Princess Charlene of Monaco highlights ”public health emergency” and reveals her determination to end it

Princess Charlene of Monaco has once again appealed for everyone to learn to keep safe in the water as she renews her fight against drowning.

The Princess is passionate about water skills and safety and has said the summer weather makes it even more vital that people take care.

In a strongly worded Instagram post, Charlene talked about how quickly anyone can get into difficulty in the water and underlined how strong swimming skills are vital for all to have.

And she called drowning a ”public health emergency” but said it could easily be avoided by focusing on key skills.

The Princess Charlene Foundation runs a range of courses including one called Learn to Swim and another called Water Safety which aim to give life saving skills to as many people as possible.

They now run in over 45 countries.

Charlene, who has ten year old twins, is also determined to see all youngsters maintain strong water skills. In primary schools across Monaco there is a focus on learning to swim with the aim of making people safe in the water.

When she was a child, Charlene lost a young cousin to drowning. Her relative, Richard, was just five when he lost his life in the water.

Her determination to stop similar tragedies affecting others was clear in her latest message which read ”drowning is silent and can happen in just a few moments, even in a familiar environment. My aim is simple: that every child associates the water with confidence and joy, rather than fear.”

Her campaign has been particularly high profile this summer and she regularly uses social media to highlight the issue and to spread prevention ideas.

The Princess Charlene Foundation has a particular emphasis on water skills but also showcases the power of sport to change lives. In the coming months, it has a series of high profile events to raise awareness of the importance of sport including the Princess of Monaco Cup for Golf which takes place in September.