Princess Charlene’s eyebrow-raising pre-royal wedding guest dress and long hair

Princess Charlene (nee Wittstock) had made a name for herself long before she started dating Prince Albert of Monaco.

The South African swimmer, 47, was mixing with famous faces back in 2002, when she was invited to Springbok rugby player Joost van der Westhuisen and Amor Vittone at Avianto’s wedding in Johannesburg.

Charlene was pictured with rugby union player Andre Snyman, her rumoured boyfriend at the time, in an unexpected black wedding guest dress. Showing off her athletic figure, the dress had delicate straps, lace detail on the bodice, subtle sparkles, and an asymmetrical ruffle that wouldn’t look out of place on fashion racks today.

Accessorising to perfection, the Olympian added a matching leather clutch and strappy heels. 

The outfit was a more daring look than we would typically expect Princess Charlene to wear today, since she tends to avoid exposed shoulders and chooses more modest ensembles.

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She admitted it took her some time to adjust to being in the spotlight and find styles that worked for her silhouette, but she has clearly come into her own with her style, favouring power suits and elegant floor-length dresses.

In a 2010 interview with Tatler, she revealed: “As I spend more time in Monaco, I have developed an understanding of fashion. But coming into myself has taken time. Because I’ve got broad shoulders, clean, simple, elegant lines suit me best.”

Charlene’s long hair

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Another big change to her appearance was her hair. Charlene has become synonymous with a chic cropped hairstyle, which she has tweaked with varying colours of blonde and light brunette.

Back in 2002, she had yet to chop her platinum blonde locks into her bob. She sported a zig-zag centre parting and soft waves that fell to her shoulder, while her beauty look remained natural and minimal.

She has never been afraid to experiment with her beauty look, but there was one hair transformation that sparked a big reaction among her fans – and her husband!

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After shaving part of her head to create a hawk-style haircut, she told Point de Vue: “This haircut was my decision.

“It seems that it has provoked all kinds of comments. But it turns out that I wanted it for a long time, the style pleases me. That’s all.”

Addressing her bold choices, she added: “Certainly, of all the members of royal families, I’m probably the one who has tried the most different hairstyles, and I’ll continue. That’s my choice.”