Their wedding cake was the centerpiece of the reception. In addition to the 110 pounds of strawberries, the cake also featured 2,000 edible flowers including Proteas, South Africa's national flower. Most of the ingredients were picked from Roc Agel, the estate that Monaco's Prince Rainier III gave to Grace Kelly as a wedding present in 1956.
The wedding almost didn't happen. Just a week before the lavish affair, it was reported that the former South African Olympic swimmer, who was 33 at the time, tried to escape Monaco and had her passport seized by police at the airport in France. The alleged attempt came amid rumors that Albert had fathered an illegitimate child when they were together. Charlene later dispelled those rumors, telling Vogue in 2011, "It is a shame that those rumors came at such a bad time, but I think they were timed to sabotage such a happy occasion. They are categorical lies. I won’t dignify them with any response other than to say that the photographs of me and Albert in love and getting married will speak louder than any vicious gossip and empty rumors.”