Princess Charlene has been ‘depressed, isolated & sad’ during her pregnancy

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I was struggling for leads and considering writing about this Newsweek profile of undercover republican Queen Letizia, but I decided on discussing Princess Charlene instead. No disrespect to Queen Letizia! The Newsweek piece is actually really interesting, it’s just too long to really parse. This Charlene story is also really long, but it’s much dirtier and gossip-heavy. As we know, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert are expecting their first child together (Albert has multiple children strewn across the world by multiple baby-mamas). I’ve seen photos of Charlene the past few months, and let me tell you… she does not look pregnant. At all. I’m not sure what’s up with that. Apparently, she’s due in December and there are reports that she’s expecting twins. We’ll see. In any case, European gossips are talking about Charlene’s misery. You can read the full Daily Beast piece here, and here are some highlights:

*People in Monaco are happy about the baby: Former playboy Albert has at last done his duty and provided at least one legitimate child (hopefully there will be a boy), following two illegitimate ones. And Charlene? Well, she may be “common as muck” as one part-time resident of Monaco scathingly describes the daughter of an IT developer and a swimming instructor from a middle class South African town (in Monaco, as in France, your provenance is everything) but “at least she has proved herself capable of reproducing.”

*She’s depressed: Sources tell the Royalist that Charlene had been becoming increasingly depressed over the last three years by her failure to provide a son and heir to Albert, and although the pregnancy has not been easy, she is relieved that an end to the ordeal of the last three years is in sight. “She does not expect to be suddenly warmly welcomed into Monaco society, but she does think that after giving birth – especially if it’s a son–she will be more free to go off and do her own thing,” says one member of the European society circuit. “She has made little secret of the fact she would rather be back in South Africa, or London, or Paris, or anywhere but Monaco.”

*Charlene hasn’t made any friends in Monaco and “She has also refused to learn French, which has gone down badly (although it should be noted that Albert’s first language is English, which he spoke with his mother, Princess Grace, and when he speaks in French, he stammers, a legacy of his domineering father to whom Albert was obliged to speak in French at all times).”

*Charlene is addicted to plastic surgery: “A lot of people are hoping she will just stop the plastic surgery now she is finally pregnant.”

*Albert’s sister Caroline has hated Charlene from day one: Part of the problem, some say, has been Albert’s older sister, Caroline Casiraghi, who it is widely thought would like to see her eldest son, Andrea, as the next occupant of the Monaco throne. She has done little to help Charlene settle in, but there were some encouraging signs this year that Albert was beginning to fight back against his domineering older sibling.

*She’s isolated: Says one person with close knowledge of the principality, “She is isolated and sad. She has no friends. She will crack in the end.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Wow. I find it interesting that most sources aren’t saying that Albert mistreats Charlene, but that everybody else does. Apparently, all of the rich bitches of Monaco hate Charlene because she’s terribly middle class, plus the French thing. And I totally believe that Caroline has never made Charlene feel welcome – Caroline always wanted the throne to go to her oldest son Andrea. Andrea, who has a son of his own now. Poor Charlene.

Photos of Charlene and Albert from August 1:

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.

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149 Responses to “Princess Charlene has been ‘depressed, isolated & sad’ during her pregnancy”

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  1. Jane says:

    So nothing has changed.

    • Pager90 says:

      Or nothing has changed with the press.

      • Ravensdaughter says:

        Well said. As for the August one pics, she’s coming along. Remember, pregnant women don’t show as early the first time around.
        Too bad she couldn’t bolt right before the marriage, but if she has a son, she will be given some freedom.

    • marit says:

      agreed. also sick and tired of mean people. the princess smiles often, lovingly holds hands with her husband. Obvious she is just shy. the nonsense I read from some people below shows an uninformed, jealous, ugly, frustrated lot of sour donkeys who have the audacity to show who and what they are without shame.

  2. Anoneemouse says:

    Uh Charlene has been ‘depressed, isolated & sad’ since her engagement. Not feeling sorry for the choice she made.

    • idsmith says:

      I remember hearing she tried to run away from Monaco and the engagement twice and was literally dragged back by the family’s “people” – that’s why all the tears at the wedding, she was coerced into following through with something she did not want. Now she’s stuck.
      Rumor had it they took away her passport so she couldn’t sneak away in the night. Creepy

      • Me says:

        wow her life needs a to be made into a story i need to see this

      • Dany says:

        Charlene and her mother went shopping in Paris. In Albert´s private jet. Charlene had no passport with her (forgotten or she thought as FuturePrincess of Monaco she doesn´t need one). The french airport stuff didn´t know what to do with her and the absent passport. So they called Monaco Palace and Albert solved the problem.

        Some journalist came up with “Poor Charlene has no passport. Did she try to escape?”

      • Sharon Lea says:

        Dany – thanks for giving the other side of the ‘Charlene flees’ story. We don’t get as many stories about Charlene & Albert in the US, only what we see on the Daily Mail, not sure where you live. And they don’t seem to retract stories. I could see Charlene forgetting, or not realizing she needed a passport, on a private plane.

      • elisabeth says:

        Hi ,

        I heard the same as well. The deal was that apparently she was to provide a heir to the throne and then a divorce would be allowed with a comfortable settlement….

      • LAK says:

        The French magazine that reported this story originally stood by it. France has the most strict laws as far as libel is concerned so the tabloids/newspapers over there tend not to print any old rubbish.

        Plus Albert threatened lawsuits galore, and yet only sued the London Times and won on the technicality that they’d repeated gossip rather than that the gossip was true. The London times apologised, but it wasn’t a retraction nor was victory in court a validation that this was untrue.

        this story wasn’t just about the one time she went shopping. the details had her escaping on several occasions and being thwarted on each one culminating in her passport being confiscated [allegedly]

      • Mel says:

        @IdSmith: I know but that’s an utterly ridiculous story – she IS a grown up woman, and quite a big, strong one at that – plus she denied it, explicitly, herself in an interview I read awhile ago (I think it was in a French magazine).

        I wish her well – as I wish well to everyone on this beautiful but miserable planet – but I am not sorry for her. She could have said NO(n) in front of the cameras during the wedding ceremony, if not before. Believe me, they wouldn’t have beheaded her or anything. 🙂
        (Not to mention that she would have been set for life what with all the Hollywood and other offers, book deals etc.)

        She knew full well what she was going into.

    • Pager90 says:

      Charlene dated Albert for almost a decade, she was looking forward to getting engaged,she waited almost a decade to become Princess. She didn’t want to run Anywhere.

  3. mimif says:

    Hasn’t she been depressed, isolated and sad since she was shackled to Albert?

    • Bella bella says:

      The Fug girls call her Princess Sadface. And they imagine she is having a wild affair with her personal trainer named Gunther. (or something like that) She does always look sad in photos.

  4. Luciana says:

    She’s quite tall. Maybe that is why she’s not showing that much.

    • Bucky says:

      Yeah. I had a tall coworker who didn’t show until like her seventh month. Just looked like she had a big lunch. Tall people with big frames can take a long time to show.

    • m says:

      And she’s a former Olympic swimmer who still trains so she is incredibly muscular

    • Sherry says:

      I’m barely 5’2 and when I was pregnant with #2 and only 4 months along, I was huge. I noticed another mom who was almost 6 feet and very thin was showing a tiny little bump and thinking we were due about the same time, I asked, “So when is your baby due.” Answer: “Any day now!” So yes, someone tall and willowy like Charlene is fortunate in that department!

      • Cas says:

        I’m incredibly short/petite and actually also due in December, same time as Charlene and hardly showing at all. I think women just all carry differently, it doesn’t always have to do with height.

    • Rosalindy says:

      I’m a bit over 5’8, during my 2nd pregnancy I didn’t start showing until the very end. I kind of plumped up all over but I didn’t have a noticeable baby bump at all.

  5. two_seconds_ago says:

    Not to be mean, but she knew what she was getting into when she married into the Grimaldi family. If they weren’t open and friendly to her before the marriage, they wouldn’t be so after the marriage.

    All she can look forward to is providing Albert with his legitimate heir and then high-tailing it out of Monaco.

    • QQ says:

      Everything you said!!! one had only needed to pick up a Hello! magazine ( which are thee most kissbutt to these folks) to see from way way back how MESSY and Ridiculous this family is

    • Mia V. says:

      And wave the middle finger to Caroline.

      • Mitch Buchanan Rocks! says:

        that one caught me off guard to get a big Guffaw – good one 🙂 😉 🙂

      • Nick says:

        This weekend I watched the Tudors on Showtime on Demand and it is depressing that the “legitimate heir” bullsh*t is still being discussed in 2014.

      • FLORC says:

        Nick
        As long as there’s still a family that has only the rights they’ve held through bloodlines ther will be “legitimate heir” talk. Both should fad away imo or start offering more in return. They had a purposee, but in modern days the purpose has faded away.

    • Mel says:

      Absolutely. Except that the “legitimate heir” would also be her child, so I doubt she would want to leave.
      But yes, I have no doubt that she knew very well what she was getting into, and did not want to flee at any moment, or she would – certainly could – have done so.

  6. aims says:

    The poor thing, I don’t know if she could have looked more miserable then she did before she got pregnant.

  7. QQ says:

    A) she looks surprisingly supercute on those last two pics, It is some Fancy Pregnant Lady Look I can get with!!

    B) in those last pics you can hardly even see the pinch sandblasted tight face deal and i Think is cause she has a bit more weight on her?

    C) I believe every word in this article

    D) Who goes to live/date/live several years/marry into what for all intents and purposes is a French country and has MEANS and doesn’t immediately avail themselves classes/ a tutor to learn the language fluently and ASAP?? i mean is not like it befell her as a surprise that Albert was the Crown Prince and marrying her?

    • Etheldreda says:

      I said the same thing below. Since she is now a representative of the Duchy of Monaco, surely it’s her JOB to learn French? And given that she has precious little else to do, and could afford the best private teachers to come to her every day, what exactly is her excuse?

      • Megan says:

        I’ve been to Monaco a few times and English is pretty widely spoken, as is Italian and the local dialect.

    • Malificent says:

      Does Charlene speak any other languages besides English? Just for the sake of argument, maybe she CAN’T learn French. She could have a form of auditory dyslexia or another processing disorder.

      I went to a college that had a very strict language policy — you didn’t graduate if you didn’t have proficiency in a foreign language. And in the US, since languages weren’t required for younger students, many kids had never exposure to a foreign language before college. Nowadays, sign language is offered as an option, but when I was at the college, only spoken languages were available.

      Several of my friends, who were later found to have auditory processing issues, almost had to drop out because of the policy. One friend, an English Lit major, tried with several languages unsuccessfully. Even though her mother is German, she was unable to learn the language. (Her German professor said that it was a sign of emotional issues with her mother….) Another friend, who had the most impressive study habits I’ve ever seen was also unable to learn another language.

      Both friends were finally able to get exemptions from the requirement after much struggle. And both of those friends now have Ph.D.s and are successful in their chosen professions — so they are hardly stupid or lazy.

      • Etheldreda says:

        I believe that Charlene also speaks Afrikaans – not sure if it or English is her first language – but most white South Africans of her generation are bilingual, so that’s not very significant. In any case, the article says that she ‘refuses’ to learn French, not that she tried and failed.

      • Malificent says:

        Again for the sake of argument, “refuses” may be some third-hand observer’s assessment of the situation that they are not fully aware of. I’m not being a Charlene apologist — if she can learn French, she should. Simply pointing out that there is a possibility that the situation may be more complicated than simple unwillingness on her part.

        I think it’s more likely that she’s refusing learn French to either to get even with Albert or because she knows that she will not be accepted even if she learns French.

      • Sister Carrie says:

        Malificent, I completely agree. I was an A student in everything except maths & language (math is a language) and it wasn’t until my senior year of college that an advisor looked at my transcript and noted that I may have an LD with language. Grad school was a BREEZE because of the lack of the dreaded math/lang. requirement.

      • jwoolman says:

        A friend didn’t realize until late in college that she had a learning disability when she took a Spanish course. She always worked hard but none of her usual tactics were working. She had done fine with Latin, which was all reading and writing. It was the auditory learning required in the intensive Spanish course that was throwing her. When she got tested, it explained a lot about how she had learned how to cope with other types of subjects (and why she had to work harder than others) but trying to learn how to speak Spanish by auditory methods was simply not happening.

        Children are language learning machines until about the age of ten or so, then the brain starts to taper off on that ability. That’s why people who come to a new country above that age may become fluent in the new language if they are still children or adolescents, but generally have a tell-tale accent as a holdover from their original language. An older adult may never become comfortable speaking the new language. In grad school, the daytime custodian was like this. He was an intelligent and well educated man, who had spoken two different languages in his home country, and had no trouble reading English or understanding it spoken English, but was very frustrated when he tried to express himself in spoken English. Speaking and writing a language are entirely different skills than understanding the spoken and written language. Different brain areas are involved. I can read technical material in several different languages and translate them into English for a living, but can only ask directions to the bathroom in English… It would take me forever to compose a brief message in anything but English. Fortunately, project managers in other countries can read English, so they can write to me in their language and I can write back in English. Many of them are able to write English also but if they are in a hurry, they’ll write in their own language because it takes so much less time.

      • Amy says:

        Hmmm…English, grammar and spelling were my strong suits in high school…so I took a year of French-and failed spectacularly! I could learn the words easily enough, but stringing them into a sentence was impossible for me! Words were either “masculine” or “feminine” and every sentence had to be constructed with that rule. Huhhhhhh? :\ I absolutely could not get it! Everyone else in the class got it except for me…I felt soooo stupid! I think I only barely passed because I always did my homework…it was always wrong but I guess it counted!

        Learning English has to be tough-just about every word has at least 2 meanings. I admire anyone that learns a different language, because it’s not easy. But if I became a princess of a country that has a different language, I would definitely try to learn it. It’s not like she doesn’t have the time.

      • FLORC says:

        I’m multi-lingual. A few languages from environmental necessity and others from being taught. If Charlene really wanted to learn I think a resource like Rosetta Stone would be easy. It only breaks down to giving it the time each day to learn.

        I’m thinking she’s more resistent to learning as she’s defiant in her role. To learn French is to surrender to her lot in life.

  8. J says:

    This situation is reminding me of the Japanese princess Masako who has been suffering horrible depression for the last decade or more due to societal pressure to have a son (she had a beautiful daughter instead). Masako is Harvard educated and was quite successful until she married into Japanese royalty and had to try to conform to the expectations placed on her. Thankfully her Husband has been wonderful trying to help her and maybe Albert could do the same before for Charlene.

    • Backwards says:

      I remember watching a documentary about thet Proncess and it broke my heart. She was even criticised for talking more than her husband during their engagement interview. They were going to change the succession law to allow a girl to become empress before her brother in law had a son

      • LAK says:

        They tried to put forward the idea of a female ruler, but Japanese flat out refused. It’s completely unacceptable in their society.

        Her BIL was named the heir long before she produced a girl, and her failure to produce a baby – took her a very long time, was not only frowned upon, but a source of criticism. The fact that the longed for baby was a girl compounded her ‘sins’ in the eyes of society and imperial court specifically.

        Not helped at all by her BIL going on to have a boy when he finally married and started a family.

        Poor CP Masako.

      • wolfpup says:

        LAK – the need for a male heir sounds so medieval. So does the pressure on these women to be “perfect” according to ancient norms. (We are all so vulnerable to this). Although I do not believe that the British royal family had pure motives in their move to change succession rights to either sex; at least there was some movement in their allowance of women holding power and inheriting great wealth. I believe that they changed their rules just to cover their royal ass, in case Kate could only produce a female child (as if any woman has the choice of sperm that is delivered by her mate’s issue).

      • Sharon Lea says:

        I remember reading about Masako and her depression, and the courtiers didn’t think she should travel abroad with her husband during this time, which I think made things worse. She wanted to be out in the world, not in a glass house.

      • Ellen says:

        LAK, Akishino was married in 1990 and had two daughters before Masako joined the family. He was the heir presumptive at that point (in fact, still is — if Masako died and Naruhito remarried and had a boy, that boy would be the heir). Akishino and his wife had a son in 2006, a baby conceived after it became apparent that Masako would bear no more children. Japanese Royal watchers don’t gossip the way that European ones do, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the boy (Prince Hisahito, who is also adorable) was conceived via IVF and PGD typing to guarantee a male heir. His sisters where 14 and 12 when he was born, and even if we don’t think they intervened medically to guarantee the male succession, it’s safe to say they were recruited to expand their family after Masako “failed.”

        Masako and Naruhito’s is one of the great tragic love affairs of our lifetime, I think. She has gained so much misery from marrying into his royal household.

      • LAK says:

        Ellen: Thanks for that. i didn’t know he had other children. I guess because they were so public about the birth of the boy and also very public about her reproductive failure in general as well as her failure to produce a boy AND the refusal to change the law to female or gender neutral succession, i always thought BIL had just one child.

        You are so right about the difficulty in knowing the truth since the imperial court is so secretive, however i am always saddened by CP Masako’s life after she married.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Masako is a very sad story to me as well. She has the intelligence, training, and language skills of Maxima. Japan completely wasted her abilities by shoving her into the imperial box. Even at the time of the engagement Naruhito knew this would happen, when he promised to try to protect her as much as possible. She sadly miscarried (I think it was reported as a boy) in 1999.

        Japanese politicians were starting the debate about allowing a female heir, when magically Akishino and Kiko show up pregnant and the debate was stopped. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/world/asia/06japan.html

        I also suspect that there was pre-screening to ensure a boy for Akishino and Kiko. She was 39-40 when the baby was born, and snapped at her husband during a press conference when he underplayed her medical condition (pre-eclampsia maybe?). I’d like to think they had only good motives involved, then Ashkino took the odd step of dying his completely white hair black. Trying to show he is the younger and better candidate than his brother?

  9. Etheldreda says:

    I’m sorry, but I have very little sympathy with someone who ‘refuses’ to learn the language of the country – if we can call Monaco a country – she chose to become princess of. And it’s French, for god’s sake. Not that difficult, and a beautiful language to boot. Why the hell should everyone be expected to speak English just to accommodate her laziness?

    • FingerBinger says:

      Monaco is a principality. As for her not learning french, it’s a difficult language for some people to learn and her husband and his family all speak English. It’s weird that she would be singled out for that.

      • Etheldreda says:

        I don’t think the fact that Monaco is a ‘principality’ is either her or there. The fact is that it’s a French speaking duchy surrounded by a French speaking country. And sure, there are lots of tax exiles and jet setters living in Monaco who don’t learn French, but Charlene is not a private citizen – she is the Princess of Monaco. As such it is her duty to learn the language of the country/principality she represents.

        And if others managed to learn English, why can’t she learn French? The article – for what it’s worth – doesn’t say that she gave up on learning French because it’s too difficult, but that she ‘refuses’ to learn it. That being the case, she can hardly complain if others aren’t too impressed with her.

      • FingerBinger says:

        You said ” if we can call Monaco a country” and I’m letting you know it’s officially a principality. Like I said her husband and his family speak English. They grew up speaking English. They had an American mother,Princess Grace, who also spoke very little french even though she lived there for many years. Some people just aren’t good with learning certain languages and it’s understandable.

      • wolfpup says:

        FingerBinger I agree with you about the difficulty of some in learning new languages. I was young when I tried to learn Spanish, but it still seems like algebra to me. The time required, all the memorization, and the perplexity of making new sounds (without major practice), can make learning a new language unpalatable to some, like me. Perhaps patience is warranted: being “good” is not such an easy thing sometimes. I don’t think that being royal takes away one’s weaknesses.

      • FingerBinger says:

        @wolfpup I also think it’s very hard for adults to pick up other languages.

      • janeFR says:

        @FingerBinger

        Grace was able to be understood in french. As a private citoyen, saying that being able to speak only to a family that doesn’t like you is stupid, as an offical figurehead it’s a mark of disinterest and disrespect.

      • Anony says:

        I tried to learn French for 10 years and failed. Only took me a couple to learn spanish. French is so hard! Maybe she tried and is terrible and doesn’t want to embarass herself speaking it when she cannot do so well? I’m sure they would make horrible fun of her attempts since the gossip scene seems very cruel over there. I’d be scared too!

    • Tincy says:

      That is exactly how Americans feel when Mexicans come into the USA and don’t bother to learn English, except Americans get the “racist” label for it.

      • QQ says:

        -___- Oh you mean labelled “racist” because it usually comes accompanied with a Dog Whistle (or less subtle than that) about “stealing our jobs” and “filthy poor” and “they are all drug smugglers” and “eww soon we’ll all be brown” ( cause trust none of this happens to a German/ Swede national)

        Oh OK!! … the plight of the poor white christian right winged majority that when one comes to think about outright stole the land from its actual inhabitants

      • JustVisiting says:

        I’d say that’s how *racist* Americans feel about non-English speakers in America.

      • Gretchen says:

        Wow Tincy, thanks for that wonderful example of false equivalence. When the US has a monarchy with a Mexican princess who refuses to learn English we can talk…until then, I’ll just be sitting over here waiting for pigs to fly.

      • HH says:

        @Tincy,

        1) The situations aren’t not equivalent. 2) Everything QQ said.

    • Decloo says:

      Maybe she doesn’t expect to be around very long.

  10. INeedANap says:

    Seriously, is any of this worth it? She wasn’t exactly dirt-poor, and she’s not living a glittering social life. Why bother?

    • JenniferJustice says:

      I don’t believe she felt she had a choice. You have no idea the level of pressure on this young frail woman to raise her family’s status by marrying this pig. She was also tricked. Albert lied through his teeth that he was faithful to her and would make her blissfully happy. It was only well into their engagement, that she found out about his latest love child on the way and that is when she tried to get out of it and he held her firm to the world’s expectation they were getting married. She was manipulated by Albert and I’ll be her own family. The mere thought of that gross man on top of me is vomit-inducing. I do feel sorry for her.

      If it’s true that the majority of the people of Monico look down on her for being middle class, shame on them. I am so glad I live in a country under a monarchy. What a bunch of self-entitled snobs for whom rules don’t apply and commoners are belittled…or if good-looking, used and abondoned as temporary mistresses. He didn’t even want to acknowledge his illigimate children, but their mothers pressured him and in this day and age, our ability to easly communicate, was a threat. He only acknowledged the children to salvage his reputation.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        Holy crap. Meant to say I’m so glad I do not live under a monarchy. Bad error.

      • Megan says:

        Charlene dated Albert for years before they were married. She knew exactly who he was and had plenty of opportunities to walk away. She married him because she wanted to.

        If this gossip is true, it sounds like she is need of a medical treatment for depression and anxiety.

    • aang says:

      I know. She is very attractive and it seems she could have married any number of wealthy Europeans and been happier.

    • Olenna says:

      Exactly. She seems like a good soul, and I’ve sometimes wondered if her parents (as mentioned above) had more to do with her sticking it out with him than her real desire to marry such a cad.

      • LAK says:

        On her wedding day, her father compared her marriage to winning the world cup which speaks volumes about the kind of pressure from her own family she was facing.

        ……then that Palace statement on the eve of the wedding about how she would produce heirs……..emphasise on heir bearing and not a good marriage.

      • Olenna says:

        @Lak, wow! I’d heard about the family moving to France and have read comments about them being opportunists, but wasn’t aware her father made this remark. She’s carrying a heavy burden of obligation if this is how her parents view her marriage and I’m not surprised she looks so forlorn at times.

  11. HH says:

    I didn’t know it was THAT bad for her. I always assumed the problem was simply Albert, not Caroline, and the people of Monaco. Of course, it doesn’t help that she’s not learning French, but how friendly could someone want to be if the people are SO nasty towards you? And, who are the people of Monaco to be so snobby about their royals? They are just hot messes with titles.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •HH•

      Supposedly, Grace was miserable in Monaco too. She (as the story goes) drank A LOT to deal with the crap there.

      • wolfpup says:

        LadySlippers! (head downcast…) Sorry doesn’t cover it, but I am so glad to hear your voice – you are NEEDED on these royal threads and I have missed you terribly!

  12. LAK says:

    I like this gown she’s wearing. Her hair has finally grown on me.

    I was really looking forward to seeing her non-botoxy face, but I guess everything else she’s done to her face has resulted in a frozen face whether she’s botoxing or not.

  13. Jenns says:

    You mean to tell me that when you are sobbing(and not in a happy way) as you make your way down the aisle on your wedding is a bad sign?

  14. Brin says:

    So Caroline is the Regina George of Monaco?

  15. Brittney B says:

    During her pregnancy? Try during her marriage.

    Though she has definitely been *more* isolated than usual… because I totally forgot Charlene was even pregnant.

  16. TOPgirl says:

    I hope she finds strength within herself to climb out of her hell hole.

  17. greenmonster says:

    How repulsive (not that it is new)! Her worth depends on having a baby, esp. having a boy. He is the wanderdong that impregnates everything that moves, but people dislike her?
    Even as a kid I thought, that these royals are just trash. And that hasn’t changed now that I am 35. This is almost a tragic and unfunny version of King Ralph: the actual royal family has been killed by accident and they had to replace them with some distant relatives to keep the monarchy alive. But THEY don’t have the wit or the charm of King Ralph.

    • Tulip Garden says:

      Tee-hee, I’m admitting that I love King Ralph! Thanks for the reminder. John Goodman is just so great as he was, also, in another love of mine, O Brother where art thou.

      Yes, I do have reading comprehension but I guess this comment interests me more than the story 🙂

    • Lisa says:

      Actually, he hasn’t had an illegitimate child in 10 years. He sued the newspaper that said he got a woman pregnant during their engagement. Men his age take an average of 2 and 1/2 years to get a woman pregnant, so it’s a lot more difficult now, unless he’s super-fertile.

      • Anony says:

        I found the line “Former playboy Albert has at last done his duty and provided at least one legitimate child (hopefully there will be a boy), following two illegitimate ones” to be so offensive! I know it’s because of the way the whole royalty thing works but seriously! Can you imagine if it’s a girl and she gets to grow up and read about how the whole country was disappointed she was born?

      • LAK says:

        Anony: that is the current situation in the Japanese royal family. The baby born to the CP couple was a girl and so can’t rule much to the disappointment of everyone. The crown will now go sideways to CP’s brother and his son.

  18. BendyWindy says:

    This is totally unrelated, but how do royals approach bowing and curstseying to other royals? Like, does Princess Charlene curtsey to Catherine of Cambridge, or does Catherine courtsey to her? How does it all work????

    • LAK says:

      There are hierarchies in the royal club. A poster called ladyslippers was really good with exact rankings, but i’ll give it a try in broad terms.

      Imperial families outrank highness royal families which in turn outrank serene famillies.

      Meaning an HIH eg Japanese/Russian would *outrank a HRH (British/Hanovarian) which outranks HSH (Monaco)

      To answer your specific question, Charlene and Albert would have to curtsey/bow to Kate because she’s an HRH and they are HSH.

      You also see the same dynamic with Caroline’s family where her youngest daughter ( HRH Alexandra of Hanover) outranks all of the Monaco royals including her own mother. Caroline married an HRH which automatically elevates her above all her HSH siblings, but below her own daughter from that union.

      *there is a great picture of Diana (HRH) curtseying to a Japanese royal (HIH) floating on tumblr.

      • BendyWindy says:

        Thank you for the info! It’s fascinating. Although now I’m left wondering why an HRH mother would have to curtsey to her HRH daughter. Is HRH Alexandra on a throne? I guess I should Google.

      • LAK says:

        Oops correction I was thinking of Britain rather than Europe. In Britain, a Prince of the Blood outranks an inlaw ie PGtips outranks Kate. In Europe they don’t.

      • HH says:

        This is the reason I love the Belgian Royals. They are HI & RH. His/Her Imperial AND Royal Highness because of the Austrian blood. Titles aren’t everything, but who can resist being both imperial and royal?! Amadeo is sadly taken.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •LAK•

        Albert as a soveriegn monarch does not bow (as a male rendering a courtesy) to those that would normally outrank him but Stephanie, his younger sister, would. Soveriegns, regardless of rank or size of territory presiding over, are usually treated as equal to other sovereigns.

        In order of rank, it’s:

        IH (Imperial Highness)
        RH (Royal Highness)
        GDH (Grand Ducal Highness)
        H (Highness)
        SH (Serene Highness)

        Grand Ducal Highness (GDH) isn’t used very often anymore as most of the Grand Duchies have ‘upgraded’ to RH.

        As an FYI, you actually rarely see a lesser raked style and address curtsey/bow to a higher rank anymore. Not sure why….

        The photo •LAK• I think you’re thinking of is actually Diana curtseying to the Emperor and Empress of Japan (with a killer royal curtsey too). I cannot recall her curtseying to anyone other than the various monarchs….

        •HH•

        Belgian is not both IH/RH, that’s Austria. Belgian is just RH as are most Royal Families. However, you are thinking of Astrid (née Belgium) and she married into the Austrian Imperial Family, hence the double style & address attached to her name and her children’s.

        Hope that helps! 😊

      • FLORC says:

        Yay LadySlippers!
        You do bring a lot of info to conversations.

      • LAK says:

        Thanks Ladyslippers. Knew you’d have the details. 🙂 completely blanked on the Sovereign bit. I always do that. I tend to think of rankings in generalities and also styles and blank on the Sovereignty bit.

        Re the lack of curtseys, perhaps they do them behind closed doors? Cursteying in general seems to be phasing out. I know they stick to their arcane rules behind closed doors, but maybe they are more relaxed about it since regular people don’t curtsey regularly anymore.

        HH: the only royals I have crushes on are Felipe and Carl Philip.

        When I was younger, I had a crush on King Hussain of Jordan. Met him several times too and he was always lovely and just as gorgeous.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I have seen photos ofthe Norwegian CP Mette-Marit doing a curtsey to QEII – and Mette-Marit does a great curtsey. Have also seen pics of Queen Mathilde curtseying to QEII.

        Regarding CP Masako,
        I have always felt that her story was incredibly tragic. A woman of such education and intelligence being buried in the imperial household. And I really symphatize because I have suffered from depression for years as well, and have only gotten better with the right treatment and a removal from the environment that induced the stress.
        The japanese imperial court is, IMO, a special example, not only because of a vastly different culture but also because of the actions of the Emperor during WWII, where the imperial family was politically involved in the country’s policy of military aggression against its neighbouring countries (and evetually USA). So there’s another reason that the Imperial family is very tightly controlled by the courtiers.

        I hope Masako gets better, and I was really happy to read she and her husband have a strong friendship with the Dutch royal family – with Beatrix inviting them for holidays and Maxima phoning her personally. masako recently issued a statement as well, hinting that she’s getting better.

        http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2013121516170/princess-masako-helped-by-queen-maxima/

        http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201304260071

        http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2013120916058/princess-masako-japan-50-birthday-statement/

    • Pager90 says:

      Pr.Albert who is blood ruler of Monaco and Princess Charlene his Princess DO NOT have to bow to Kate.
      Pr.Albert out ranks William ! Albert is ruler of his land and Charlene outranks Kate. Charlene is married to the Ruler, she would not bow to Kate who is married to heir to the heir, regardless of HRH or HSH.
      Charlene was seen bowing to The Queen, but she certainly did not bow to Kate.
      Go look at the photos..

  19. PrairieLilly says:

    Why did she even marry him? He seems so slimy, mean and arrogant. And gross pervert. She’s so beautiful and successful. I think she’s used to being controlled and told what to do because of her high level swimming accomplishments. Not a lot of freedom in that level of competition. Told what to eat, when to practise, sleep, eat, exercise, etc. Now she’s in a similar marriage and miserable. she was weak and allowed this to happen to her life. Now she has depression since all this came down and a baby will definitely not make that better or easier. Jmo

    • wolfpup says:

      PrairyLilly, I agree with you. It is hard to change ideas that formerly worked, especially those that you were taught as a youth. I think that it usually takes some hard knocks, that come from those ideas not working any longer, that provides the impetus for change and the search for enlightenment. We seem to find our greatest wisdom as we age, after having lived the questions, as Rilke would say. It IS depressing and confusing at times. I call the word TRYING the best descriptor of my life, and heck, even then, even with good intentions, I’ve gotten so many things wrong. (it is boohoo & puddles of tears – crap!)

  20. Dany says:

    Charlene has friends. There are photos. Holidaying with friends etc. Her parents and at least one brother live in Monaco.

    Just took a look at the timeline.
    Charlene and Albert first met in 2000. They became friends and since 2006 (first official outing) they are a couple.
    2007: Charlene ended her swimmer career and moved to Monaco. Official language: french.
    -> Transfomation. High life, partying with the rich folk of Monaco, new robes, new teeth, botox.
    2011: marriage. Now First Lady of Monaco. More plastic surgery.
    2014: expecting her first child

    All these years living with Albert in Monaco and she refused to learn french? Will she learn french together with her child?

  21. Amy says:

    I heard that she had been learning French years ago but it may have been too hard for her to pick up. There was an interview done in French with Albert a few years ago on French tv (the interview is available on Youtube) and at one point Charlene is introduced to the interviewer (she is not present for most of it). I can’t remember if they were engaged yet at that point but the interviewer starts off in French and asks her a question. You can tell she is trying her best to understand what he is saying but it is clearly hard for her. She ends up answering in English. French is a hard language to learn and I say this as someone who learned French as a kid (dad is from France) and who speaks it fluently. It’s a hard accent to pick up too. If she is surrounded by snobby French speakers who don’t like her, she isn’t going to learn it by talking to herself (and she probably only speaks English to Albert which is the language they obviously spoke when they first met).

    She’s not the First Lady of France. She is the defacto consort for a tiny principality that is a playground for the rich. Monaco is kind of a joke and I’ve never taken it seriously.

    Also I’ve never noticed Albery stuttering in French, he seems comfortable speaking it and has no accent. Guess I’ll have to go back and watch a video of him speaking it.

    • janeFR says:

      she ‘s not the first lady of France, but she is the first lady of a french speaking coundty/country.

  22. Arya Martell says:

    Whenever the rare gossipy tidbits come out of Monaco, I tend to believe it to be true. Why anyone would want to marry someone whose last name is Grimaldi is beyond me. They’re all evil. Charlene’s been wearing super baggy dresses since she got pregnant so I think that is why she does not look pregnant. Also some women don’t show until after 6 months and with her always being stupid thin and athletic it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she barely showed.

    Albert and Rainier never got along and I really do believe that Albert could care less about being on the throne. If Salic Law weren’t a thing and there was another person that could have taken the throne, I think he would have let that person take it provided he still got to be a rich Playboy on a yacht with beautiful women. I also believe that the only reason he decided to get married and have kid with Charlene is to spite Caroline and keep the throne away from Andrea (another not very nice Grimaldi). The signs of a fallout between the two were showing right around the time he got married.

    • Mitch Buchanan Rocks! says:

      With your rich description, the name Grimaldi brings to mind the Gremlins – I wonder if Charlene is old enough to remember them. It would have saved her a lot of trouble. Once they get near water….

    • Bridget says:

      I don’t see a ton of stuff about Andrea, details please!

      • Arya Martell says:

        There isn’t a lot on Andrea that’s in print. I think Caroline sees to that. I have heard rumours that some of his behaviour is worse than Albert’s.

  23. Altariel says:

    Anywhere but Monaco, and yet she’s the one providing the heir to the throne. Anywhere but next to Prince Albert would have been better, but she stuck around him for eleven years before their wedding!! And moved in with him in 2006. I felt bad at seeing how miserable she was at the wedding, but then to read she’d been with him for so long…..she must have had at least two brain cells firing at the same time to know what she was in for (pseudo-kidnapping aside)? I think she should learn the language, jeez, it is her home now and her children will speak the language just from being raised there. I don’t know, she needs to get over this depression (if she can) and make nice to his sisters, make friends and embrace this life she’s chosen, for her own health and happiness. And no one wants to see a miserable and sour looking princess all the time…except the mean girls of Monaco who will jump all over that every time they see it. Turn it around Charlene, you’ve go the ring, the throne and the heir. She’s got more power than she knows.

    • Santolina says:

      Well said. I have a hard time with “sad, little princesses” wallowing in self-pity when there are people in the world coping with starvation, disease, oppression and violence every day of their lives. If she’s clinically depressed, she needs to get professional help, then she needs to cultivate a sense of gratitude for her many blessings, look for a charitable cause she can support and work toward finding meaning within the life she has chosen for herself.

      • wolfpup says:

        I bet her husband is a d—, and all of them are apparently operating under the oppressive ideals of patriarchy.

      • Mel says:

        Santolina, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
        Of course, suffering is suffering; but “sad little princesses” (of all kinds) really do need a sense of perspective.

    • Belle says:

      Agree with all of this. I used to feel bad for her but now I’m just wondering if it would kill her to ACT somewhat happy when she goes out? Sometimes attitude can be everything, and it seems like a positive attitude might do wonders for this woman. If she needs some professional help, she should get it. If she needs a cause, or something that brings happiness, she should find it. I would imagine the people there are tired of seeing her sourpuss face all of the time. Maybe the reason she is not being accepted (if that is the case) has less to do with her peasanty-ness and more to do with her unpleasant attitude. JMO.

    • Megan says:

      I don’t think the best advice for someone who may be suffering from clinical depression is buck up and count your blessings.

  24. Mitch Buchanan Rocks! says:

    It looks like Letizia gets to have much much more fun in the sack – Kng Felipe VI is a hottie – there would be many heirs to spare with him since it would be hard to extricate ones self from the…Royal duties.

    • Pager90 says:

      Hahahaha he is hot.

      There were Rumors of major trouble in Spanish Royal marriage of Felipe and Letizia before the King stepped down.
      Letizia was said to be spending a lot of time partying with friends and not just girlfriends.
      Some of the tabloid press was talking divorce for Letizia and Felipe the past few years. Letizia was said to be utterly unhappy with the restrictive life and Felipe found her cold and his wandering eye was coming back, because they were no longer sleeping together.
      Before the abdication “Some” reports were that Letizia informed Felipe if the King was not stepping down, she would be pushing for separation and divorce.

      I’m not sure what is true, but they sure looked happy together on the day Felipe became King and Letizia became Queen.

      • notasugarhere says:

        LOL. I suspect most of those “reports” of an unhappy marriage came straight from the Cotilleano forums.

  25. Deedee says:

    You would think knowing horrible miserable Their mother, Princess Grace, was when married to their father and living in Monaco, that they may have a little empathy. But Caroline has always struck me as rather selfish, so I guess, no. What a travesty to her memory.

  26. Vee says:

    You make your bed, you sleep in it. Very sad but true. She knew what she was getting into with this dysfunctional family.

    Interesting note – She is being bashed for not learning to speak the native language, implying she’d be more well received if she did make an attempt. Hmmm….could we not equate that to all immigrants, especially in the US? Learn the native language of the country you are trying to assimilate too, and you will be more successful.

    • wolfpup says:

      It is annoying to be somewhere where another language is being used to talk shit on you (or whatever the hell they are saying). Dislike is easily translatable. But they are probably assuming that because I’m a whitey, I am resenting their foreignness. So complicated – this dealing with other humans and and my own reactions.

  27. FrenchLily says:

    “in Monaco, as in France, your provenance is everything ”

    Oooookayyyyyyy… Generalization, much ? I live on the French Riviera (not in a famous city like Cannes or Nice) and yes I know it can be a terribly posh and bling-bling place (and Monaco is Bling-Bling Land, I dislike this place), but come on…

  28. Sharon Lea says:

    I’m not sure what to make of this article. If Caroline didn’t care for Charlene, I think more would have come out by now. Frankly, I think both Caroline & Stephanie were glad he finally married! Stephanie said, was it to Oprah?, that if she could ask Albert a question, it would be ‘when you are going to marry?’ LOL This was when Stephanie was a ‘pop singer’ and ‘model.’ Or was it Diane Sawyer? Anyway, the interviewer told Albert, on camera, and his response was, ‘Did she?’ He looked really puzzled and embarrassed.

    And, I’d like to know what is going on with Caroline’s marriage to Ernst. They haven’t lived together in many years. I don’t believe he went to Andrea’s weddings (either of the 2, wasn’t one in Gstaad?)

    And who is Stephanie with these days? The last story I read of her, she saved 2 elephants and moved them to land in Monaco to live out their lives. She always had an interesting love life, has she finally realized she likes being single?

    • LAK says:

      Caroline and Ernst are separated though not divorced.

      Stephanie is either single or is happily settled down with her circus trainer. she trades them in so frequently that it’s hard to keep up.

  29. Tincy says:

    Why does she not look pregnant?

  30. CynicalCeleste says:

    Thanks Kaiser, I’ve been hoping for updates on both Princess Sadface and Queen Letizia.
    I love Charlene’s pixie cut.

  31. meryl says:

    oh please, take into consideration that she married a rapist. al once raped that pretty french (biracial me thinks) model. she tried to kill herself afterwards. i think i read that on LPA, Monaco is a dark place to be and i can only hope and pray charly makes it out of there alive. Her mother in law didn’t (hasn’t?).

  32. Artimis says:

    Sigh I don’t know :S

    Her hair looks lovely in those August pics though.

  33. Barbara says:

    I find HER depressing.

  34. anne_000 says:

    She needs to: 1) Start learning French; 2) Hire a lady-in-waiting or a lady’s companion; 3) Get therapy

    • notasugarhere says:

      I don’t know what to make of Charlene, I really don’t. Not befriending the shady billionaires, their backstabbing wives, and the hired sidepiece of the month? Well, that seems like a good move. When she does engagements with children she shines, and that’s a plus. Unfortunately, she seems to have taken on the elephant hunting mistress of Juan Carlos of Spain as her companion/advisor.

  35. Noinin says:

    The French language is hard even for French people, so I can understand if it causes her trouble. But I don’t think the inhabitants of Monaco want a full fledge speech from her – I’m pretty sure they’d be happy with a sentence learnt by heart, if she just made the effort.
    I always thought they had some sort of contract : he needed a wife to produce a legitimate heir, and she wanted to be rich and famous. To my opinion she is not a victim. He may be quite gross, when you see them together he seems quite doting.

    • anne_000 says:

      I agree with you that she’s not a victim and that even if she doesn’t learn to speak French fluently, she can at least learn enough to get by.

    • Mel says:

      It would be even better if she learned Monegasque, the local Ligurian dialect, which is actually easier to learn because at least she wouldn’t have to contend with the French R that gives so much grief to so many foreigners. Of course it wouldn’t get her far in francophone circles, but at least it would endear her to the local population.

  36. Nibbi says:

    the whole “we hope it’s a son” thing is SO disgusting, medieval, outdated, sexist, ridiculous, foolish… as is monarchy in general, but at least they could *attempt* to rein it in a little
    so stupid and sad

  37. The Original Mia says:

    Sounds like a bunch of snobby, elitist Monegasque got together to bash her because she’s not one of them. Whatever. She’s tried to learn French and it hasn’t stuck. She tried. Not refused. She tried and failed. Life will surely go on.

    Charlene is carrying like my mother did with me. She looks pregnant in profile and her face is full. I’m loving the pixie cut.

  38. Pager90 says:

    These stories sound like the same crap. The press needs to get a new narrative.
    Charlene dated Albert for a decade, waited for the ring, knew who she was marrying and she travels , goes on royal tours with Albert and by herself, if Charlene wanted to leave she would have been gone YEARS ago.

    Many of these same or quite similar stories were written about Grace,even down to her being depressed on her wedding day and not wanting to go through with it and wanting to runaway or go back to Philadelphia but people telling her she had to go through with it now that she was in Monaco.
    I sometimes wonder if the press just goes through old news files on Grace and copies the stories.
    Also the IMO the British press has an agenda with Charlene, I’m not saying the story comes from them, but that runaway bride story when investigated by Albert’s lawyers ,was said to have had British journo roots and not actually French, even though it was planted first in a French newspaper. The “plant” of the story was said to have been British.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •Pager90•

      I’m convinced that the press simply recycles old stories — it sells so why bother with facts?

  39. Pager90 says:

    The funny thing about the runaway bride story is Albert and Charlene won the libel lawsuit against publications, British who orginally wrote the runaway bride stories apologized to Albert and Charlene and wrote retractions a year later, saying the story was untrue and pure fabrication, but somehow that part never gets reported again.

    http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/sunday-times-libel-payout-prince-albert-over-full-filthy-monte-article

    Prince Albert II of Monaco has accepted an apology and damages from a British newspaper over an article suggesting his wife, Princess Charlene, was reluctant to marry him, lawyers said Tuesday.

    The prince had launched libel action against the Sunday Times over a July 2011 article that suggested Charlene agreed to a sham marriage in exchange for payment, and that Albert had confiscated her passport to prevent her from fleeing Monaco so she would stay and marry him for appearance’s sake.

    The paper’s lawyer, Rupert Earle, apologized for the damage and distress caused in court on Tuesday.

    “We accepted that these allegations were untrue and seriously defamatory,” the newspaper’s publisher, News International, said in a statement.
    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/prince-albert-ii-of-monaco-accepts-damages-in-uk-libel-suit/

  40. Scarlet Pimpernel says:

    She simply doesn’t get that her brief is to look happy … quite hilarious really as it just give what’s his name’s sister a bigger chance at the (dubious) throne.

  41. Hazel says:

    I have a question about the imperial highnesses vs royal highnesses. Can you still call yourself an imperial highness if you no longer have an empire? Japan no longer has an empire, not since WWII, nor does Austria, so I’m wondering about those titles. I think the BRF gave up the imperial title after WWI? WWII? Was Victoria the last to use the title empress?

  42. JDP says:

    As someone who actually lives and works in the principality, I read the original article and just thought…someone has some extra time on their hands.

    None of these stories are true and it’s actually become a bit of a joke in the area that because there is nothing to go on, someone has to try and find something. This family is very much loved and very much supported not only with the locals but to each other. It is not unusual to see members of the Royal Family out and about, they are very much in touch with everyone.

    What people also don’t know is how much time, money and effort they put into all kinds of charities from the Red Cross to Fight AIDS Monaco.

    Nice try on whoever wrote the original article though, they must be desperate for cash.

  43. Sal says:

    I’m surprised some feel sorry for Charlene and not for Duchess Kate. To me Charlene is worse. She married this creep who, apparently she didn’t love at the time, a creep who refuses to acknowledge his other children. And what does she do? I don’t recall reading about any work she does.

    • LAK says:

      Kate is higher profile than Charlene as far as media is concerned, so unless you actively follow Charlene, you won’t know that she works. That goes for every many other royals.

      Charlene may be rightly or wrongly perceived as miserable or unfortunate in spouse and marriage, but she’s embraced her role as far as the working part is concerned.

      • Pager90 says:

        +1000
        Yes, I agree, I follow Princess Charlene in the news and She’s been working since the engagement really , also had a charities on her own from her Olympic swimming days. After the wedding she’s been working hard in her role and doing a fine job.

  44. Loulou says:

    She’s less than middle-class (her dad sold copiers, not an IT guy btw) but that would be fine if she didn’t think pouting in life was an adequate contribution to getting ahead. She didn’t finish high school, didn’t finish her swimming career (she left when doping tests became mandatory), she gives the French & Monegasques the middle finger by not learning the language AND cheering for her home country instead of the country Albert is prince of. Maybe she’s just a dumb, over the top self-entitled and haphazard tourist for a princess? And over-Botoxed. Her problem is not Monaco, it’s her family of freeloaders.

  45. Denese says:

    Hang in there Charlene! Albert is old. When he is gone, you and your kids inherit it all!