It's been a big year for the Monaco royal family, encompassing the wedding of Princess Caroline of Monaco's son Pierre Casiraghi to Beatrice Borromeo, and Prince Albert's tenth anniversary on the throne. Last week there was another celebration when Princess Charlene's brother Gareth Wittstock wed his long-term love Roisin Galvin.
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The couple married in a low-key civil ceremony in the town hall in Monaco – the glamorous principality where they met and fell in love, and continue to live with their daughter Kaia-Rose.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene made up the royal guests at the wedding of Gareth Wittstock to Roisin Galvin. Photo: © PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN /RG/GETTY IMAGES
Gareth and his Irish wife Roisin then held an intimate religious ceremony at St Charles church. A small lunch in a friend's restaurant marked the occasion, which was also Roisin's 28th birthday, but all this was just a prelude to the main celebration the next day, held in the gardens of the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat near Nice.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene made up the royal guests, while the Olympic swimmer's family had flown over from South Africa to support the groom. Little Kaia-Rose, who will be two in October, acted as a flower girl.
Gareth, who was visibly moved at the sight of his beautiful bride in a Pronovias gown, told HELLO!: "She's always dreamt of a white wedding and I wanted to make her day really special. She's such a good woman, a good mother. I couldn't ask for anyone else. She's perfect."
© Photo: Getty ImagesGareth (far left) is the godfather to Charlene's daughter Princess Gabriella
Roisin, who met her future husband on her very first night in Monaco five years ago, added: "We started with a very strong connection and now that we have Kaia-Rose we realise that for our family, marriage is a normal progression. Our love has always been strong and with Kaia we are now sharing responsibility and commitment beyond us."
The trio live in Monaco, where Gareth works for his sister's Fondation Princesse Charlène de Monaco. The keen sportsman is also godfather to Charlene's daughter Princess Gabriella, a twin to Prince Jacques.
"She needs her family and our bond is really close," said Gareth of his royal sibling. "I see her regularly, we visit each other and my daughter plays with the twins. It's a beautiful sight and it's really special."
"Prince Albert is an amazing person," he added. "From day one he makes you feel comfortable. He's my brother-in-law but I still respect him as the sovereign."
