‘Splendor and drama’, the face and the cross of the life of Albert of Monaco

‘The children of the principality of Monaco: splendor and drama’, this is the eloquent title of the documentary starring Prince Albert of Monaco that will be broadcast next August on the German channel ZDF. For now, only a preview of the extensive interview given by the Monegasque head of state has been known, an appetizer in which he opens up recounting the difficulties he has gone through and in which there is no statement about his wife, the princess. Charlene, who has been making headlines in the German media for several weeks highlighting her loneliness.

Alberto talks about how at a very young age he realized that “I was different” and how “I had to learn at a very young age what was expected of me.” «It is not easy to face it. “It is difficult to appear in public and give speeches,” he says. Just as his parents did with him, trying to give him as normal a life as possible in terms of public exposure, the prince takes all these aspects into account for his nine-year-old children, Jaques and Gabriela. «Our children are still very young and I want them to grow up as normally as possible. Just like my parents did with me and my brothers. When we were little, our family life was as normal as possible. We spent as much time together as possible and enjoyed our privacy and family trips,” he recalls.

At the moment, no statement has been made about his wife, although it is expected that he will relate how he lived during the time she was convalescing and unable to leave South Africa due to an infection. Six months during which the princess had to undergo three surgeries and during which she was away from her husband and her children. An episode that left her with serious consequences, not only physical, but also emotional, and from which she already seems to have recovered after spending periods isolated in a prestigious Swiss clinic due to mental and physical exhaustion.

Charlene’s spirit has always been in the spotlight. Her serious gesture and her habitual disappearances from the Monegasque public scene give rise to recurring rumors of marital crises that Alberto has been determined to deny in recent times. Now, it is the loneliness of the aristocrat that worries the foreign media. “She is surrounded by people, she has her own workers at her service, but she is completely alone and, to a large extent, very protected,” ‘Bunte’ pointed out a few weeks ago. In fact, her institutional prominence is scarce and her presence on the Principality’s social networks is quite diluted.

A situation that contrasts with what we were able to see at the end of May on the occasion of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The event recovered its gala dinner, which was also attended by Prince Albert and Charlene. She, in red, and he, with the matching bow tie, posed arm in arm with her, a gesture of trust, support and complicity. In fact, in an extensive interview given to ‘Paris Match’ magazine last March, Grace Kelly’s son defended that his wife “is fine now” although “she was also very affected by me and saddened by certain things that came out in the media”, in reference to the publications that ended their marriage. “It is true that she has resumed many activities, more public commitments, and everyone is delighted with it,” he stated, while pointing out that “she also wants to get more involved.” It remains to be seen if the princess’s presence in institutional events finally consolidates.