(CNN) -- Monaco's Royal Palace on Wednesday denied a published report that Prince Albert's bride-to-be, Charlene Wittstock, discovered information about the prince and tried to flee to her native South Africa but was stopped by police. "The Royal Palace formally denies the false allegations published on the site www.lexpress.fr," the palace statement said, pointing out that the report was published "just days before the wedding ceremony between S.A.S. Prince Albert and Miss Charlene Wittstock." "The sole intention of these rumors is to seriously damage the image of the Sovereign, as a result of damaging that of Miss Wittstock, and bear down on this happy event," the statement concluded.
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NEW: Albert's adviser on the story: "They were hurt, but not for long"
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Monaco's Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock are to be married this weekend
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French news managine reported Wittstock tried to flee to her native South Africa
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Magazine said she discovered Albert's life was "not as exemplary as she imagined"
@placeholder, a sovereign principality, is one of the smallest countries in the world, measuring just under 2 square miles.