A devastating illness had her down, but
Princess Charlene is far from out. Here's what the Princess of Monaco has been
up to as she regains her strength. In 2020, Princess Charlene's health was in serious
jeopardy. According to the Prince's Palace of Monaco, the princess developed a severe ENT
infection on a trip to South Africa. As a result of this illness, she was unable to come home
to Monaco for a whopping six months — and, even after she came home, she was unable to fulfill
her royal duties. Soon, the princess' absence from royal life provoked suspicions that there
was something wrong with Albert and Charlene's marriage. These rumors only worsened in 2022 when
Charlene spent months at a health facility in Switzerland. Some European tabloids speculated
that she had ditched the palace for good. At the end of the day, though, rumors are just
rumors. And, with Charlene seemingly on the mend in 2023, the Grimaldis have not hesitated
to push back against the gossip. Indeed, the year has ushered in a version of
Charlene that appears stronger than ever. In the months that followed
Princess Charlene's infection, the royal did not exactly appear to be
in peak physical condition. In fact, at least one source claimed that the
princess' illness was way more serious than some royal fans seemed to think. As someone
reportedly close to Charlene told Page Six, "We don't know why the palace is downplaying that
she almost died in South Africa. She has not been able to eat solid food in over six months because
of all the surgeries she has since gone through. She has only been able to take in liquids through
a straw, so she lost nearly half her body weight." Despite having endured what has been described as
a traumatic medical experience, Charlene seems to have improved substantially. Indeed, in a 2023
conversation with the local outlet Monaco Matin, the royal described her physical condition
in a much more optimistic light, saying, "Today, I feel in great shape, happy and serene." And as she began to recover, the former athlete
told the press that she was already dreaming of getting back into the swimming pool. Chatting with
Monaco Matin about her physical health, Charlene opened up about her desire to dive back into her
favorite type of workout. The princess shared, "I hope to be able to return to sport soon ...
I would like to get back into swimming training, to regain a little more energy and feel stronger." "I think the party starts now." During the period when Princess Charlene was
struggling with her health, she was not able to be a present parent. After all, during the
six months that she spent in South Africa, Charlene was only able to see her children, Prince
Jacques and Princess Gabriella, on one occasion. Sadly, though, space was not necessarily
the only thing keeping Charlene away from her kids. According to Prince Albert,
the princess' energy levels were also making it difficult for her to interact with
Jacques and Gabriella. As he told People, "She was clearly exhausted, physically
and emotionally. She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties,
life in general or even family life." By 2023, however, that dynamic seems to have
changed. On the royal twins' first day of school, Charlene could be spotted guiding the two
children to their school. Reflecting on this outing with Monaco Matin, Charlene seemed to
be happy to share this moment with her kids. "This is ... the first time that
Jacques and Gabriella will not be in the same class. This is a big step
for them, and it feels good to me." Of course, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques
were not the only ones who have spent a great deal of time away from Princess Charlene. Throughout
the princess' illness, she was also separated from Prince Albert — even on important dates.
As Charlene explained in an official statement, "This year will be the first time that I'm not
with my husband on our anniversary in July, which is difficult, and it saddens me.
However, Albert and I had no choice but to follow the medical team's instructions
even though it is extremely difficult." Despite the distance between them, Charlene reaffirmed the strength of
the couple's relationship, declaring, "He has been the most incredible support to me." In 2023, however, the couple says that this
dynamic has changed. Apparently, Charlene's improved health has allowed her to spend much more
time with Albert. As the prince told Corriere, "Charlene had some difficulties many months ago now, but now thank goodness she is
over it, and is always by my side." Naturally, though, the monarch did not
mean that in a literal sense. Albert added, "She supports me in leading the principality, and we are not attached to each other 24 hours
a day ... We are also a working couple, and work sometimes allows us to see each other only at
the end of a long day full of appointments." "A lot of sometimes slightly difficult
moments but I think we're well over those." Family time is not the only thing
that Princess Charlene missed out on during her absence from Monaco. While
she was in the midst of her health battle, the former Olympian found herself too ill to
perform her royal duties. As Prince Albert told People at the time, Charlene had to
take a step back from public life, saying, "She was suffering incredible fatigue.
She hadn't slept well in a number of days and she wasn't eating at all
well. She has lost a lot of weight." According to Albert, the cause of these
ailments had something to do with the, quote, "consequences of her different surgeries and the
procedures she underwent in the last few months." In 2023, however, Charlene has appeared
to be much more present at official events. She not only attended the
Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco, but also the official launch of TVMonaco.
And, at the latter event, Albert was quick to remind the press of his wife's quiet
presence. Per the Daily Mail, the prince said "I'm very proud to be here
with Princess Charlene." Interestingly, when he chatted with Corriere, Albert was similarly emphatic about his wife's
return to royal duties. The monarch claimed, "Charlene is always by my
side, yesterday we received the new French ambassador to Monaco
together... [we were] together in the Casino square for the Princess of
Monaco Cup charity golf competition." While Princess Charlene was ill in South
Africa, she was not able to travel at all. And, once she finally returned to Europe in November
of 2021, the royal headed straight to Switzerland, where she remained in a treatment facility
for upwards of four months. During this time, the concept of taking a frivolous vacation across the world might have seemed impossible.
After all, as Prince Albert told People, "The most important aspect for
[Charlene was] her health." Luckily for Princess Charlene, 2023 saw
a major shift in this dynamic. One of the highlights of her year seems
to have been a trip to Corsica, where Charlene was spotted hugging Albert at
the beach and paddle boarding with her kids. Reflecting on the importance of this
getaway, Charlene told Monaco Matin, "It's an island that gives me renewed
energy. I like landscapes; the greenery, the sea, the people. As a family,
we feel very comfortable there." As for the future, the princess hinted that this would not be the last time she
would go to the island, sharing, "To tell the truth, I don't want to go on
vacation anywhere else in the world! The beaches are so beautiful, the mountains
welcoming. It's a little paradise." And of course, she has
other favorite destinations. "I am Africa. This is my home, it always
will be. It's in my heart, in my veins." Prior to 2023, Princess Charlene gave plenty
of interviews. However, during the time that she was recovering from her illness, the princess'
conversations with the press were very focused on her health. In fact, when she spoke to Monaco
Matin in December 2022, Charlene admitted that she still had not fully recovered from her
traumatic experience in South Africa, divulging, "The road has been long,
difficult and so painful." While the princess did touch on lighter topics
— like raising her children — even those conversations were tainted by an air of struggle.
In the same interview, Charlene revealed, "When I returned to the principality,
I focused all my energy on my children, my husband and my health because they
are my priority. My state of health is still fragile and I don't want to go too fast." Almost one year later, however, this dynamic
seems to have changed substantially. In a September 2023 conversation with Monaco
Matin, Charlene spoke much more about the happier parts of her family life. The princess
spoke extensively about her children, noting, "More generally, Gabriella has a passion for
hip-hop dance. Jacques practices taekwondo." She also opened up a bit about her
parenting style, telling the outlet, "The importance [of the twins participating
in sports] is to give them a good education, self-confidence, and a happy childhood." In September of 2023, Princess Charlene
told Monaco Matin that, these days, you can find her preparing Prince Jacques and
Princess Gabriella for their respective royal futures — while trying to give them as normal
a childhood as possible. As she explained, "Above all, my husband and I think it is important
that at school and in their daily activities, they live like any other child their age. They are
only children, but subject to public scrutiny." Of course, giving Gabriella and Jacques
a sense of normalcy does not mean that the twins skip out on all royal duties. The
pair can often be spotted at major events, like the Grand Prix or the principality's
annual Christmas gift drive. Thus, as far as Charlene is concerned, this means
that her kids are learning enough about who they are. Speaking to Monaco Matin, the
princess opened up about what she does to support them as they discover the
implications of being royalty, saying, "They are already aware of their role in
Monaco. The main thing is to communicate, answer their questions and help
them take their first steps."
