Prince Albert's bride, Princess Charlene of Monaco, tried to escape three times before royal wedding, it has been reported.
She made three attempts to flee to South Africa, and even tried to take refuge in her country’s embassy in Paris.
But palace officials confiscated 33-year-old Charlene’s passport and ‘persuaded’ her to marry the groom, 53, at the weekend, reported Le Journal du Dimanche, a French national newspaper.
The report said: “Several sources have even confirmed that an arrangement was reached between the future bride and groom.”
The Le Monde newspaper says that her passport was confiscated when she was stopped at Nice airport in her first escape.
The prince and princess of Monaco are due to fly to South Africa on honeymoon this week, presenting Charlene with her best chance yet of escaping Monaco, a sovereign city state on the French Riviera.
Prince Albert faces a DNA test over claims he fathered a third illegitimate child, the palace confirmed. This latest child is said to be only 18 months old and is the child of an Italian woman.
A royal official said that both the illegitimate children were kept away from Albert's marriage so as to avoid 'media exposure',
But he also told reporters that one of Princess Charlene's first duties in her new role would be to stand by Albert during the scandal surrounding his private life.
Princess Charlene of Monaco wore a simple blue dress for the civil ceremony on July 1, and then a beautiful white Giorgio Armani creation for the official church service on Saturday July 2, 2011.
The bride, who is twenty years younger than her husband was seen to cry through the ceremony, which led to yet more rumours that some kind of ‘deal’ had been formed between the couple to get her through the ceremony.
Charlene met Prince Albert of Monaco at the Commonwealth Games in Sydney where he was also competing as part of a bobsleigh team. They have been together ten years.
The relationship has been turbulent following revelations about Albert's previous loves and illegitimate children.
