Prince Albert of Monaco made yet another public appearance without his wife Charlene at the Tokyo Olympics today.
Albert, 63, cut a casual figure in a striped short-sleeve polo shirt and navy shorts as he took in the action at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on day four of the games.
Monaco is represented by a six-strong team of athletes competing across five disciplines – athletics, swimming, judo, rowing and table tennis.
Prince Albert wore a VR headset while watching one of the races. The technology allows spectators to see information including who is in what lane, lap times and if a swimmer is close to breaking a world record, without taking their eyes off the pool.
Meanwhile Princess Charlene, 43, who is living in South Africa and has not been seen in Monaco since January, shared a video of their romantic wedding song on Instagram yesterday.
Prince Albert, 63, cut a casual figure in a striped short-sleeve polo shirt and navy shorts as he took in the action at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on day four of the games
Meanwhile Princess Charlene, 43, who is living in South Africa and has not been seen in Monaco since January, shared a video of their romantic wedding song on Instagram yesterday. Pictured, Princess Charlene on a charity excursion in South Africa in June
The former Olympian, who shares six-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella with Albert, shared the video with the caption: ‘My dear friend Alouise, Thank you for remembering our wedding song. With all my heart. Merci.’ Above, a screengrab from the video
The former Olympian, who shares six-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella with Albert, shared the video with the caption: ‘My dear friend Alouise, Thank you for remembering our wedding song. With all my heart. Merci.’
My Hele Hart, translated as My Whole Heart or With My Whole Heart, is an Afrikaans song that was performed at Charlene and Albert’s royal wedding in 2011.
It appeared to be a nod to her husband, whom she has not been seen in public with for more than half a year.
Charlene remains in South Africa while she undergoes ‘multiple, complicated’ procedures after contracting an ear, nose and throat infection in May, while on a solo visit to the country.
The royal recently said she had faced a ‘trying time’ in the past few months and is ‘missing her children dearly.’
Last week Princess Charlene shared photos of a recent FaceTime call with her children.
Prince Albert at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre today. Monaco is represented by a six-strong team of athletes competing across five disciplines – athletics, swimming, judo, rowing and table tennis. No Monegasque athletes are competing in the swimming today
Albert, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee, was joined by a fellow official in the stands. At one point he showed his companion something on his mobile phone
Albert appears to have left children Jacques and Gabriella at home in Monaco and made the trip to Tokyo alone. His wife Princess Charlene is thousands of miles away in South Africa
The royal was also seen wearing a suit, shirt and tie but appears to have changed into more comfortable attire. He wore a high-tech headset (pictured) to watch the swimming finals. The VR headset allows spectators to see stats and athlete info while watching a race
Prince Albert made the most of the new technology as he watched the swimming events on Tuesday. Monaco’s athletes are not competing today but he still turned out to show his support
The prince looked dapper in a suit and tie before swapping the outfit for a polo shirt
In the snaps, the mother-of-two could be seen showing her children around the room, pointing to posters on the wall and a sewing machine.
In one, she could be seen blowing a kiss to her son Jacques, while in another she gazed at the screen, with her chin resting on her hand.
Charlene has spoken of how she is missing her husband and children ‘dearly’, telling Channel24 last week: ‘What has been extremely difficult for me was when I was instructed by my medical team that I could not return home for my 10th wedding anniversary.
Last public outing together: Charlene and Albert were last pictured together at an official event together in January (left) at the Sainte Devote Ceremony in Monaco. On April 2, she shared a photograph alongside her husband Prince Albert and their children Jacques and Gabriella to mark Easter, although it is not clear where it was taken
Last family outing: Charlene shared this photo of her husband Albert, her twins, her brother and nieces and nephews on safari in South Africa earlier this year. It is thought Albert will travel to South Africa with their children soon so they can see their mother
‘Without his love and support I would not have been able to get through this painful time.’
Earlier this month Princess Charlene shared the two-minute long video, titled ‘Chapter 1: A New Princess for Monaco’, on her official account.
Set to stirring classical music, the video montage offers a behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary time, effort and cost that went into staging the couple’s civil wedding on July 1, 2011.
A religious ceremony was held the following day and a two-day national holiday was declared to mark the occasion.
Clips show Charlene and Albert exchanging vows in front of close family and friends in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace, and sharing a kiss on the palace balcony to the delight of a cheering crowd. The couple also appeared on stage together at a celebratory concert for the public.
The mother-of-two hasn’t been seen in Monaco since January, but her husband and children visited her in South Africa earlier this year.
In a statement last month, Charlene explained she would not return to her family in time for the anniversary, saying: ‘This year will be the first time that I’m not with my husband on our anniversary in July, which is difficult, and it saddens me.
‘However, Albert and I had no choice but to follow the medical team’s instructions even though it is extremely difficult. He has been the most incredible support to me.
‘My daily conversations with Albert and my children help immensely to keep my spirits up, but I miss being with them.
‘It was special to have my family visit me in South Africa, and it was truly wonderful seeing them. I can’t wait to be reunited with them.’
Princess Charlene came to South Africa to do conservation and anti-poaching work, earlier this year.
Her foundation says she was driving the causes close to her heart, pouring herself into her Foundation work in South Africa when she fell ill.
Before contracting the infection and undergoing the procedures, Princess Charlene worked with various ambassadors and partners to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation’s initiatives.
Prince Albert and their children will visit Princess Charlene in South Africa again soon to be with her and support her, a spokesperson said.
Former Olympian Charlene, who debuted a radical new hairstyle while on the trip, had originally been due to return to Monaco in time for the Grand Prix in May, where she was guest of honour. Months later and she is still not home.
Charlene and Albert’s marriage has been plagued with rumours from the start.
The couple met at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monte Carlo in 2000, announced their engagement in 2010.
Former Olympic swimmer Charlene reportedly tried to flee Monaco for her native South Africa on three separate occasions before the royal wedding after discovering Albert had allegedly fathered a love child – his third – while they were together.
Monaco officials were said to have coaxed her back by brokering a deal between the Prince and his reluctant bride, saying she could leave once she had provided him with a legitimate heir.
One source said at the time: ‘Charlene will provide an heir, then if things don’t go well, she will receive a generous divorce settlement once she’s served a decent amount of time.’
Charlene was seen in floods of tears on her wedding day in 2011.
Just one year after their wedding, it was reported that Charlene was ‘depressed’ at her failure to provide her husband with a legitimate heir.
Her pregnancy was announced in May 2014, and in December that year she gave birth to twins Princess Gabriella and heir to the throne Prince Jacques.
In the almost 10 years since, Charlene, who shares six-year-old twins with Albert, has rarely spoken publicly of her experience.
In 2017, the Princess made an emotional return to Africa, where she spoke about how much the continent means to her.
‘I am African and this is my heritage. It will always be. It’s in my heart and in my veins,’ she told Eyewitness News.
Last year she admitted life was ‘very painful’, saying: ‘I have the privilege of having this life, but I miss my family and my friends in South Africa and I’m often sad because I cannot always be there for them.’
It’s been a tumultuous start to the year for the royal, after news emerged that her husband is facing a paternity suit over a love child born in the early years of their relationship.
The 63-year-old prince, who already supports two illegitimate children, is alleged to have had a relationship with a Brazilian woman which resulted in a daughter in 2005.
The claim, which his lawyers dismissed as a ‘hoax’, is particularly painful as he was dating Charlene at the time, having met the former Olympic swimmer in 2000.
The 34-year-old claimant – who cannot be named for legal reasons – says she had a passionate affair with Albert, leading to the birth of their daughter – whose name is also classified – on July 4, 2005.
Albert received a handwritten letter from the child, who is now 15, in September last year reading: ‘I don’t understand why I grew up without a father, and now that I have found you, you don’t want to see me.’
Legal papers were also filed, as lawyers for the claimant called on Albert to undergo a DNA test – just as he did before finally being identified as the father of two illegitimate children born in the 1990s and early 2000s.
In January, Charlene spoke publicly for the first time since the allegations, telling Point de Vue: ‘When my husband has problems, he tells me about it.
‘I often tell him, “No matter what, no matter what, I’m a thousand percent behind you. I’ll stand by you whatever you do, in good times or in bad.”
The mother-of-two went on to say she also often tells her husband she will ‘protect him’ and will ‘always be by his side.’
Charlene, who was raised in South Africa and represented the country at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, travelled to Thanda Safari in KwaZulu-Natal to learn more about being done by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa to help save rhinos from poachers.
The princess took part in conservation operations including rhino monitoring and tracking, deployment with the Anti-Poaching Unit, educational wildlife photography sessions, and a White Rhino dart and dehorning exercise.