What on earth is going on with Princess Charlene of Monaco?

[clartymare]

The latest update doesn't seem to make a huge amount of sense - a sinus infection has kept her away from Monaco since January? I understand that would mean you couldn't fly, but surely someone with her status would be offered another mode of transport to return to her children?
She doesn't look well in the video, I hope it's just poorly shot and that she's not seriously poorly.

Perhaps she's actually been very clever here.

If there's an NDA, and if its true that she's now living in France and only seldom permitted to see the kids, by plunking herself over in SA she has millions worldwide asking WTF - and the news is out without ever breaching any contract.

If so, clever woman!

I can’t imagine what it must be like to not have access to your kids if that’s the truth. I agree that if it is the case, it’s put her in the spotlight in a big way, with the biggest question being asked: but what about her kids?! I really hope that if it’s some kind of long game to get better access to them that she succeeds.

It’s all very very odd

Why couldn't he have married a black woman if he'd wanted to? Surely there's no rule against it in the 21st century.

From what I've read Monaco is even more traditional than our royal house so I doubt Albert marrying a black woman would be acceptable. It's caused enough problems with our RF.

The pressure on Albert to marry has been immense. Up until 2002 there was law that if he didn't provide a male heir sovereignity of the realm would return to France.
No pressure mate!
Albert has three illegitimate children, one fathered whilst with Charlene, poor woman.

This RF makes ours look positively stable! Scandals, multiple divorces, assaults, running away to the circus, and so on.

If ever there was a case of doing away with 'royal families' I think this is it.

I hope Charlene finds some peace.

@Rousette

For some reason, that makes me think of the Edward VIII drama. He wasn't allowed to marry the woman he wanted because she was deemed "unsuitable" for reasons that are ridiculous and unfair to a modern audience, so he abdicated to marry her. But in an ironic twist of circumstances, it turned out that she (and he) actually were very unsuitable to rule. That had nothing to do with her status as a divorcee and everything to do with their own characters.

This would be sort of the opposite of that. He wanted to be with someone who was "unsuitable" for racist reasons, but instead of abdicating, he married someone more "suitable" and continued carrying on with the other woman (or women) that he'd rather have married. But if what's posted here has any basis in truth, he himself is the one who's unsuitable to rule. I think the parallels are interesting.

'I doubt Albert marrying a black woman would be acceptable. It's caused enough problems with our RF.'

Oh roussette, it really didn't. It was Harry wanting to do things their own way that caused all the problems. I really wish we could stop the desperate racist straw clutching. She was welcomed, popular etc etc.

Anyway. Back to the actual thread. Monaco does seem a very backward thinking country with archaic laws and rules so who knows what constraints were foisted on him. Like all royal families I'm sure the privilege compensates for the rules though.

Yes, I agree Purple and bearing in mind Camilla was deemed as unsuitable back then.

As always Janiie we will have to agree to disagree. You really don't know how the establishment viewed her, so you can't say 'it really didn't'. It is opinion on both our sides.

The House of Grimaldi, the Monaguesques, the Monaco RF have always been fascinating... right from when Grace Kelly married in.

@Hallomother
😂 it’s very funny and the ideal book to read on holiday
But the similarities to everything that’s been written over time is spot on even with Will &
Kate
Waste a few hours reading it 😂
Plus it’s an old book so a lots that’s in the book has actually happened 😂

PurpleOkapi That’s an alternative reality novel I’d love to read; what if we’d had King Edward and Queen Wallis? Would they have had an heir of their own or would Bertie have ended up becoming king anyway but years later? Would he still have died so young? Would Margaret have married Peter Townsend if she’d stayed the daughter of the duke of York, and would Elizabeth have become just another navy wife?

Yes I'd read that novel Sydney - my interest would be on how they might have influenced WW2 though and whether the Government would have had to shut them up!

Sorry that's a bit off topic. I read in Vanity Fair that PA and C honeymooned in separate hotels.

@SydneyCarton

PurpleOkapi That’s an alternative reality novel I’d love to read; what if we’d had King Edward and Queen Wallis? Would they have had an heir of their own or would Bertie have ended up becoming king anyway but years later? Would he still have died so young? Would Margaret have married Peter Townsend if she’d stayed the daughter of the duke of York, and would Elizabeth have become just another navy wife?

I'd totally read that. My guesses:

They never had children, so either they didn't want them or couldn't have them. If the former, Edward's willingness to hand the throne over to George and then Elizabeth suggests that he'd have been happy enough to remain heirless and let them inherit when he died. If the latter, then the probably still wouldn't have been able to have any.

The stresses of being King can't have been good for poor Bertie, but I don't think that's what gave him lung cancer. He'd still have died around the same time.

Elizabeth would have ended up as Queen but not until Edward died. Edward would have been on the throne during the Peter Townshend saga, and I think he'd probably have allowed the marriage.

It would have been unseemly to groom Elizabeth for the throne until Wallis was so old that producing an heir was clearly out of the question, so perhaps she wouldn't have been as well-prepared for it. But on the other hand, she'd have been much older when she became Queen. Mountbatten would probably still have flung Philip at her, but maybe not, and who knows whether she'd have married him? On the one hand, maybe his background would have been less objectionable if her becoming Queen wasn't considered a sure thing. On the other, maybe she only got her way in the end because she was a future Queen.

Also, the allies would have lost WWII and we'd all be speaking German right now.

This is fun!

Poor Charlene, assuming she was forced/coerced/blackmailed into marrying him to be a broodmare for an heir, now she’s served her function she may find herself exiled from her children forever. It has a very Henry VIII vibe about it (didn’t this happen to Catherine of Aragon after she was cast aside)?

Also wondering now if the twins were natural or ivf conceived (to give a higher chance of getting an heir and spare in a shorter space of time, and without regular intimacy by the parents?)

I guess we will never know, so it's all assumptions.
My understanding is that the Monaco reign continuance is subject to a male heir (note Grace and Raiñier having 3 children, the youngest being male and inheriting.)
So it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility to wonder if IVF was a factor. It would remove the ick of intimacy and would better guarantee an heir. I don't know much about IVF-is selecting gender an option?

I don't know much about IVF-is selecting gender an option?

Yes. Male sperm weigh less than female sperm, because the Y chromosome is so much smaller than the X chromosome, so sorting them by weight largely but not perfectly accurate. They can also genetically test the developing embryos and only implant the male ones.

Did anyone see the tv series on Monaco? It was fascinating.

I saw it - I thought Albert came across well, but that was probably the aim. Monaco seems like a dreadful place, though.

Thanks Purple, v interesting.
I agree about Monaco-just visited whilst on a cruise years ago. Beautiful, but not for me.
An old school friend moved there many years ago to do the 'tax efficiency' thing shall we say. He has tens of millions and a stunningly beautiful young model wife. Good luck to him of course, each to their own!

I wondered about cancer - head shaved, which is done for some MRI procedures; seems to be on some heavy meds; has lost weight I think.

Whatever, she is in a hard place, poor woman.

Oh roussette, it really didn't. It was Harry wanting to do things their own way that caused all the problems. I really wish we could stop the desperate racist straw clutching. She was welcomed, popular etc etc.

I watched post H&M leaving news coverage, which features a flash back to coverage of a M&H wedding day street party in the UK. There were the outside, fully decorated tables, heaving with street party food, all the ladies dressed up, all in good spirits and excited about the wedding day.

However, when actually asked about their thoughts on the wedding, one effectively said she didn't like Meghan and the marriage wouldn't last long. The others all had a really good laugh at this, clearly mostly in agreement. That reporter later followed up with the same women after H&M left the country. Most made it clear they never like Meghan, anticipated divorce from the start, and never supported the marriage at all.

That has encapsulated the "support" and "celebration" of Meghan and the marriage perfectly for me.

"Also wondering now if the twins were natural or ivf conceived (to give a higher chance of getting an heir and spare in a shorter space of time, and without regular intimacy by the parents?)"

I have to admit I wonder this every time a celebrity or well-known couple has twins

Very wealthy people have IVF as a way of embryo and or sex selection. It can be their genetic children, but screened and transferred at a time to suit. Twins (one of each gender) or children born close in age, even to older parents. It solves all sorts of problems!

so many replies! It's so intriguing isn't it - I know it's someone's life and it shouldn't be intriguing but I can't help but follow it.
She sounds very strange in the latest video.

My understanding is that the Monaco reign continuance is subject to a male heir (note Grace and Raiñier having 3 children, the youngest being male and inheriting.)

Does that mean that Charlene's daughter does not actually count as a "spare".

@PicsInRed how odd to quote an alleged random person's opinion at an alleged street party , what a convenient made up tale, recollections really do vary. Ime there was widespread support for the pair of them.

'Monaco seems like a dreadful place, though.'

It does doesn't it. Nice boats though but the people all seem so very grasping and desperate to be important don't they.

Does that mean that Charlene's daughter does not actually count as a "spare"

No - daughters can inherit, though they've always preferred boys

Some things were changed in 2002, including disallowing succession by adopted children (presumably because that would "dilute" the Grimaldi bloodline). Also siblings and their children can now "get the job" if Albert had died unmarried/without children

Worth noting that at least some of this may have been to prevent the ghastly place ever becoming a French protectorate, especially since Albert took so long to marry