Princess Charlene was absent as Prince Albert of Monaco attended the 145th session of the International Olympic Committee alongside Princess Anne, notable for holding critical decision meetings.
The Monegasque and British royals both have long associations with the Olympics, with the Princess Royal and the Prince of Monaco present as preparations begin for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
The IOC sessions are used to hold critical decision meetings, which include votes on future host cities, and set guidelines that govern the Olympic Games.
Anne was the first member of the British Royal Family to have competed in the Olympic Games, when she represented Great Britain in the three-day equestrian event at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Princess Anne and Prince Albert of Monaco attended the 145th session of the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday
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She rode Goodwill, a horse owned by her mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Anne later transitioned to various leadership roles and became a member of the IOC in 1988.
Anne also serves as a resident of the British Olympic Association.
Prince Albert additionally has deep links with the Winter Olympics, having been an IOC member since 1985.
He participated in the bobsleigh event at five consecutive Winter Olympics, from Calgary in 1988 to Salt Lake City in 2002.
Albert has also served as president of the Monegasque Olympic Committee since 1994 and holds multiple senior IOC roles, including deputy chairman of the Athletes’ Commission.
Princess Charlene was notably absent from the event despite being an Olympic swimmer herself, having represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Prince Albert pictured competing for the Monegasque Olympic bobsleigh team for five straight Winter Olympics
|GETTY
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s social media account posted on the visit, saying: “His Majesty Prince Albert II participated, on Monday, February 2, at the opening ceremony of the 145th session of the International Olympic Committee (ICO), organised in the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
“This session opens a new chapter for the Olympic Movement, as the Milan Cortina 2026 Games approaches, the first Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games designed and organised in total compliance with the reforms of the 2020 Olympic Agenda, from application to delivery.
“The speeches of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the President of the CIO, Kirsty Coventry, recalled the founding role of sport and the Olympic values of peace, respect and excellence at the dawn of this new edition of the Games.”
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While Princess Charlene did not attend the IOC event, she was seen alongside Albert a few days earlier at a candlelit spiritual concert at Monaco Cathedral to mark the end of the Sainte-Dévote celebrations.
Charlene was seen in a floor-length white coat that featured structured shoulders and a single-breasted silhouette.
She wore the item over a black knitted top with a boat neckline and accessorised with pearl earrings.
Princess Charlene was recently seen in a stunning white and black outfit
|The evening at Monaco Cathedral featured the Sarténe Men’s Choir, conducted by Jean-Paul Poletti.
The choir joined forces with the Choir of the Papal Chapel of Assisi and the Children’s Choir of the Rainier III Academy.
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