styling. I thought it was a great choice for this sunny and summery outdoor wedding; like others though, I was not a fan of her outfit.
I’ve never cared for Charlotte’s veiled bandeau; it looks too funereal and evening wear for this daytime wedding. Tatiana’s cloche suits her, but not the occasion or her outfit IMO; Beatrice’s headpiece shape-wise suits her, but I think it would be much improved with feathers and solid material rather than bunched up lace that competes with her beautiful dress. Pauline’s bow is inoffensive, but feels too juvenile for her at 17, and like Charlotte her whole look felt more evening cocktail and less daytime wedding (although I do like her dress!).
It’s unfortunate Cécile de Massy is no longer part of the family as her hat and outfit are a new favorite of mine for this event (I wasn’t aware of her or Baron Christian previously); great placement and design for this cocktail hat. Elizabeth-Ann’s contrast of black accessories with a tropical red dress is great, although the hat feels a bit casual to me for the wedding.
Lynette Wittstock’s saucer percher hat was a nice choice for her, but I don’t care for the angle or where it’s placed on her head; I think it would look better a little farther forward and up. Otherwise she looked great.
Update: with that additional photo of Cécile de Massy where you can finally see all of her outfit, I have to scale back my praise for the dress, which is a bit too ruffled IMO, and the shoes feel too casual, but I still think her hat looks great.
I agree that Mrs. Wittstock’s hat is the most successful here, but I like Beatrice Barromeo’s hat also. IMHO the lightness of Beatrice’s hat coexisted nicely with the lace dress. I am never one to reject a hat because it is big, so I like Princess Caroline’s hat, also. I like the color and material for Caroline’s dress, but what I don’t understand is that the waist seems to sitting on her hips. If that “waistband” would have been eliminated it would be a beautiful dress. I guess I am not a couture kinda gal! Charlotte’s and Tatiana’s head wear didn’t ring any bells for me. I think I could like Tatiana’s with a retro dress, but Charlotte’s, just “no.” Alexandra looks so young and I love the flowers in her hair. It is fun watching her fashion mature! From what I can see the de Massy’s look very nice. Nothing way out there but very well put together!
Re Caroline’s hat – don’t you think it is a bit selfish to wear a huge hat when you know you are going to be seated in the front row. The poor people behind her will not have been able so see much!
Mrs Wittstock for the win…
Trickymum, I agree with you 100%! The mother-of-the bride was perfectly ensembled. Not being a fan of ginormous brimmed hats (ala Maxima sometimes,) I expect that the mother-of-the-groom drew a tremendous amount of attention, unflattering dress and all! I attended a wedding recently, where the only hat wearer present was the mother-of-the-groom. The scale, color, and proportions were perfect for her, and yet she did not steal the limelight from her daughter-in-law.
HatQueen, I am continually amazed at your detailed descriptions of the hats and clothes. You must have inside information to help you in your writing, since the photos are not always of much help to you. Also, thanks for keeping us entertained during this millinery dry spell. The Flashbacks have been a lot of fun.
Jimbo, Princess Caroline is Prince Albert’s sister, not his mother. Their mother was the supremely elegant Princess Grace (former film star Grace Kelly) who died in a tragic car accident in Monaco in 1982.
And I agree, Caroline’s hat is too big.
How ignorant of me! My apologies for getting the Royals mixed up. Of course I knew of Princess Grace, and always marveled at her elegance and “grace.” Thank you Wies, for correcting me- I’ve been out in the sun and heat too much!
It didn’t help I used the term ‘matriarch’! After her mother’s death, Princess Caroline stepped up as an unofficial consort to her father and brother, making her the most high profile female in the family, hence my use of the term. By the time of this wedding, Princess Grace had been deceased for almost 30 years.
To make matters also confusing… Princess Caroline and Lynette Wittstock are the same age.
Ms Wittstock for the win here! Her outfit was perfect Mother-of-the-Bride and beautifully executed. The Monaco crowd were as you kindly say, a bit hit and miss. The pale colours all looked lovely together, but their hat, except for Caroline’s were unmemorable – and she spoilt it with an unflattering dress!
I love Caroline’s hat, but am not a fan of the dress. Charlene’s mother looks wonderful. Stephanie continues her role as the family rebel.
I agree with you Lynn, about Princess Caroline’s hat. It’s so lovely, but her dress is not my favorite. Mrs Wittstock looks incredible.
I agree too! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dress with a drop waist and an empire line before. The hat is lovely, if rather large for an indoor/seated event.
Mrs Wittstock has hit the nail on the head, sartorially speaking, although I imagine it’s fairly rare for the mother of the bride to wear an outfit so close to white.