It sounds like a classic modern-day fairy tale.
She was a golden-haired, lithe limbed Olympic swimmer, he a much older prince with a playboy reputation who seemed destined to be a bachelor.
But then he met her and fell head over heels in love, eventually persuading her to move to the exclusive pinprick principality he commanded on the shores of the Mediterranean and become his wife.
Fast forward nearly a decade and the fairy tale is still alive and well and living in Monaco.
Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene and Prince Albert have well and truly settled into married life, juggling parenthood with their charity work and official royal duties.
To mark their ninth anniversary, the couple released a series of family photos for fans to ooh and aah over. In one semi-formal portrait taken inside the palace, the family pose on a cream couch, Charlene (42) regal in a floor-length black gown.
Perched on her lap is her curly-haired daughter, Princess Gabriella (5), while the little girl’s twin, Prince Jacques, sits between his parents in a dark blazer and long pants to match his father.
Two other photos show the family in a more relaxed setting, taken at sunset against the backdrop of the glistening Mediterranean Sea.
Love clearly reigns for Charlene and Albert (62). In 2015, in her first public address in French, Charlene was full of praise for her husband at an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his reign.
“Prince Albert I was the Explorer; Rainier III was the Prince-Builder, and you [Albert] are the Prince of Hearts, of my heart.”
Albert was reduced to tears.
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