Princess Charlene of Monaco celebrates birthday today following year of 'exhausting' marriage rumours

She went on to become an Olympic swimmer for South Africa before marrying Prince Albert of Monaco in 2011.

Rumours about the royal couple’s marriage began in the summer of 2023 after the Princess of Monaco deleted her Instagram account.

In an interview with a South African media outlet, the princess said that the rumours were “draining and exhausting.”

She stated: “There’s nothing wrong with our marriage and I find the rumours to be draining and exhausting.

I simply cannot understand where they come from.”

Charlene explained that the reason she deleted Instagram in the summer was to protect the privacy of her twin children.

The princess continued: “It feels to me like certain media or people want to see us split.”

The royal couple were spotted this week with their hands behind each other’s backs as they stood to watch a charity football match in Monaco.

Princess Charlene looked glamourous at the match wearing a Burberry Detachable-Hood Padded Coat with a pair of Gianvito Rossi suede boots.

She also chose a bold make-up look with dark eyeliner and bright, red lips.

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It is rare for the princess to sit down for interviews with the press, which creates a mystique around the royal.

Gareth Russel, a royal author, spoke exclusively to GB News stating: “It’s worth remembering that sometimes royalty who are born abroad, and their first language is not the language that they marry into, often face a lot of mockery and even criticism for the way they speak their adopted language.”

Russel also mentioned that Charlene may have “unfortunately endured a few media insults for her accent and the way she speaks the language and that makes her feel less confident speaking it on camera."

Prince Albert is the second child but only son of Rainier III and the famous actress Grace Kelly, formerly Princess Grace of Monaco.