ROYALSPrince Albert Set to Attend Lavish New York City Event Without Wife Princess Charlene as Couple Continues to Fight Off Divorce Rumors
Prince Albert will attend the Princess Grace Awards without Princess Charlene.
Prince Albert is gearing up to attend the 2024 Princess Grace Awards on Wednesday, October 23, in New York, but Princess Charlene is expected to skip the gathering.
Charlene typically is in attendance, but a spokesperson has yet to confirm why she won't be at the event.
Princess Charlene branded ongoing divorce rumors as 'hurtful.'
OK! previously reported the French royals opened up about the early stages of their romance after fighting off divorce rumors for months.
“I don’t know if we fell in love back then," Albert said in an interview. "You know, after that, I didn’t see Charlene again for several years."
“First of all, I thought that she was an excellent swimmer and that she was friendly, cheerful and approachable. We had a great time," Albert shared of their first interaction.
Princess Charlene and Prince Albert first in 2000.
Prior to becoming a princess, Charlene was best known for her work as a professional swimmer, as Albert met the Olympian at the Mare Nostrum International Swimming Meet in 2000. The Olympian was able to joke about her first time hanging out with her now-husband.
“I don’t know if I should say this, but that night I got her into a bit of trouble because I didn’t get her ‘home’ in time," Albert admitted.
“Yes, I did get into a bit of trouble that night, but we won’t go into that," Charlene chimed in.
A French newspaper claimed Princess Charlene was 'living in Switzerland.'
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Earlier this year, a French paper claimed Charlene was "living in Switzerland," fueling speculation about the couple's relationship. However, they continued to make public appearances together and denied the assertion.
“There’s nothing wrong with our marriage and I find the rumors to be draining and exhausting," Charlene told a South African outlet. "I simply cannot understand where they come from.”
"It feels to me like certain media or people want to see us split," she continued.
In 2021, Charlene took a break from her public life in Monaco to recover from an ear, nose and throat infection, and she spent most of the year in her home country of South Africa. However, Charlene's time away from her role fueled conspiracy theories about her whereabouts, relationship and more.
Aside from her health woes, Charlene's primary language being English played a role in how she was perceived by the press.
“It’s worth remembering that sometimes royalty who are born abroad, and their first language is not the language that they marry into, often face a lot of mockery and even criticism for the way they speak their adopted language," royal historian Gareth Russell told GB News.
Princess Charlene and Prince Albert got married in 2011.
When Charlene first moved to Monaco, she struggled to adjust to her new normal.
Russell pointed out that Charlene has “unfortunately endured a few media insults for her accent and the way she speaks the language and that makes her feel less confident speaking it on camera."
In an interview, Charlene was candid about how many of people she met early on in her royal career struggled to connect with her.
"The people I mixed with in Monaco didn't relate to my South African mentality or humor," she said in an interview.
"I have met some wonderful people since I've been living in Monaco, I regard them all as acquaintances," Charlene admitted. "I only have two people I consider friends here."
"Above all, my true friends are my family," she shared. "My mother and two brothers are the only friends I need and the only people I trust. I'm very grateful to have them."
