Nearly a year after Monaco’s Princess Charlene began a harrowing medical journey that kept her grounded in South Africa for at least five months, she has finally returned home to the principality. In a statement, the Palais Princier told People that she had returned home from a clinic in Switzerland to continue her “convalescence in the Principality with her husband and her children by her side.”
The palace said that Charlene will return to public duties when she is feeling strong enough. “[She] still needs peace and calm,” the statement added. “The princely couple therefore asks that their private life and family environment continue to be respected.”
Charlene first made the journey home in November 2021, just in time for the principality’s National Day celebrations. At the time, she posed for photographs with her husband, Prince Albert, and their twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, who remained in Monaco during Charlene’s health crisis. Within a few days, it became clear that she had not fully recovered, and Albert announced that she left Monaco to seek further treatment because she was suffering from “exhaustion, both emotional and physical.”
Early in her saga, Charlene explained that the illness began when she developed an ENT infection after surgery for dental implants. She took a turn for the worse during a trip to her homeland, South Africa, and remained there for months because she could not equalize pressure in her ears. She was further hospitalized and underwent two surgeries. A source close to the princess told Page Six that she “almost died,” but her sister-in-law Chantell Wittstock later denied this claim. “This is simply not true,” Wittstock said. “She had difficulty eating after all the procedures and so yes, she lost a lot of weight, but it was because she could only have soft foods and liquids.”
Charlene’s extended absence from Monaco fueled rumors that her relationship with her husband was facing difficulties, but Albert later denied that there were any problems in the marriage. In August 2021, Charlene posted photos taken when Albert brought Gabriella and Jacques to visit her in South Africa.
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
— The Prince Andrew Trial That Wasn’t
— Jerry Lewis’s Costars Speak Out: “He Grabbed Me. He Began to Fondle Me. I Was Dumbstruck”
— Monica Padman’s Moment Is Now
— The Week Los Angeles Ate the Art World
— Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive for COVID-19
— Why a Judge Wants a Closer Look at Ghislaine Maxwell’s Guilty Verdict
— Nine Books We Couldn’t Put Down This Month
— Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue 2022: See the Full Portfolio Featuring Nicole Kidman, Kristen Stewart, and More
— 20 Best Face Exfoliators for Softer, Brighter Skin: Scrubs, Peels, and Toners
— From the Archive: Charles & Camilla, Coup of Hearts
— Sign up for “The Buyline” to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.