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Monaco

Prince Albert talks about Princess Charlene’s return to Monaco

Prince Albert spoke to the weekend newspaper Journal du Dimanche about Princess Charlene’s return to Monaco. 

He expressed his joy at his wife’s return and spoke about what it was like while the family was separated.

Monaco’s Sovereign Prince said: “Today, Charlene is back with us, and this is the most beautiful thing which could have happened.”

He also spoke of his family’s trying times because of their separation. 

“We missed the Princess a lot,” he said, stating that the separation was “a test for my wife especially, who suffered greatly and lived through difficult times, far from her family. A test also for our children and for myself.”

Times that were made even more difficult by the rumours spread by the press, which the Prince tried in vain to clear throughout the whole absence of Princess Charlene from the public eye. 

Rumours which, according to the Princess herself, have not been conducive to recovery: “I still find it regrettable that certain media peddle such rumours about my life, my relationship. Like everyone else, we are human beings and, like all human beings, we have emotions,” she said during her appearance for Monaco Fashion Week. 

But Prince Albert concluded on a very happy note: “We were able to stay united despite the distance; we spoke to each other often,” he said, adding: “She’s better, we can finally spend time together. It is a relief and a joy for all of us.”

Princess Charlene was seen in public for the first time on 30 April, after spending nearly a year out of the public eye recovering from “exhaustion” and the lingering consequences of a severe ear, nose and throat infection. 

Since then, she had been slowly incorporating more and more engagements into her agenda until, on Saturday, 4 May, the Princely Palace announced that, upon presenting some symptoms, she had tested positive for COVID-19. The press release clarified that “her health is not a cause for concern” and that she would be isolating until she tests negative, in compliance with health safety rules currently in place in Monaco. 

Prince Albert’s interview was conducted before the Princess contracted COVID, which is why that was not discussed in the interview.