Princess Charlene of Monaco’s Instagram account appears to have been deleted amid rumours that she’s been “living in Switzerland” and only sees her husband for ceremonial occasions.
The princess, 45, who is married to Prince Albert II of Monaco, 65, appears to no longer be active on the Instagram account @hshprincesscharlene. When searching for the Instagram handle, the page returns with no results and instead a message that reads: “Sorry, this page isn’t available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”
Charlene previously used the Instagram account to share photos of the royal couple’s two children: Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, eight. While her personal account appears to have been deleted, the Instagram account for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation remains active.
The deleted Instagram account comes amid rumours that the princess was “living in Switzerland” and only sees her husband by appointment, German and French outlets recently reported. The couple were previously spotted on a yacht with their children this summer, according to the Daily Mail. However, Charlene allegedly did not return to Monaco with the family.
A source told French newspaper Voici that the former Olympic swimmer and the son of Grace Kelly are a “ceremonial couple” who only reunite in Monaco for official engagements. Meanwhile, sources told German outlet Bild: “Albert and Charlene are now good partners, take turns taking care of the children.”
The royal palace of Monaco has yet to respond to the claims. However, Prince Albert previously dismissed rumours that the couple were separated earlier this year. In a statement to the Daily Mail, the Palace’s press office said they “formally deny the malicious rumorus peddled by the French magazine Royauté,” which claimed that the couple were in the process of separation. “Please disregard this article which is totally unfounded,” they said. Palace sources also told People that reports of an estrangement were “made up of old stories which weren’t true to begin with”.
Princess Charlene has previously lived on-and-off in South Africa, after she developed a sinus infection in May 2021 due to complications from a sinus lift and bone grafting procedure. She was forced to remain in South Africa under the care of doctors. “Initially I was supposed to be here for 10 to 12 days, unfortunately, I had a problem equalising my ears, and I found out through the doctors that I had a sinus infection and quite a serious one. So, it’s taking time to address this problem that I’m having,” she told People in July 2021.
In September that year, Prince Albert clarified that his wife took the trip to work with her foundation and to visit family and friends, and not because they were separated. “She didn’t leave Monaco in a huff!” he told People. “She didn’t leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else. She was going down to South Africa to reassess her foundation’s work down there and to take a little time off with her brother and some friends.”
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend 74th annual Monaco Red Cross Ball on 29 July 2023— (AFP via Getty Images)
Princess Charlene returned to Monaco that fall, but quickly halted her public duties in November 2021 due to a state of “profound general fatigue”. It was later revealed that she was receiving treatment at a facility in Switzerland. She then made her first public appearance in more than a year at the Monaco E-Prix race in May 2022, with both her husband and children. Charlene also attended the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
The latest reports that Princess Charlene is “living in Switzerland” comes after Prince Albert’s son Alexandre Grimaldi opened up about certain narratives surrounding his parentage. Grimaldi, 19, is the second eldest child of Monaco’s reigning monarch. In 2005, shortly before Prince Albert ascended the throne after his father, Prince Rainier III, had died, he confirmed that he had fathered a child with former Air France flight attendant, Nicole Coste. A French newspaper reported that Albert’s son Alexandre Coste was born in August 2003. Just a few days before he was enthroned on 12 July 2005, the prince confirmed via his lawyer that Grimaldi was his biological son.
Speaking to French magazine Point de Vue, Grimaldi clarified that he was not an “illegitimate” child since neither of his parents were in another marriage nor did they “commit adultery” while conceiving him. “I hope no one believes the lies conveyed on the internet,” he said. “One bears the name of one’s father when one has been recognised since birth. I had voluntary recognition from my father when I was a baby. Not from a judge or the press who have forced him to.”
