Every time Princess Charlene tries to talk about why she’s still in South Africa, I become more confused and more convinced that this cover story is hanging by a thread. Charlene has been in South Africa since at least early May, possibly longer. She went to South Africa to do some conservation work and then (she claims) she had some medical drama, drama which has involved surgeries and hospitalizations. The European tabloids haven’t really dug around that much, but one outlet did say that Charlene and her family made some curious real estate purchases, and Charlene is possibly/likely setting up a life for herself in Johannesburg. Whenever Charlene tries to explain why she’s still in South Africa, people come away with more questions than answers. A few weeks ago, she said that before the trip, she got a bone graft and sinus lift and that’s how she got her ENT infection. She’s also said she needed another surgery about a month ago. Now she says that she probably won’t be back in Monaco until October?!
Monaco’s Princess Charlene has offered new details concerning her illness and recovery, saying that, though she “cannot force healing,” she anticipates she’ll leave South Africa around the end of October after another medical procedure. Speaking to South Africa Radio 702’s host Mandy Wiener, the princess said she was “in a waiting game.”
“Initially I was supposed to be here for 10 to 12 days, unfortunately, I had a problem equalising my ears, and I found out through the doctors that I had a sinus infection and quite a serious one. So, it’s taking time to address this problem that I’m having.” (As previously explained, the princess had a sinus lift/bone graft in preparation for dental implants, but she soon developed an infection.)
For now, she said, “I cannot force healing, so I will be grounded in South Africa until the end of October.” Though she’s in a holding pattern in her native country and is due for another medical procedure, she did say, “I feel well, I feel good.”
Charlene, 43, joined the Zoom interview from bush country in the KwaZulu-Natal region. She acknowledged that being away from her family — Prince Albert, 63, and their 6-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques — has made for a “tough” few months.
“This is the longest period I’ve actually been away from Europe and my children,” she said. But as she shared on her Instagram earlier this month, she communicates with “Jacqui and Bella” via Facetime “most days. And they’ve been here, they’ve come to Natal, and they will be returning to see me again after my procedure.”
On Friday, sources confirmed to PEOPLE that a trip involving Prince Albert and the couple’s twins is being considered for “the end of August, if the political situation allows.”
And so Charlene reiterated, “As I say, it’s just a waiting game. I cannot predict how my healing process will go. But yeah, I’m very sad I can’t be with my children during this summer in Europe.”
Another medical procedure this month, and maybe Albert and the kids will visit her at the end of August, and then she won’t be back in Monaco until October, probably at the earliest. What a mess! I understand that some medical issues would force a person to not travel, at least by plane. But this seems, um, medically excessive? To be unable to travel for seven full months because of an ENT infection requiring multiple surgeries? WTF? What the hell is really going on here?
Oh, and now Paris Match and People Magazine have run stories about the “split rumors” too. People Magazine’s source says flatly “She’ll never leave her kids.” Yeah, except she sort of did and no one is really blaming her for it. People also included coverage of the European media’s claims:
Meanwhile, European tabloids, including the German magazine Bunte and France’s Paris Match, have been delving into chatter that Charlene and Albert’s separation goes far deeper than the palace is acknowledging.
“The princess ‘has, for the time being, in reality, no intention of returning,'” according to Paris Match’s sources, while Bunte has written that Charlene has been house-hunting near Johannesburg.
Paris Match also speculated on the princess’s changing appearance and attributed her relocation to larger tensions within the court back in Monaco: “‘She was full of good will, but she quickly felt judged and misunderstood,’ says one of her friends in the Principality. ‘So she closed up to protect herself.'”
My latest working theory is that Charlene IS setting up a new life for herself in Johannesburg, but she plans to return to Monaco as well. As in, from here on out, she’ll split her time between Monaco and South Africa and get a lot more physical distance from Albert, and it will just be a very Catholic separation.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
It just seems so odd to me to move that far away from her children, or to be away from them for so long. They aren’t that old. Like, I’m sure life with Albert is no picnic, but she can’t get a little country cottage in Southern France to hang out in until the kids are older?
This is what I don’t understand. France/Italy countryside is so large, she could easily purchase a nice chateau in the middle of nowhere if she just wanted distance from Albert, but I imagine she has a deep desire to be home in her home country and with her family. Remember, she doesn’t speak French well, so being alone in France would likely still be isolating.
She already lives outside of Monaco. He bought her a farm where she lives with the kids. They do not live together. Also P. Caroline and all of her kids live outside Monaco too. This is so bizarre because it’s not new. I think her plastic surgery went wrong at some point. It not a big deal for a Grimaldi to divorce especially when the marriage and relationship was side eye from beginning and husband and wife don’t live together.
I always find it surprising that she’s not good at French. Of course, learning foreign languages doesn’t come easy to everyone, but with 10 years and Grimaldi money to pay for the best tutors she could be pretty much fluent by now if she wanted. Or if Albert wanted, the far fetched explanation would be that it’s his way if isolating her. Nothing would surprise me coming from him. Damnit Charlene, all you had to do was say no on your wedding day. He must have had something on her, that’s so sad.
i think the people who hang around her outside of monaco are basically her family members. with covid, I think she was quite lonely in or out of monaco because those people probably left for their own countries to avoid being strained without medical access being foreigners. The only way for her to be around her family is to go home herself. I dont think during a time like this, someone would purposely leave that far from their kids unless their are unwell physically, or mentally and needed their family close to get better. With Albert fathering women around the world, I would think that that also contributes to the loneliness factor. i dont think a separation would surprise anybody on planet earth
A chateau out in the middle of nowhere sounds so lonely, especially since her French isn’t good. I wonder if she is a classic bolter, ala Fergie’s Mom. I mean, women do leave their children.
If the kids don’t usually live in Monaco, then I wonder who is parenting them now. It’s all rather sad.
Diana’s mother was a bolter too.
I’m guessing that there was a contract in place that guaranteed that Albert would keep custody of any children they had together, that is the only thing that makes sense to me. She is acting like she knows she has no chance to spend significant amounts of time with them.
This is going to be the book I want to read!
Probably got an ironclad NDA so we’ll never see it. This is up there with Katie Holmes in my want but I’ll want but I’ll never get.
AGREED!
Just a crazy and confusing story. Makes me also wonder why he and the kids have not been there to visit her. JUST WEIRD.
I hope she is well and if she is getting help, whatever shape or form, that she is on road to recovery,
Albert & the kids visited her in early June. The whole situation is odd.
Thank you Nancy, I wasn’t aware of that fact.
Yeah, I agree, Charlene and Albert have separated and are working out an agreement. Charlene will live in South Africa but will spend time in Monaco to see the children.
I definitely think this is what’s going on.
Yup. They won’t legally separate (for now) but they’ll separate like this and will lead separate lives.
With you.
I really wish they would just stop with elaborate cover stories–it’s actually producing the opposite effect of silencing public opinion. This insistence on medical-splaining beggars belief. Readers on this site who follow Charlene have said she does look too thin and unwell…but something else is going on.
I so totally get why Charlene wants to go home as opposites to go to Italy or France.
So they are living Willy and Katie keenbridges lives but not as hushed or covered up and in different countries while the keenbridges have different post codes.
Except that Kate isn’t going to be separated from her kids. William wouldn’t insist on keeping them.
True, they are them in reverse. However let’s not kid ourselves. Kate is not mother of the year. Let’s give credit where it’s due and that goes to nanny Maria
The story has been pretty straightforward the whole time if you consider the fact that she is trying to keep her medical issues somewhat private, but has been forced to explain because the press won’t leave her alone. She had an infection from her first surgery and then it seems further complications from the infection/surgeries have led to a situation where she didn’t know when she was able to go back because she had to heal and such between procedures. People’s healing times vary. Now she has a better idea of the timeline. The story hasn’t changed. People just really want this to be something it’s not. Why would she go with a story about a horrible ENT infection when she could simply use her conservation project to cover why she’s been there so long? Especially when the kids have been apparently been to visit her and are planning to visit again. There’s no reason to believe she is lying when there are so many easier excuses available.
I’m with you. I think the separation conspiracies are just a remnant of the alleged drama surrounding the wedding. I’m not one of the ones who think Charlene is necessarily unhappy in her marriage. She’s always come across to me as a complete introvert, deeply uncomfortable with the attention she gets as Albert’s wife.
I think it’s key to know that she hasn’t been able to get fluent in French. If people took pictures of you while you were in a public position hearing all the people around you talking in a language you don’t speak well, you’d look sad or uncomfortable in photos too.
#FreeCharlene
So strange. October? You know in end-of-July/August that you’re not coming back to. your kids for another two months? The way they’re treating this “infection”, you’d think there were no doctors in Monaco.
The problem is she can’t fly with ear infections; the pressure changes could cause permanent damage to her eardrums, not to mention extreme pain to her.
Also, boating in between is not super safe due to piracy, and it’s a heck of a long and uncomfortable drive.
I’m sorry but I’ve suspected for a while now that she isn’t all there – ever since she got that Skrillex haircut (and that pic of her with the joker mask???) I don’t think she has any intention of coming home for the short term.
Also kind of puts her wedding day tears in a new perspective. Remember we all thought she was like a prisoner? I think we were probably overreacting. Albert is still definitely a cheating pig.
I think it’s rather antiquated and misogynistic to assume that if a woman shaves her head she’s “crazy.” Let’s normalize women having whatever hair makes them feel good.
Agreed, I shaved half of my hair off because a) it’s really damn thick and b) all my layers grew out with lockdowns and it annoyed the sh!t out of me.
Plus sometimes, yo just think “You know what? I’m just gonna shave it all off/cut it all short for the heck of it!” It’s hair, it grows back.
This is Charlene’s version of Finding Freedom.
wishing her peace.
She means October 2036. I feel so bad for her. I just know that asshole husband of hers has forced her into this corner sans her children. What a useless bastard he is.
I wonder if she could have cancer and they are treating it in SA but she doesn’t want to speak of it. it would be so difficult to be a public figure if you are a private person.
I just looked up several things to confirm A) her husband owns a 250-foot super yacht; 2) Yachts are allowed to travel through the Suez Canal during daylight.
Meaning that IF SHE WANTED TO, Charlene apparently has a private, and luxurious way to travel from South Africa to Monaco that does not involve a plane. With two possible routes (up the east coast of Africa or the west coast of Africa).
One word: Pirates.
We dismissed this option weeks ago due to pirates.
A chateau out in the middle of nowhere sounds lonely, especially since her French isn’t good. I wonder if she is a classic bolter, ala Fergie’s Mom. I mean, women do leave their children.
Bone graft/implant doesn’t not preclude flying, even if you have bad luck and the bone graft part gets infected. I speak from experience.
Isabella, I’d bet money that she was leaving her husband, not her kids. Things must have been fiercely desperate for her t leave the kids, though I’m sure they’ll be fine in Monaco. I think Charlene believes they’ll be fine, too.
Their mother left them. They won’t be fine. These comments are hilarious. They won’t be fine and they will be messed up adults. Not directed specifically at you but to posters in general – stop making excuses for this woman.
Wow.
All this turmoil and speculation.
The Grimaldi family is kind of known for outrageous personal lives, no?
I mean Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie have been in the tabs for years.
I recall back in the 1980’s The National Enquirer was constant headlines featuring Grace and her children.
But, Princess Charlene, it seems to me she is trying to keep her personal life and health to herself.
IMO, she is unwell with something serious and she is trying to direct attention away.
Or, maybe she is working out separation agreements with Albert and she’d like to not discuss it publicly.
The last 15-18 months has been a Bi*tch for the entire planet. Maybe she hit the wall of tolerating Alberts cheating and yet constantly having to keep up appearances in her public life?
Would anyone truly care if she and Albert lived apart?
Heck, didn’t Stephanie run away and have a love affair or child with someone from the circus years ago? Now, that was quirky.