Prince Albert of Monaco has won a libel case against Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper over an article questioning the legitimacy of his marriage to Princess Charlene.
In a July 2011 article headlined “The Full Filthy Monte”, it was alleged that Princess Charlene agreed to a sham marriage in exchange for payment.
The newspaper also claimed that Albert confiscated her passport to prevent her from fleeing Monaco so she would stay and marry him for appearance's sake amongst engaging in other corrupt activity.
We think someone’s been watching a bit too much Gossip Girl. Isn’t this the plotline of season five?
The article, which came out just two days after the couple married, is said to have caused both Albert and Charlene great embarrassment and upset, according to the prince’s lawyer Mark Thompson.
It has been confirmed that the newspaper will pay damages and legal fees to the royals.
"We accepted that these allegations were untrue and seriously defamatory," the newspaper's publisher, News International, said in a statement.
The 53-year-old prince married 33-year-old Charlene Wittstock, an Olympic swimmer from South Africa, in a lavish ceremony on July 2, 2011.
Channeling the late Grace Kelly, the last princess to be married into Monaco Royal Family, Charlene wore Armani Privé.
Guests included supermodel Naomi Campbell, former James Bond Roger Moore, designer Karl Lagerfeld and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
View slideshow: from commoner to queen
