Update: Monaco's Princess Charlene is back home after being gone the better part of a year, reports the Daily Beast. The 44-year-old had been seeking treatment abroad for an unspecified ailment previously described as exhaustion. A statement from the palace says Charlene "still needs peace and calm" but will continue her recovery with husband Prince Albert and their two children. The princess previously missed her twins' 7th birthday party but marked it on social media. Our original story from November follows:
Members of Monaco's royal family greeted the public on the microstate's National Day on Friday—but Princess Charlene, who returned less than two weeks ago from six months in South Africa, was absent. Her husband, head of state Albert II, tells People that Charlene is seeking treatment at a facility outside Monaco for exhaustion "both mental and physical." Vanity Fair reports that the 43-year-old princess has been experiencing medical issues since at least May, when complications from earlier sinus surgery forced her to extend a visit to her homeland for months and undergo several more surgeries. Unable to fly for months, she missed her 10-year wedding anniversary and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Albert, 63, says it became obvious within hours of Charlene's return that she was unwell. "She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general, or even family life," he tells People. He says her absence has nothing to do with rumored problems in their relationship. "Because I know there are rumors out there, let me say: This is not COVID," the prince says. "And it's not cancer-related. It's not a personal relationship issue. And if you want to discuss another speculation, it isn't related to plastic surgery or facial work at all." He says she is being treated outside Monaco—a principality of fewer than 40,000 people in an area smaller than New York City's Central Park—for privacy reasons.
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The royal house announced days ago that Charlene will be out of the public eye for weeks, "allowing her time to recover from a state of profound general fatigue." He says their 6-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, "miss her, of course, but they understand." On Friday, Charlene posted on Instagram for the first time since she posted a family photo after arriving in Monaco Nov. 8. Her Friday post from the undisclosed location featured Monaco's flag and national anthem. (More Monaco stories.)
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