- READ MORE: Princess Charlene of Monaco deletes her Instagram account amid reports she is ‘living in Switzerland’ and only sees Prince Albert ‘by appointment’
Princess Charlene of Monaco has made a rare appearance with her husband Prince Albert today, amid claims they are living apart and only see each other ‘by appointment’.
The royal couple put on a united front as they received the new French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean D’Haussonville, at the Prince’s Palace.
Former Olympic swimmer Charlene, 45, cut an elegant figure in a navy skirt and blouse, teamed with a pearl necklace, in a snap taken of the meeting.
Offering only the slightest of smiles, the mother-of-two appeared to stand awkwardly next to her smartly-dressed husband, who in contrast, wore a beaming grin for the camera.
The couple – who share eight-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella – have been at the centre of speculation after reports in European media alleged Charlene was living in Switzerland and only saw husband Albert ‘by appointment’.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco put on a united front as they received the new French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean D’Haussonville, at the Prince’s Palace
Charlene also deleted her Instagram account last month, leading to further questions.
Meanwhile, last month Prince Albert posed next to his former mistress Nicole Coste as they marked their son Alexandre’s 20th birthday with an outside dinner. They were joined by Jazmin Grimaldi – Albert’s other illegitimate child.
A source close to Charlene and Albert told French newspaper Voici that the former Olympic swimmer and son of Grace Kelly are just a ‘ceremonial couple’.
It adds that Charlene has promised to return to Monaco on official occasions and is now allowed to see her children more often – with the pair splitting care of the children.
‘Albert and Charlene are now good partners, take turns taking care of the children,’ a source added to German newspaper Bild.
Rumours of the state of the couple’s marriage have swirled for years, since Charlene cried on her wedding to Grace Kelly’s son in 2011.
However, the rumour mill went into overdrive when Charlene spent most of 2021 apart from her husband after returning to her native South Africa for what was supposed to be a month-long trip.
She wasn’t picture in Monaco from January 2021 until March 2022, citing a sinus issue which stopped her from flying.
Last month Prince Albert posed next to his former mistress Nicole Coste as they marked their son Alexandre’s 20th birthday with an outside dinner. They were joined by Jazmin Grimaldi – Albert’s other illegitimate child
Upon her return to the principality, Albert claimed she was ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘unwell’.
Speaking to People magazine at the time, Albert said the family reunion in Monaco last week initially went ‘pretty well’ in the first few hours, but it then became ‘pretty evident’ that Charlene was ‘unwell.’
He said the former Olympian ‘realised she needed help’, adding: ‘She was overwhelmed and couldn’t face official duties, life in general or even family life.’
Claims she will stay in Switzerland were backed up by a source who knows the couple well, who said: ‘The South of France is too close, but Switzerland has superb private medical facilities, and Charlene will be well looked after there.’
The couple have been at the centre of split rumours for years, but have always denied there’s an issue with their marriage.
Earlier this year, the Palace was forced to deny rumours first reported in French magazine ROYAUTÉ which suggested the couple were on the brink of divorce.
In March, the Palace’s press office said they ‘formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the magazine’.
A spokesperson said: ‘I would like to formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the French magazine Royauté. Please disregard this article which is totally unfounded.’
Last month, the royal couple also put on a united front as they relaxed on a yacht in Corsica.
Photos show the couple relaxed while on a yacht in the Mediterranean. In one shot Albert lovingly wraps his arm around Charlene, while in another they sit side-by-side on the beach.
The couple, alongside their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, spent the summer on a yacht owned by Kazakh businessman Bulat Utemuratov.
The couple shared a seemingly awkward kiss during their religious wedding ceremony on July 2, 2011 in Monaco
Cried and groom: Charlene had been accused of trying to run away three times before she married
The royal couple went on to have two children, eight-year-old twins, Jacques and Gabriella (pictured at National Day 2022 at the Monaco Palace)
Albert is the current head of the pocket-sized principality. But it was the financial acumen of his father, Prince Rainier, that set Monaco on its current path to riches.
Together with his wife Princess Grace, formerly Hollywood’s Grace Kelly, they created one of the most unashamedly glamorous families on the planet – and a world combining high society with the high-octane thrill of the Monaco grand prix.
Today, Prince Albert and Princess Consort Charlene, mother of his two children, attract the attention of photographers whenever they step out in public.
But, the wealthy lifestyle is accompanied by a fair degree of drama.
Guests at the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco in 2011 could not help but notice that his bride, Charlene, cried through much of the ceremony. And they didn’t look like tears of joy.
Numerous photographs showed Charlene dabbing at her eyes, ignoring Albert’s audible entreaties to stop crying.
Charlene later proffered the explanation that she had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the proceedings but her awkward demeanour added to rumours that the couple’s relationship was in trouble well before their wedding day.
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