Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert have made their fifth appearance of the week at the annual Monaco picnic yesterday, amid rumours of a royal rift.
The family were pictured at Princess-Antoinette Park in Monaco and Albert and Charlene appeared to be putting on a unified front, following claims they are living apart and only see each other ‘by appointment’.
Princess Charlene – who was holding a bouquet of flowers – was dressed in a black floral patterned blouse with a onyx maxi skirt.
Her brunette cropped hair was styled into a side parting, and she finished her look with natural make-up, featuring light glittery eyeshadow, and a pink lip.
Prince Albert wore a navy checkered suit as he put his arms around the pair’s children, eight-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
Princess Charlene – who was holding a bouquet of flowers – was dressed in a black floral patterned blouse with a onyx maxi skirt
The siblings were both dressed in white and Princess Gabriella held a bunch of pink flowers.
The family were also joined by Charlotte Casiraghi at the traditional picnic event.
The royal was wearing a colourful Chanel Resort 2020 dress which she also paired with classic black crossbody bag from the French designer.
The ‘Monaco picnic’ is an annual event that is seen as the equivalent of British royal garden parties that are hosted each summer.
Around 1,0000 Monegasques attend each year as it is seen as the last major event of the season.
Last year Prince Albert told People: ‘It’s a fun event, a really nice moment of the year. It’s just a great, very informal, setting. The mass, which opens it up is a little formal, but then it goes right into a picnic and there’s a little cocktail party atmosphere.
‘It’s just wonderful to be able to walk around and have “tell me about your summer” type conversations with people you know.
The couple have made a number of appearances together this week, including an awkward interview on Monaco’s first TV channel and a visit to the Princess of Monaco Cup ’19th hole’ event on Thursday.
The celebrity cup, hosted by the Fondation Princesse Charlene De Monaco, acts as a fundraising event and invites VIP guests for a fun day of golfing activities.
Earlier this week, the pair made another united appearance as they received the new French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean D’Haussonville, at the Prince’s Palace.
Prince Albert wore a navy checkered suit as he put his arms around the pair’s children, eight-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella
The family were pictured at Princess-Antoinette Park in Monaco and Albert and Charlene appeared to be putting on a unified front, following claims they are living apart and only see each other ‘by appointment’
Around 1,0000 Monegasques attend each year as it is seen as the last major event of the season
Offering only the slightest of smiles, the mother-of-two appeared to stand awkwardly next to her smartly-dressed husband, who in contrast, wore a beaming grin for the camera.
And last week, the couple made an awkward television appearance as they launched TVMonaco which will broadcast a wide range of programmes including current affairs, talk shows, the environment and sport in a bid to promote Monegasque culture.
Prince Albert told the MonacoTV reporter: ‘I’m very proud to be here with Princess Charlene to launch this beautiful adventure, this TV channel which will expand the importance of this principality throughout the world.
‘And I am sure, considering how modern this setup is that there will be a very high quality of programming, important yes for residents of Monaco, but also for all those who like the principality and the riviera throughout the world so it’s a great joy to be here.’
Charlene, who deleted her Instagram account last month, leading to further speculation, briefly added: ‘Congratulations – and all the best for the future.’
Last month Prince Albert posed next to his former mistress Nicole Coste as they marked their son Alexandre’s 20th birthday with an outside dinner. They were joined by Jazmin Grimaldi – Albert’s other illegitimate child.
Charlotte Casiraghi at the traditional picnic event. The royal was wearing a colourful Chanel Resort 2020 dress which she also paired with classic black crossbody bag from the French designer
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. were both dressed in white and Princess Gabriella held a bunch of pink flowers
The ‘Monaco picnic’ is an annual event that is seen as the equivalent of British royal garden parties that are hosted each summer
Albert and Charlene have been at the centre of speculation after reports in European media alleged she was living in Switzerland and only saw her husband ‘by appointment’.
A source close to the royal pair told French newspaper Voici that the former Olympic swimmer and son of Grace Kelly are just a ‘ceremonial couple’.
It adds that Charlene has promised to return to Monaco on official occasions and is now allowed to see her children more often – with the pair splitting care of the children.
‘Albert and Charlene are now good partners, take turns taking care of the children,’ a source added to German newspaper Bild.
Rumours of the state of the couple’s marriage have swirled for years, since Charlene cried on her wedding to Grace Kelly’s son in 2011.
However, the rumour mill went into overdrive when Charlene spent most of 2021 apart from her husband after returning to her native South Africa for what was supposed to be a month-long trip.
She wasn’t pictured in Monaco from January 2021 until March 2022, citing a sinus issue which stopped her from flying.
Last month Prince Albert posed next to his former mistress Nicole Coste as they marked their son Alexandre’s 20th birthday with an outside dinner. They were joined by Jazmin Grimaldi – Albert’s other illegitimate child
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco put on a united front as they received the new French Ambassador to Monaco, Jean D’Haussonville, at the Prince’s Palace, earlier this week
She missed the seventh birthday of her twins Gabriella and Jacques and her tenth wedding anniversary with Albert.
In interviews at the time, Albert explained he had stepped up to play a bigger role in his children’s lives as the family coped with Charlene’s ongoing health issues.
Upon her return to the principality, Albert claimed she was ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘unwell’.
Speaking to People magazine at the time, Albert said the family reunion in Monaco last week initially went ‘pretty well’ in the first few hours, but it then became ‘pretty evident’ that Charlene was ‘unwell.’
He said the former Olympian ‘realised she needed help’, adding: ‘She was overwhelmed and couldn’t face official duties, life in general or even family life.’
Claims she will stay in Switzerland were backed up by a source who knows the couple well, who said: ‘The South of France is too close, but Switzerland has superb private medical facilities, and Charlene will be well looked after there.’
Cried and groom: Charlene had been accused of trying to run away three times before she married
The couple have been at the centre of split rumours for years, but have always denied there’s an issue with their marriage.
Rumours have swirled about the relationship between the Prince and the former Olympic swimmer, who is 20 years his junior.
In March this year, French magazine ROYAUTÉ previously claimed that the prince and princess were in the process of separation, but the Palace was quick to hit back.
A spokesman said: ‘I would like to formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the French magazine Royauté. Please disregard this article which is totally unfounded.’
Last month, the royal couple also put on a united front as they relaxed on a yacht in Corsica.
Photos show the couple relaxed while on a yacht in the Mediterranean. In one shot Albert lovingly wraps his arm around Charlene, while in another they sit side-by-side on the beach.
The couple, alongside their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, spent the summer on a yacht owned by Kazakh businessman Bulat Utemuratov.
Albert is the current head of the pocket-sized principality. But it was the financial acumen of his father, Prince Rainier, that set Monaco on its current path to riches.
Together with his wife Princess Grace, formerly Hollywood’s Grace Kelly, they created one of the most unashamedly glamorous families on the planet – and a world combining high society with the high-octane thrill of the Monaco grand prix.
The couple shared a seemingly awkward kiss during their religious wedding ceremony on July 2, 2011 in Monaco
Today, Prince Albert and Princess Consort Charlene, mother of his two children, attract the attention of photographers whenever they step out in public.
But, the wealthy lifestyle is accompanied by a fair degree of drama.
Guests at the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco in 2011 could not help but notice that his bride, Charlene, cried through much of the ceremony. And they didn’t look like tears of joy.
Numerous photographs showed Charlene dabbing at her eyes, ignoring Albert’s audible entreaties to stop crying.
Charlene later proffered the explanation that she had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the proceedings but her awkward demeanour added to rumours that the couple’s relationship was in trouble well before their wedding day.
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