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Princess Charlene's forgotten crystal-studded third wedding dress is her most striking – photos

The royal looked gorgeous as she cut the cake

charlene wedding
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
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Princess Charlene of Monaco's iconic blue suit and shoulder-baring gown are two very memorable outfits from her royal wedding with Prince Albert, but you may not have realised she wore a third gorgeous outfit.

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Following their religious ceremony in 2011, Princess Charlene changed out of her Armani wedding dress and into a crystal-studded white floor-length gown. Pictures show the royal preparing to cut her towering redcurrant and vanilla cake – made of 50 kilos of berries and 2,000 edible blossoms – rocking a sleeveless dress with a sheer neckline and tiered skirt. 

WATCH: Princess Charlene and Prince Albert share stunning wedding footage for tenth anniversary

Charlene's hair remained in its elegant chignon finished with a sparkling accessory, and she added a white clutch bag. Her husband similarly changed out of his all-cream outfit in the evening, opting for black trousers and a cream waistcoat.

MORE: Why Princess Charlene cried on her wedding day to Prince Albert

READ: Why Princess Eugenie was the only royal bride without a veil on her wedding day

charlene dress cake

The former Olympic swimmer stunned in a sparkling gown at their evening reception

Earlier in the day, the 44-year-old was a beautiful bride in an off-the-shoulder Armani Privé silk gown, which took three seamstresses 2,500 hours to make and featured 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother-of-pearl teardrops, according to Vogue.

Charlene and Albert were married in a Roman-Catholic ceremony on 2 July in the presence of celebrities and various heads of state, including the likes of Prince Albert's nephew Pierre Casiraghi and his wife Beatrice, Prince Edward and Countess Sophie, and supermodel Naomi Campbell.

charlene albert wedding 2011

Princess Charlene opted for an Armani Privé silk gown for their religious ceremony

The celebration marked the second day of celebrations for the couple, who were legally married in a civil ceremony on 1 July inside the Prince's Palace's Throne Room. For the intimate moment with close family and friends, Charlene chose an unconventional outfit that included a pale blue strapless top, palazzo pants and a lace-trimmed single breasted jacket, which she later removed at the Jean Michel Jarre concert that evening.

charlene blue wedding suit

The royal's unconventional blue suit at their civil ceremony

Created in collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, the former Olympic swimmer told Vogue: "We wanted something to match the color of my eyes. It is my creation and I’m proud of it. It’s feminine and keeps with tradition yet has a little twist that reflects my personal style. I thought it was a nice change to go for trousers instead of a skirt, especially since I’m an athlete and have always kept my clothes clean and simple."

Prince Albert described his and wife Charlene's wedding celebrations as a "wonderful journey" at a sparkling gala reception held at the Opera Garnier in Monte Carlo. The groom praised his bride telling her, “[Marrying you] was the best decision I ever took."

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