Princess Charlene returned to Monaco this week, and I can’t help but wonder if she even spent one full day back in Monte Carlo. Charlene has always – reportedly – disliked Monte Carlo and the Prince’s Palace, which is Prince Albert’s official residence in Monaco. Even before Charlene had the twins – and especially after she gave birth – she preferred to be out of the principality, at the Roc Agel estate, which is sort of like a close-by country home in the South of France. From what anyone can tell, that’s where Charlene spent the bulk of her time before her health crisis this year. So… weird story, but Charlene’s sister-in-law has suggested that Charlene isn’t going to live in the Prince’s Palace right now, and she’ll go to the apartment she was keeping in Monaco before she left for South Africa?
Princess Charlene of Monaco may not live with her husband in the Prince’s Palace following her return home and does not plan to immediately resume public engagements, MailOnline has learned. Chantell Wittstock, Charlene’s sister-in-law and PR for her charitable Foundation in South Africa, said not only that it is ‘unclear’ whether the princess will be living full-time in the Palace, but also that her return to formal duties is dependent on her recovery from a mystery illness.
Before she left in January, Charlene had raised eyebrows in Monaco by living in a modest two-bedroom apartment above an old chocolate factory about 300m away, rather than in the 12th Century Palace itself. It is thought she could return to living at the property.
Asked whether the Princess would now return to the arm’s-length arrangement the couple had before her departure, Ms Wittstock, married to Charlene’s brother Sean, who is on the board of her charitable foundation, said: ‘Oh, we don’t know yet. She’ll probably be commuting between the two, wherever she’s comfortable. And none of that is clear yet where she’ll be settling or anything like that. I mean, she only just arrived back, so it’s everybody finding their feet. The Princess is very excited to see her kids and they’re very excited to see their mom again. So we’ll see where she’ll be settling.’ She added: ‘But it will be with her husband and her children.’
Charlene did have an apartment in Monaco before she and Albert were engaged. She moved to Monaco full-time to be with him and to learn French. But did she maintain that apartment? And is that where she was living nine months ago? WTF? I believed that Albert and Charlene were living separately for years and that they had separate lives. I just thought Charlene stayed at Roc Agel permanently. I didn’t know about this apartment. And yes, obviously she doesn’t want to stay at the Prince’s Palace. I bet they kept her passport though! No more escapes.
Photos courtesy of Instagram, Backgrid, Avalon Red.
Curious why her family is leaking/sharing this stuff. As a “hey, we’re watching you Albert” measure?
Interesting that the SIL revealed this. Does Charlene want this known? Is she trying to slip this stuff out there to let folks know her plight?
Something very weird is happening.
I’m not up-to-date on the history of all of this and I can’t understand why he would want to be married to someone that doesn’t want to be there at all. Is there something special about Charlene other than they have children together? Why all the cloak and dagger? Thanks for anyone who cares to help me understand!
I think that Albert doesn’t want to be seen as a “loser” in the same way that William doesn’t want to be seen that way. His mom is Grace friggin Kelly, and he seems to have chosen Charlene for her looks more than anything else. That’s why he couldn’t let her leave before the wedding (and I don’t think Diana would have been allowed to back out of her wedding with Charles, even if she had tried). Albert was known for dating high-profile women like Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell in his younger days, and still sees himself as a “catch,” even though the only reason why anyone would be attracted to him now is his position. I think he and Charlene had an “arrangement” that they would be married for a time, and the kids would remain in his custody due to the succession. Maybe he reneged, maybe she wanted to re-negotiate terms. But my guess is that he doesn’t want to “lose face” with his wife leaving him, and there will be strict injunctions against her dating anyone else for a time if she does leave him (dating openly, I mean). Even Katie Holmes had to hide her relationship status for 5 years after divorcing Tom Cruise–a likely term of the divorce to mollify his vanity. Men will do all kinds of terrible things to avoid taking a hit to their pride. It’s the first Law of Fragile Masculinity (I just made that up.)
I completely agree with you. Also, I shall credit you henceforth every time I invoke the First Rule of Fragile Masculinity.
Also, I would LOVE a Monaco apartment above a chocolate factory!!! Now THAT’S living!!!
@ lanne, you are probably right. Alberts ego could never take someone leaving him. Albert thinks that anyone would want him as a husband and that it is their privilege to be in his presence, yet alone marriage or sex.
I too stand with @ Laura-Lee MacDonald with your brilliant label to bequeath to men of fragile egos that are based on fairytales and grandeur! You shall receive ALL of the credit!!
Two things could be true here. She may reside in her apartment to self quarantine, or she could need to be easily accessible to visiting nurses or others who would monitor her recovery. Perhaps still on IV antibiotics? Or in my case, just likes the smell of chocolate.
I like those theories. Cancer meds or dialysis would work too for the second. Is this apartment close to a hospital?
I suspect she’s got something very serious going on
I seriously want a cashmere dress now.
Also, something something, servants quarters quip.
Not gonna let that one die
It definitely sounds like the apartment she was living in before her marriage. Maybe she has kept it. That being said, there are rumors that she was actually in South Africa since the beginning of the year and not since May. She wasn’t seen publicly in Monaco since January. It is said that the kids and Albert went to South Africa for Easter to see her (you can see in her Easter picture that they are not dressed for Monaco – in April the temperatures are 60F).
I’d read Charlene’s book if she ever wrote one. Feels like there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Just saying.
Oh, I would too in a second!!!
She definitely needs to eventually release a tell all book once she divorces him, or have an Omid kind of person to write a biography about her. People think she is not the most interesting person but there’s a lot of messy things happening behind closed doors.