Michelle Obama welcomes glamorous Princess Charlene to New York reception for first wives

The First Lady lunched with a princess today, when Princess Charlene of Monaco joined a luncheon in Harlem, New York. 

Wearing a sleeveless white, tailored dress the Princess was among about 50 wives of dignitaries at the UN General Assembly who joined Michelle Obama for lunch.

The Princess, who would have been Grace Kelly's daughter-in-law joined the 'quintessentially American' tour arranged by Mrs Obama, set up to highlight the energy of the U.S. and to open debates about improving the lives of women and children.
Mrs Obama encouraged the group to share ideas about how they are improving the lives of women and girls in their own countries

'Everywhere I go in the world, I meet so many wonderful young girls - girls with so much promise, girls eager and desperate to learn, girls who just blossom when they get that one chance to go to school and to start scratching at the fulfillment of their potential,' Mrs Obama said. 

'And when they get that chance - when both boys and girls have an equal opportunity to learn - we all know that's not just good for our children, it's also good for their families and it's good for their countries as well.'

The women dined in the main gallery surrounded by life-sized paintings of African-American women created by Houston-based artist Robert Pruitt. 

Made from crayon and charcoal on butcher paper, the paintings depict black women in his Texas neighborhood and incorporate elements of science fiction and hip-hop culture.