Princess Charlene Wears Ralph Lauren Tuxedo Dress to Monaco Orchestra Gala
Princess Charlene of Monaco wore a black silk tuxedo dress from the Ralph Lauren Collection to a gala concert marking 60 years of the Prince's Carabiniers Orchestra. Prince Albert II attended with her at the Grimaldi Forum, the concert and convention center in the principality on the French Riviera.
The Carabiniers are Monaco's palace guard. The orchestra is made up of guards who play music as well as stand watch, and they train the same way as the rest of the Company. They take part in every service assigned to the guard, from ceremonies to official events. The orchestra was created in 1966 by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace, the American-born actress known outside Monaco as Grace Kelly.
The dress drew the most attention from fashion writers. According to Town & Country, the design is called the Kristian silk tuxedo dress. Riviera Radio reported that it has tailored lapels and satin-covered buttons. A tuxedo-style dress is a menswear cut worn by women, and it has been a Ralph Lauren signature for decades.
The concert also had a charity purpose. Proceeds from the anniversary concert went to the Princess Charlene Foundation, a charity that bears her name.
The orchestra has a history with American audiences. In June 2023, Prince Albert travelled to New York to mark 30 years since Monaco joined the United Nations, and the orchestra went with him. Monaco Tribune reported that the band gave two concerts, the first inside the UN General Assembly Hall, and a later one in Times Square. For Monaco's National Day in 2019, the orchestra changed its program to play American military marches.
In April 2025, the orchestra was part of a tribute to Josephine Baker on the 50th anniversary of her death. Baker was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and spent much of her career in France. At that ceremony, the orchestra played the American, French and Monegasque national anthems, as the palace's own account describes.
For a small state with a 60-year-old band, the mix of American and European music in its work is part of the story. The gala marked a long run of public service for the musicians, and the evening ended with the dress and the cause getting most of the coverage.
