Princess Charlene opens up about her health journey for the first time

The Princess attended a Monaco Fashion Week awards ceremony at the Opera of Monaco with her daughter on Tuesday.

Princess Charlene of Monaco has opened up for the first time about her two-year health battle describing it as “very painful”. 

The 44 year old spent the majority of last year in her native South Africa recovering from a mystery ENT illness that kept her away from the Mediterranean principality, her husband and twin son and daughter. 

Charlene initially flew to South Africa in May 2021 for ten days, but surgery complications meant she was forced to stay for a further ten months. But this wasn’t the end of her health journey and she was forced to undergo further treatment in a clinic in Switzerland, leading to fears that she may never return to royal duties alongside husband Prince Albert. 

But since returning to Monaco permanently in March the Princess has slowly but surely resumed her royal duties and on Tuesday made an appearance at a Monaco Fashion Week awards ceremony at the Opera of Monaco, which she attended with her adorable seven-year-old daughter Princess Gabriella. 

For the first time since her ordeal Princess Charlene opened up to journalists, speaking to Monaco newspaper Monaco-Matin, admitting that “my state of health is still fragile, and I don't want to go too fast…The road has been long, difficult and so painful. Today I feel calmer."

Referring to her seven-year-old twins, Gabriella and Jacques, Charlene said: “When I returned to the Principality, I focused all my energy on my children, my husband and my health because they are my priority.”

Looking radiant in an iridescent pink Terrence Bray dress, she moved on to happier subjects and gushed about how Princess Gabriella has taken to royal duties with aplomb. 

“Gabriella, like all little girls her age, loves princess dresses, doing her hair and even trying on my lipsticks. Gabriella has her own style and I like to encourage that individuality,” she said.

“This mother/daughter fashion outing for the Monte-Carlo Fashion Awards delighted me and for the first time we went on stage together. She wasn't nervous at all, rather amused and she could have even put on a show on stage!”