Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco welcomed their twin babies last week. The little girl, Gabriella Thérèse Marie, was born first, and the boy, Jacques Honoré Rainier, was born a few minutes later. Even though Gabriella is the “firstborn,” Jacques is the heir to the Grimaldi throne. Because he’s a boy. Gabriella will still get a title though, and lots of money. The babies already have their titles actually: Prince Jacques is the Marquis of Baux and Princess Gabriella is the Countess of Carladès. Very fancy. Meanwhile, Charlene is still recovering in the hospital and she doesn’t even know if she and the babies will be home for Christmas. Charlene gave an exclusive interview to Paris Match (via Hello):
Princess Charlene of Monaco has opened up about her newborn twins, who arrived six days ago via caesarean, revealing: “I’m a little tired but we’re all very well thank you…They are growing every day, gaining weight.” Charlene and husband Prince Albert welcomed a little girl and a little boy, and named their newborns Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Jacques Honoré Rainier. In the interview with Paris Match, Charlene revealed that the twins were born two weeks early, but that she was overjoyed the first time she heard the babies cry.
“At first, I was happy to hear their first cries. I was obviously a bit overwhelmed with emotion. Every second with them is magical. I look forward to spending more time in their presence”, said Charlene. “Watching them grow is wonderful. It changes lives forever.”
Charlene and her twins, the first royal heirs in Monaco for decades, are still in hospital, but Charlene admitted that she hoped she would be able to leave in time to have Christmas at home with her newborns, adding: “It depends on the kids … You see, they are the ‘boss’ now.”
Speaking of her children, Charlene gushed: “What I can tell you is that they are both very active and very expressive. They are beautiful, adorable, I’m crazy in love with them.”
The 36-year-old princess who married Prince Albert in 2011, also revealed that the royal pair hope to show off their newborns for the first time “by early next week” although a formal presentation will be held for the Monaesque people in January.
A former Olympic champion, Charlene has previously spoken of how much she wanted to start a family, and she revealed: “I think a very strong protective instinct in me was born in the same time. A strong bond unites us, they are my responsibility in the coming years.
“And I will do my best to guide them, raise them and send them the values that my husband and I share. This is an exciting mission and we will give the best of ourselves to achieve it. For now, we are enjoying every moment.”
She sounds blissed out and riding the wave of postpartum hormones. Good for her. I would love it if we got some good leaving-the-hospital photos of Charlene, Albert and the babies next week, but I think it’s far more likely that Albert will arrange for a private photographer to come in and take the first photos and they’ll just give those images away. And then we’ll definitely see the babies on January 7th, on the balcony. Yay.
Some have said that now that Charlene has “done her duty” and provided the legitimate heir and spare, she’ll get her passport back and be allowed to travel and live a completely separate life from Albert. And maybe even divorce him. But considering how blissed out she sounds… I think now she has babies to love (who will love her back), she might stick around. We’ll see, people.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I love these little escape routes I mean babies with all of my heart.
Those pictures look as though she finds kissing him repulsive.
I don’t think she’ll divorce him. I think she really did have second thoughts around the time of the wedding, but she dated him for years before that and she did go through with it when all was said and done. I don’t think she’s necessarily as happy with the compromises she’s made as Kate is, but I don’t think she’s going to shake things up substantially either. I wouldn’t be surprised if she and Albert already mostly ignore one another. She’ll have her kids and her pretty clothes, and maybe that will be enough.
She won’t walk away from the kids- she may lead a separate life but she’ll never leave those babies.
Parents lead entirely separate lives all the time, so even if she has to stay “officially” married to maintain parental rights, she and her fortune can live pretty well at this point. She and her returned passport can live in France and still be walking distance to Monaco. This situation is creepy but not tragic.
I remember photos of Charlene and Albert from Sochi. Whatever is going on between them, I don’t believe she is so desperately miserable. I think they like each other, share interests (sport!) and genuinely spend time with each other without big drama. No big love but also no princess locked in tower syndrom.
Same here. Their relationship is not about love but of lifestyle and friendship.
I’d forgotten about the Sochi shots. Those were lovely. I saw a documentary on Albert a few months ago, and was shocked by how nice and normal he came across. Maybe it isn’t so crazy, the idea of them being in love. Or, at least, happy.
I love the way she talks about the babies, so sweet. Try picturing Kate giving this kind of interview after giving birth. I don’t think they have a fake relationship or she’ll divorce him or some other nonsense – she’s just shy and doesn’t grin to the cameras like a maniac but it doesn’t mean she’s unhappy. As a couple they show more affection than Will and Kate.
Kate would twirl her hair and say “ummmm….yes…..being a mum is amazing….” *silence followed by stilted grin*
Eeewwwww him
Harmones are crazy at this time! First week you want to start on having more kids right away and then next week, you crash and burn, start bawling like death for no reason. I am glad she loving the kids, should take her time in the hospital recovering as long as needs to.
Sweet. Happy for her.
“They are my responsibility in the coming years”
Does anyone else find that wording odd?
my reading on the “my responsibility” thing is that she’s been warned, be a good little wife, no overt tears, no trying to run away, and occasionally pucker up for a public kiss with your husband, or those babies will be locked in the palace tower with only a sadistic nanny to care for them, and they’ll be fed naught but gruel. so it’s her choice, her responsibility whether those babies are allowed to see their loving mama or will be torn away from her and handed to a stranger to raise.
I think its likely the interview has been translated from French – the wording comes off quite stilted, and it often does on the translated stuff.
I thought about that until I remembered there was so much controversy about the fact that she hasn’t learned French, yet.
I don’t usually read these threads because his eyes look cold and she always just looks sad and ready to cry.
I honestly believe that she realized how trapped she was going to be in this marriage. Children will give her a “diversion” from her relationship with Albert. She’s done her part by providing the heir and spare. I don’t really expect Albert to have a lot of interaction with raising those children – I don’t his own father was too involved with his three. She will now need to figure out her own life within that role she married into. Albert’s mother, Grace, was miserable as well – and, in her later years, was finally able to pursue some (not all) of her own interests. I think it is just part of the infamous Grimaldi curse.
When Grace married Rainier, it was explained that if they divorced, any children they had together would be considered “property” of Monaco, or something to that effect, and Grace would never have any custody rights to them. (This I got from the E! True Hollywood Story of Grace Kelly, which I have seen multiple times.) If that policy is still intact, I think there is little chance of a divorce between Charlene and Albert. I think Charlene will just focus on her children and whatever causes and charities she chooses to champion.
Sorry for all the alliteration in that last part 🙂
hope that both the babies and charlene are doing well.
Now there are two little innocent babes in their world i hope these little ones will be loved and cherished and not used as pawns in some royal game, Love and luck to all of them x
The DM has published pics of the twins. They’re so tiny and adorable.