I guess that’s a dumb question these days…
Arranged marriages are nothing new. Other cultures have arranged marriages for their daughters or sons since the beginning of time. It’s just a bit strange to see an arranged marriage played out live in televised images beamed to millions of people around the world.
That’s exactly what happened this weekend when Prince Albert II of Monaco took the hand of South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock in marriage.
Reportedly Charlene was offered a tidy sum (millions of dollars) to marry Albert and bear him an heir to the throne. Prince Albert, 53, assumed the throne in 2005. He is the son of the late American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Albert I, ruler of Monaco.
Monaco is a tiny principality in the French Riviera bordering France. Considered a playground of the rich, Monaco has its own laws, customs and traditions. It’s economy is propped up by casinos and tourism, and it is a tax-free haven to the filthy rich.
But let’s get back to Albert and Charlene.
It seems that she agreed to marry him because Albert has a thing for loose women. He knows he’s not marriage material, but he needs an heir to assume the throne when he passes on.
The sex-starved prince has already impregnated 2 women (that we know of). But Monaco’s constitution will not allow illegitimate children to assume the throne, even though they are entitled to the prince’s riches. Now a third woman has come forward with paternity papers in hand just days before the wedding.
According to the British tabloid the Daily Mail, the results of the DNA test are already known. The results won’t be released until after the couple’s honeymoon in South Africa, where Charlene is from.
But Charlene is already indicating she wants out of the 4-day old marriage that cost Monaco millions of dollars. They say she’s not happy about the paternity filing, even though she agreed to the sham marriage.
The Prince’s other two out of wedlock children are Alexandre Coste, now 8, who was born to black Togo flight attendant, Nicole Coste; and a 19-year-old daughter born to a former waitress who now lives in West Palm Beach.
