Princess Charlene's last appearance at the Bal de la Rose, held every year in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation, was in 2014 when she chose this sleek, chic and frankly quite stunning black and navy creation.
With its clever top, fitted bodice and sheer skirt it's about as perfect as an evening gown gets and she wore some cracking earrings to go with it. However disappointed we are about not seeing her again since, it can't be denied this is a fabulous frock.
Charlene's 2013 outfit was far more divisive. At first glance it was so fashion forward that it was in danger of meeting itself coming back and as it's not that often that we get to see a princess in a biker jacket at a ball there were excited sighs all round.
Underneath, we got a bit messy. The padded, sparkling, spider's web shoulders made this otherwise sleek dress look huge and the whole thing might have been better off had the glitter just been left for the choker style neckline which went brilliantly with the slicked back, flapper style hair.
The year before had been far more subdued with Princess Charlene choosing a classic black velvet fitted dress with gold detailing at the top and a very demure hairdo which seemed to include a headband. If anyone can pull this off, it's Charlene but it's so understated that it's kind of easy to forget all about it.
There was no Charlene in 2011 but in 2010 she wore a stunner of a gown that set the bar for glam for ages to come. The cream frock draped over one shoulder and then split across the skirt on the same side to add another dimension to dress. And that's before we get to the rather lovely green studded shoulder strap with matching motif on the bodice. If we hadn't guessed at that point that Charlene was about to announce her engagement then this was a clear sign marriage was on the cards. It's a princess gown in the making.
In 2009, Charlene wore a pretty stunning dress but no one looked at it because of her hair. The hair was so high it was virtually taking off and while it was daring and dramatic, it was a total distraction. Underneath this wall of hairspray was a black fitted off the shoulder dress with a rather interesting shaped top and a just right sprinkling of coloured stones across one side. OK, the theme was rock and roll but the hair was just a step too far.
One of Charlene's best Rose Ball looks came on her debut at the event in 2008. She chose a simple, classic navy dress with halterneck top and full skirt which looked about as elegant as it comes. The hair was just a simple bob, there were no huge jewels and although she seemed nervous (who can blame her for that, making her first appearance at this massive event) she ended up sailing through the evening with class in a dress that matched. The perfect dress to dance into history - let's hope we see Charlene go to the ball again soon.
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