Charlene, Princess of Monaco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlene Princess Consort of Monaco |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Princess Charlene in 2013
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Princess consort of Monaco | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tenure | 1 July 2011 – present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Charlene Lynette Wittstock 25 January 1978 Mater Dei Hospital, Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | Michael Wittstock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Lynette Humberstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Swimmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charlene (born Charlene Lynette Wittstock, 25 January 1978) is the Princess of Monaco. She is married to Prince Albert II. Before becoming a princess, Charlene was an Olympic swimmer for South Africa.
Charlene was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Her family moved to South Africa in 1989. She started her swimming career in 1996 and won the South African Championship. She represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her team finished fifth in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay. Charlene stopped professional swimming in 2007.
Charlene met Prince Albert at a swimming competition in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in 2000. They married on 1 July 2011. On 10 December 2014, she gave birth to twins, Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques. Princess Charlene does a lot of charity work. She helps with sports, health issues, and supports children who need help. In 2012, she started her own charity, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
Contents
Early Life and Family History
Charlene Lynette Wittstock was born on 25 January 1978. Her birthplace was Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Her father, Michael Kenneth Wittstock, was a sales manager. Her mother, Lynette, was a competitive diver and swimming coach.
The Wittstock family has German roots. Charlene's great-great-grandparents moved to South Africa from Germany in 1861. They were looking for a better life. Charlene also has Irish ancestry.
Charlene has two younger brothers. Gareth is a businessman in Monaco. Sean works in promotions in South Africa. When Charlene was 12, her family moved to South Africa in 1989. She went to Tom Newby Primary school in Benoni, near Johannesburg.
Amazing Swimming Career
Charlene won many medals as a swimmer. At the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, she won three gold medals and one silver medal. She also competed for South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games. She won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay in 2002.
Charlene was part of the South African women's 4×100 m medley team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Her team finished fifth in the world. She also finished sixth in the 200 m breaststroke at the 2002 FINA Short Course World Championships.
Throughout her swimming career, Charlene taught swimming lessons. She helped children who did not have many opportunities. She trained at the Tuks Swimming Club in Pretoria. The club supported her with free pool access, coaching, and a place to stay.
In 2007, Charlene won the South Africa's 50-metre women's backstroke championship again. She finished third in the final race. She had hoped to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. However, she did not qualify. Before this, she had been out of competitive swimming for 18 months because of a shoulder injury.
Becoming a Princess: Her Marriage
Charlene met Albert II, Prince of Monaco, in 2000. They met at a swimming event in Monaco. They first appeared in public as a couple at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
On 23 June 2010, the palace announced their engagement. Charlene's engagement ring had a beautiful pear-shaped diamond. Charlene was raised a Protestant. She decided to become a Catholic before her marriage. This was not required by the laws of Monaco. She also learned French and the local Monégasque dialect. She learned about the customs of royal families.
The wedding took place on 1 July 2011. The civil ceremony was held in the Throne Room of the Prince's Palace. The religious ceremony happened the next day, on 2 July, in the palace courtyard.
On 30 May 2014, the palace announced that Charlene was expecting a baby. On 9 October 2014, it was confirmed she was expecting twins. On 10 December 2014, her twins were born. Princess Gabriella was born first. Then, Hereditary Prince Jacques was born. Prince Jacques is the future ruler of Monaco.
Princess Charlene's Important Work
Princess Charlene is involved in many good causes. Since 2010, she has worked with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. In 2011, she became a global ambassador for the Special Olympics. This group helps people with intellectual disabilities through sports. She believes in using sports to change lives.
In July 2011, she became a co-patron of Giving Organizations Trust. This group of South African charities helps with health issues, children in need, and the environment. Princess Charlene also supports the Princess Grace Foundation-USA.
Charlene often helps with fundraising events for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. She is also the honorary president of Monaco Against Autism. In 2012, she became the patron of AS Rugby Monaco. She also became the honorary president of Monaco Liver Disorder and the MONAA association. In 2014, Charlene received the Champion of Children Award. This award recognized her work for children's rights. In 2016, she became a patron of the South African Red Cross Society.
The Princess started the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in December 2012. Its main goal is to prevent drowning. It teaches children about water safety. In September 2014, she presented her foundation at a meeting in New York City. In November 2015, Charlene spoke at the Vatican. She talked about efforts to stop drowning around the world.
In June 2020, her Foundation helped make masks for people in Monaco during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, Charlene visited Tbilisi, Georgia. She visited sports facilities and donated a bus to a rugby team. She also met with Paralympic athletes and visited a center for children with hearing loss.
In January 2024, Charlene became the honorary president of Pink Ribbon Monaco. This group works to fight breast cancer. In June 2024, Princess Charlene was chosen to be one of the torchbearers for Monaco at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She and Prince Albert attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Princess Charlene's Health Journey
In May 2021, Princess Charlene was in South Africa. She was there to raise awareness about rhino poaching. During this trip, she got an ear, nose, and throat infection. This made it hard for her to fly. Because of this, she could not return to Monaco for a while. She missed important events, including her tenth wedding anniversary. She said this was "extremely difficult" for her.
She had several medical procedures. In September 2021, she was hospitalized again due to complications. She returned to Monaco in November 2021.
On 16 November 2021, the palace announced that Charlene needed to rest. She canceled all her activities because she was very tired. She spent some time recovering outside of Monaco. In March 2022, the palace said that Charlene was back in Monaco with her family. She slowly started her duties again as she felt better.
In June 2022, Charlene tested positive for COVID-19. She self-isolated to follow health rules.
Titles and Honours
Since her marriage, Charlene is known as "Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco". She holds the same historical titles as her husband, Prince Albert II.
She has received several awards and honours. These include the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles from Monaco. She also received the Medal for Physical Education and Sports, First Class. Other countries have also given her honours, such as the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Images for kids
-
Coat of arms of Princess Charlene
-
Royal monogram of Princess Charlene
See also
In Spanish: Charlene de Mónaco para niños
