Effortlessly elegant socialite Beatrice Borromeo, who is celebrating her 40th birthday today, was once crowned the ‘most stylish European royal’ by Tatler.
The daughter of Italian aristocrat Don Carlo Ferdinando married into the Monaco royal family in 2015.
She tied the knot with Pierre Casiraghi, the youngest child of Princess Caroline and grandson of the late Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, in a lavish wedding hailed as the ‘chicest of the summer’ by Vogue.
For the celebrations, Beatrice showcased a total of four couture gowns: two by Valentino for a civil ceremony in Monaco; and two by Armani Prive for a religious service at Lake Maggiore.
The latter took place at Borromeo Castle on Isola Bella, one of the many islands owned by her noble family.
For the ceremony, Beatrice wore a bespoke ivory lace gown by Giorgio Armani Prive, featuring a scalloped-boat neck, three-quarter length sleeves and column silhouette.
Demonstrating her flair, she changed into a Grecian-inspired diaphanous silk tulle gown, complete with a full A-line skirt and dramatic train.
Meanwhile, the dashing groom opted for a black tuxedo with a white bow tie.
For her wedding ceremony in 2015, Beatrice Borromeo wore a bespoke ivory lace gown by Giorgio Armani Prive, featuring a scalloped-boat neck, three-quarter length sleeves and column silhouette
Beatrice and Pierre have since become parents to two sons, Stefano, eight, and Francesco, seven.
Whether channelling Hollywood glamour on the red carpet or delivering a couture masterclass at a grand ball, Beatrice never fails to impress.
A former model for Chanel and Valentino, she has been a global ambassador for Dior since 2021 and regularly graces the front row at the brand’s fashion week shows.
The French fashion house was also a favourite of her late grandmother-in-law, Grace Kelly, who wore dozens of couture gowns over the course of her 50 years in the public eye.
Beatrice is routinely dressed by the label for significant events, such as Monaco’s National Day.
In 2022, she stunned in a scarlet ensemble steeped in history. It incorporated the ‘Bar’ jacket, which was fundamental to Christian Dior’s New Look of 1947.
The jacket celebrated the female form and injected a welcome dose of glamour into the fashion scene after the war. Grace Kelly also wore the design.
Earlier this month, Catherine, Princess of Wales wore the blush pink version to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron to the UK.
At Monaco’s National Day 2022, Beatrice stunned in a scarlet ensemble steeped in history. It incorporated the ‘Bar’ jacket, which was fundamental to Christian Dior’s New Look of 1947
A former model for Chanel and Valentino, she has been a global ambassador for Dior since 2021 and regularly graces the front row at the brand’s fashion week shows
She attended last year’s prestigious Rose Ball in Monaco with her royal family. L-R: Ben Sylvester Strautmann, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Pierre Casiraghi, Beatrice Borromeo, Charlotte Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo and Andrea Casiraghi
The former journalist graced the red carpet in an exquisite lace dress by Dior during Cannes film festival 2023
Beatrice often attends glamorous events alongside her husband, Pierre Casiraghi. Pictured at the Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 show in Paris
Pierre Casiraghi, Francesco Casiraghi, Beatrice Borromeo, Ben-Sylvester Strautmann, Alexandra of Hanover and Charlotte Casiraghi enjoy the Monaco Grand Prix in 2022
Pierre and Beatrice also attended the Monaco Grand Prix in 2023, with Beatrice sporting another elegant ensemble by Dior
Beatrice joins the royal family for the 2015 Monaco National Day Celebrations in the courtyard of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco
Princess Charlene of Monaco (left) and Beatrice Borromeo exuded glamour as they attend the Rose Ball at Sporting Monte-Carlo in 2014
Pierre (right), his wife Beatrice and other members of the royal family parade in vintage cars as part of the celebrations to mark the birth of the late Rainer III in Monaco on May 31, 2023
After studying law, Beatrice attended the esteemed Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and forged a career in both print and broadcast before turning her hand to documentary filmmaking.
She recently debuted the three-episode series The King Who Never Was on Netflix. It focuses on Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, the last heir to the Italian throne, holidaying at his summer residence on the island of Cavallo, France, in 1978.
Enraged by a group of Italians partying on nearby boats, he produced a rifle. He shot a young German tourist, Dirk Hamer, who was sleeping on the desk of one of the boats.
Victor Emmanuel was acquitted of murder charges in November 1991, following a lengthy court battle brought about by Dirk’s sister, Birgit Hamer, who was one of Beatrice’s mother Paola Marzotto’s oldest friends.
The Prince was convicted only of a firearms offence and given a suspended jail sentence of six months.
‘[The story] was a part of my family for as long as I can remember,’ Beatrice has explained.
In 2011, while working for Italian newspaper il Fatto Quotidiano, she leaked a secretly recorded video of Victor Emmanuel allegedly confessing to the killing.
Victor, or Vittorio, Emanuele is part of the House of Savoy, which ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946 – when they were displaced by the Italian Republic.
For her next project, Beatrice is making a film about the origins of the family she has married into: the Grimaldis of Monaco, Europe’s longest-standing royal family.
‘My company Astrea Films is producing the film about the seizure of the fortress of Monaco by the Grimaldi family in the Middle Ages,’ she said.
