Princess Charlene of Monaco is currently unable to return home to Monaco following an illness in her home country, South Africa.
The royal, who has been in South Africa this week participating in wildlife conservation work, had been due to attend the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend; however, due to an ear, nose and throat infection, she is unable to travel.
The Prince’s Palace released a short statement announcing the news, saying: “During a trip to the African continent as part of a wildlife conservation mission, H.S.H. Princess Charlene contracted an ENT infection that does not allow her to travel.
“Unfortunately, she will not be able to attend the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. H.S.H. The Princess Charlene sends her best wishes to the Automobile Club of Monaco, organiser of the event, as well as to the drivers and teams involved in this great automobile competition.”
Princess Charlene, who was born in Rhodesia, has made conservation work in Africa a core part of her royal work.
This past week, she has been working in South Africa to raise awareness about the dangers of rhinoceros poaching and shared images of herself and rhinos taken by wildlife photographer Christian Sperka.
An image of the royal hugging an injured rhino included a quote from her: “Thank you for not forgetting about us.”
In a statement shared on the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa branch’s website, the royal was quoted as saying: “This crisis has stolen almost 10,000 African rhinos from our beautiful earth. If we are to save these incredible animals from extinction, we have to do something. We cannot afford to lose anymore.
“Statistics show that South Africa’s rhino populations have fallen quite drastically. In the last ten years, poachers have relentlessly killed these rhinos, and they have not had time to recover. If we don’t act now, the rhino’s future in Africa is uncertain.”
