Princess Stéphanie Of Monaco's Son Marries HS Sweetheart Marie Chevallier
They've been together for quite a while.
getty Back in May 2018, the world was glued to their televisions, watching the royal wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. But this royal wedding certainly wasn’t the first. There was also the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, and even the timeless wedding of actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III.
Though Grace Kelly passed away tragically in a car accident in 1982, she is survived by her three children, including Princess Stéphanie, whose son, Louis Ducruet, just tied the knot! Ducruet is 15th in the line of succession for the Monegasque throne, currently held by Prince Albert II, Ducruet’s uncle.
But what do we know about Ducruet’s new wife? Exactly who is Marie Chevallier? Here are 7 things to know about her, her relationship with the royal family, and her career.
1. She holds degrees.
Chevallier attended business school, transferring to Western Carolina University at the Cullowhee campus, and graduating in 2015. Of her decision to attend school is a rural area, she said, “We wanted to experience the real, deep America, the beauty of the place within the mountains, the serenity, and the strong school spirit.”
She’s also a graduate of Skema, a French business school, where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration.
2. The couple met in 2011.
Ducruet and Chevallier met while they both attended a Cannes nightclub, discovering they were classmates at Western Carolina University in North Carolina. Both of them described their meeting as “love at first sight.”
3. They became engaged in 2018.
On February 12, 2018, Ducruet announced via Instagram his engagement to Chevallier. “Let me introduce you [to] the future madame Ducruet... she said yes and we are now engaged,” he wrote on the post. Chevallier made her own post on Instagram, writing, “Proud to announce that, I said YES to the love of my life @louisducruet I love you so so so much.”
Ducruet proposed while the two were vacationing in Vietnam, and even asked Chevallier's two brothers for permission to marry her.
4. They married on July 26, 2019.
The couple had both a civil wedding and a religious wedding, the latter of which occurred on July 27th at Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate. The civil ceremony was held in the Prince’s Palace salons.
Getting married in the Cathedral is of great importance for the royal family, as both the wedding and funerals for Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III were held, and both are interred.
In an interview with Point de Vue magazine, Ducruet revealed, “Growing up in the princely family binds you very strongly to this country... for me it was therefore obvious to get married at the cathedral, so we will be near my grandfather, Prince Rainier III... this will be our way of associating him with our happiness. My grandfather was a man I admired. I was very close to him.”
5. She’s an events planner.
While her husband works as a scout for the water sports department of Société des bains de mer de Monaco (SBM), as well as co-manager with his father of the company MONADECO, Chevallier also works for SBM as an events project planner.
She’s the project manager specifically for Casino de Monte-Carlo and before that, was a banqueting and convention co-ordinator at the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo.
6. She was part of the wedding planning.
While most royal weddings are a hands-off experience for the couples, Chevallier had some say in her big day.
In an interview with the German magazine BUNTE, she said, “I’ve really enjoyed organizing my wedding myself. We started the preparations just after Louis asked for my hand.” Her sister-in-law also designed the dress she wore for the cathedral service.
7. The family didn’t approve at first.
Ducruet’s younger sister, Pauline, didn’t approve of their relationship at first. Ducruet revealed to Monaco Tribune, “We’ve only 14 months of age difference, and we’re really close to each other. She was very protective of me and a little bit distant with Marie in the beginning. But finally she liked her and she even designed the wedding dress that Marie will wear for the ceremony in the cathedral.”
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.