Eagles and Jarre to play at wedding

ROYALTY, heads of state, Olympic athletes, Jean Michel Jarre and The Eagles will all help Monaco celebrate the wedding of reigning Prince Albert II and South African Charlene Wittstock on July 1 and 2. It will be the principality’s first royal wedding since 1956 when Prince Albert’s parents, Prince Rainier and actress Grace Kelly, wed.

Three days of celebrations include free concerts by The Eagles and Jean Michel Jarre which will be watched by Albert, Charlene and tens of thousands of well-wishers. The ceremony is in two parts with a civil wedding in the royal palace throne room on July 1 at 17.00 and an open-air religious ceremony in the palace’s Cour d’Honneur the next day.

After the civil ceremony in front of 50 family and friends, the couple make their first appearance as man and wife on a balcony overlooking the palace square where they will be greeted by 6,000 Monégasque citizens. The couple and guests will then enjoy a buffet in the palace square before Jean Michel Jarre’s concert.

The next day’s religious service is conducted by Monaco’s Archbishop Bernard Barsi at 17.00 and will be seen by up to 4,000 invited guests. The bouquet will be taken to the principality’s Sainte Dévote church before a dinner and ball on the Monte-Carlo Opera terrace with food prepared by multi- Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.

The meal is based on local and seasonal food, with fruit and vegetables from the prince’s private gardens. Mr Ducasse told The Connexion: “It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be chosen, and a great deal of work.

We planted everything to be ready at the start of July and will pick the fruit and vegetables the morning of the wedding.” The ceremonies end with a firework display from 23.30.