Royal Family News
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco have made their first public appearance together since November 2021, posting a touching Easter photo with their twins.
The Monaco Royal Palace shared the snap of Princess Consort Charlene next to her husband Prince Albert and their twins, Jacques and Gabriella.
In the photo, Charlene looks lovingly down at young Gabriella, while the reigning Prince of Monaco touches a hand to both Charlene and eight-year-old Jacques.
The family, dressed mostly in white, sits on lush-looking green grass in the image captioned, Happy Easter.
The photograph was released just three days after Prince Albert revealed he had tested positive for Covid for the second time.
The family photo was issued by the Prince’s Palace for Easter Sunday, one of the holiest events in the Christian calendar.
Easter is a major celebration in Monaco, a Catholic country, with the royal family frequently leading religious events throughout the year.
Princess Charlene also shared the photos to her official Instagram account, including one photo of the family in the palace’s private chapel celebrating Easter Mass, with the post captioned, Happy Easter, along with a love heart emoji.
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The photos are believed to have been taken in the grounds at the Prince’s Palace in Monte Carlo, although exactly where the photos were taken remains unclear.
The photographs mark the first time the princess has been photographed since November, when she posted an Instagram photo with her family during her brief return to Monaco after spending 10 months in her native South Africa battling an infection.
Days after the photo, Charlene was thought to have attended a clinic in Switzerland, about 350 kilometers from Monaco, where she remained until her official return home last month.
Little is known about what Charlene was suffering from, but the palace revealed in January she was undergoing dental treatment.
The first warning signs about the princess’s health came early in 2021, when she suffered from an ear, nose and throat infection, which saw her undergo several surgeries in South Africa, where she stayed for most of the year.
But the princess’s extended stay in her home country sparked speculation over a possible divorce, which was quickly dismissed by Prince Albert.
Before she returned to Monaco, he told People magazine that Princess Charlene didn’t leave Monaco in a huff.
He added, “she didn’t leave because she was mad at me or anybody else.”
He explained her trip as one to reassess her foundation’s work down there and to take a little time off with her brother and some friends.
Prince Albert said the trip was only supposed to be a week-long, 10-day maximum stay, but the extension was absolutely just a medical problem.
Upon her final return home in March, the palace issued a statement with an update on her recovery.
As a result of Princess Charlene’s encouraging recovery and her doctor’s approval, their Serene Highnesses are delighted to announce that the princess will now continue her convalescence in the principality, with her husband and children by her side, the statement read.
Consequently, Princess Charlene has already returned to Monaco, where she has been happily reunited with her family and loved ones.
The next few weeks should allow for Princess Charlene to further strengthen her health before gradually re-assuming her official duties and commitments.
Charlene and Albert’s marriage, which kicked off with a $100 million wedding in 2011, has been dogged by scandal, with Albert previously confessing to fathering illegitimate children and rumors swirling that Charlene tried to flee before their wedding day.
The couple first met shortly after the Olympic Games in 2000, where former swimmer Charlene, then 22, came fifth in the 4x100m medley relay.
Albert is the son of US actress Grace Kelly, who famously became Princess Grace when she married Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in 1956.
She died in a car accident in 1982.