Song reduces Princess Charlene to tears

Monaco - She stayed strong through two long days of rock concerts, glittering receptions and both civil and religious wedding vows, but a simple song finally reduced Princess Charlene of Monaco to tears.

In line with Monegasque tradition, Charlene and her groom Prince Albert II stopped off at the St Devote shrine under the cliffs of the town centre to drop off her bouquet after their second wedding ceremony on Saturday.

Inside the small church, they were greeted by local wellwishers and a mother and her daughter - soprano Marie-Clothilde Wurz De Baets and 11-year-old Juliette - sang a simple song in honour of the Virgin Mary.

It was a touching moment, the simplicity of the arrangement contrasting with the glamour of the earlier festivities, and 33-year-old Charlene's eyes welled up, tears running down her immaculately made-up face.

She was still drying her eyes as she left the church shortly afterwards to get back into the couple's open-topped Lexus and head off to a glittering dinner reception for 800 celebrity guests.

But she paused to give her new husband a brief kiss, to the delight of the crowd of well-wishers, who chanted "Hurrah!" and "Long live the bride!"

There has been concern about Charlene's state of mind since reports this week that she had tried to call off the wedding and flee Monaco after hearing that Albert faces a possible paternity claim from a former lover.

Officials at the wedding admitted there was "some truth" in the reports, but insisted that the incident had been a "hiccup" in preparations.