“Lordy, lordy, look who’s 40!” It may not be a saying throughout the corridors of the Princely Palace of Monaco, but Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene is celebrating her 40th birthday today.
It is believed her Her Serene Highness will be celebrating her special day privately with friends and family. The Prince’s Palace of Monaco has not announced any public celebrations to mark the occasion.
The Princess of Monaco was born Charlene Wittstock in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, in what is today Zimbabwe on 25 January 1978. Her parents are Michael and Lynette Wittstock. Charlene has two younger brothers, Gareth and Sean. The family relocated to South Africa when Charlene was 11 in 1989. A competitive swimmer who represented South Africa in international tournaments, she won three gold medals in the All-Africa Games.
Prince Albert II of Monaco (R) holding Princess Gabriella, and Princess Charlene of Monaco (L) holding Prince Jacques, appear on the balcony of the Monaco Palace during the celebrations marking Monaco’s National Day, on 19 November 2016 in Monaco. (AFP / VALERY HACHE /AFP/Getty Images)
Charlene met Prince Albert in Monaco at the Mare Nostrum swimming meet in 2000. Their engagement was announced on 23 June 2010, and they wed in a civil ceremony on 1 July 2011 and a religious ceremony the next day. Together, they have three-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques who were born on 10 December 2014 at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco.
Her Serene Highness is a global ambassador for the Special Olympics and has a foundation in her name that primarily focuses on saving lives by the prevention of drowning. The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation‘s missions are to raise awareness about the dangers of water and to teach children preventative measures and to swim. Further, it is dedicated to communicating the values of sport.
The Princess has an official Instagram account run by the Prince’s Palace which primarily follows her work, but occasionally, she will personally post photos of her two children. You can follow Her Serene Highness here.
