People magazine published an exclusive interview with Prince Albert of Monaco, in which he addressed the situation in which his family is currently living and the rumours that have been circulating about an imminent end of their marriage.
In the interview conducted by Peter Mikelbank and Lanford Beard, the prince categorically denied any crises in his marriage to Princess Charlene, branding them as “appalling.”
“She didn’t leave Monaco in a huff! She didn’t leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else. She was going down to South Africa to reassess her Foundation’s work down there and to take a little time off with her brother and some friends”, said the Prince, who wants to make it clear that just because he didn’t respond sooner, it doesn’t mean that the couple didn’t see the headlines or that they didn’t affect them.
“Of course it affects her, of course, it affects me. Misreading events is always detrimental. … We’re an easy target, easily hit, because we’re in the public eye a lot,” said Albert.
Prince Albert also repeated the reasons why Princess Charlene has been forced to stay in South Africa, underscoring that they are exclusively medical and have nothing to do with “fleeing, going into exile”, or anything like that.
He acknowledged that he should have responded to the rumours sooner, “but I was concentrating on taking care of the kids, and I thought it would just probably go [away]. You know if you try to answer everything that comes out, then you’re constantly [responding], you’re wasting your time.”
His Serene Highness ended the interview with a note of hope, saying that “She’s ready to come home. She’s jokingly said that she’s ready to stow away on a ship to come back to Europe.”
Princess Charlene travelled to South Africa in mid-May to work with the branch of her Foundation that operates in her native country, as well as seeing the family and friends she surely missed during the global shutdown. While there, she began experiencing the complications of a procedure of sinus lift and bone graft that she had done to prepare for dental implants. The complications included an ear, nose and throat infection that required multiple surgical procedures to correct and that prevented her from flying home. Her return to the Principality is now expected for the month of October.
Just two days before this interview (which you can find in full here, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella have started primary school, and Prince Albert being the only parent present must have been difficult for everyone.
