According to a source, Princess Charlene of Monaco almost died after her surgery for swallowing problems due to a serious throat infection.
The princess, 43, has been at the centre of an ongoing saga surrounding the royal’s health after her husband Prince Albert of Monaco, 64, revealed Charlene has been admitted to a ‘treatment facility’ where she will remain for ‘at least several’ weeks.
After spending 10 months in South Africa for 10 months, the royal declared it was ‘evident’ that she was unwell and set up an intervention along with her family.
And now a new source has spoken to Page Six and slammed the ‘portrayal of mental health issues’, claiming that the extent of her health complications are being ‘downplayed’ and the mother-of-two has lost ‘half of her body weight’.
According to a source, Princess Charlene of Monaco almost died after having surgery for swallowing problems due to a severe infection in her throat. (Charlene has been pictured looking thinner recently).
After Prince Albert, 64, announced that Charlene was admitted to a treatment facility, Charlene (43-year-old) is now at the centre for an ongoing scandal surrounding her health.
Speaking to the publication this week, a source described as the royal’s friend said: ‘It is unfair that she is being portrayed as having some kind of mental or emotional issue.
“We are not sure why the palace downplays that she nearly died in South Africa.
The royal suffered from a severe infection of the ears, nose, and throat. This caused him to have severe sinus problems and difficulty swallowing.
They added: ‘She has not been able to eat solid food in over six months because of all the surgeries she has since gone through. Her body weight has fallen to half since she could only drink water through a straw.
Charlene was reunited with her husband, Jacques and Gabriella in Monaco this month after a 10-month absence. She had been recovering from surgery for a sinus infection that she got on a charity solo trip to South Africa.
Page Six has been contacted by a new source who slammed Page Six’s portrayal of mental issues. She claimed that her health problems are being downplayed and that she has lost half of her bodyweight.
Charlene Wittstock’s sister-in law Chantell Wittstock said that Charlene may not have returned to the palace. She also did not expect to be immediately returning to public functions. But she later retracts the statement.
Charlene left after new claims that Albert was having a third child (which, if true, would have been his third) with a Brazilian woman. This happened during the same time Charlene and Albert were in a relationship.
French media greeted photographs taken of them reuniting earlier in the month with much scepticism.
Sibling support: This week Prince Jacques placed a protective arm around his twin sister as the youngsters a South African tree on the terraces of the Casino to mark the centenary of the Soroptimist International Organisation and in honor of Princess Charlene of Monaco
At Monaco’s National Day Parade on Friday, Prince Jacques (left) and Princess Gabriella (right) held signs that said’missed you Mommy” and ‘loved you Mommy. This was after Princess Charlene, their mother had been admitted to an inpatient treatment facility.
Albert and their twins of six years, Prince Gabriella (aged 6), were waiting to meet her at Monte Carlo helipad. For the’reunion photos’, the entire family was joined inside Palace walls by a specially selected photographer.
Albert stated that the Monaco family reunion last week, after Charlene had spent six months living in South Africa for six months, went initially ‘pretty smoothly’ within the first few hours. However it became clear that Charlene was not well.
He stated that the Olympian had’realized’ she needed to be helped and said, ‘She was overwhelmed. She couldn’t cope with her official duties or life in general, nor family life.
Albert said, “I am probably going to repeat this many times. But this does not have anything to do with our relationship.” Let me be very clear. These issues are not related to our relationship. They do not relate to the marriage between husband and wife. They are of a different nature.
He explained to the magazine that his current state of affairs was due to’several factors, which are private.
Albert added, “She had not slept well for several days and wasn’t eating very well.” Her weight loss made her more vulnerable to potential illnesses. The flu, colds or COVID.
It is not a cancer-related issue or a personal relationship problem, he said.
He later confirmed Charlene has been admitted to a treatment facility for undisclosed medical issues, as she works through a period of ill health. Although it was claimed by several sources, the location is not known.
Rumours about his marital status ‘don’t bother him too much,’ the prince said.
Doubts over the central relationship between Monaco’s monarchy and its royal family are nothing new.
Charlene, looking better at the Monaco gala in September 2020
Prince Albert joined his children at the tree-planting ceremony. He stated that he wanted to be there as much as possible, while Princess Charlene was away for medical reasons.
MailOnline was informed by several residents who live in narrow alleyways in Monaco Ville that Charlene spent most of her time living outside of the Palace. She lived in a small two-bedroom apartment located 300m from an abandoned chocolate factory.
One source said that she saw her often outside of the Palace, but she’d usually go alone, or with a guard, and never with Albert. It was clear she preferred to be in her apartment, not the palace.
Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014.
She was born in Rhodesia, a colonized state of Southern Africa that had never been reunified by the British.
She had a successful swimming career and went on to win three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All Africa Games in Johannesburg, as well as representing South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games and winning a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay in the latter competition.
The couple’s marital status has been the subject of many headlines throughout the years. Last year, however, a third paternity suit was filed.
Charlene cut her hair in the fashion of punk rockers shortly afterwards.
It was the first sign that a crisis was brewing and could lead to a divorce of multi-millions.
Charlene fled South Africa in a month following the revelation that Albert had filed another paternity suit last December.
According to a Brazilian woman, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, her 15-year old daughter is the product of an affair she had with Albert in 2004.
Although Albert and Charlene weren’t yet engaged, they were already friends for over four years. They met at a Monaco swimming gala in 2000.
Albert was to be questioned by lawyers for his claim. However, Albert’s own counsel dismissed the matter as a hoax.
Both parties are not commenting now, which suggests that a generous settlement might have been reached as was the case with Albert’s former love children.
Jazmin Grace Grildi (now 29) and Alexandre Coste (17), are the results of Albert’s affair with an American agent for estates. Alexandre Coste was 17 when Alexandre’s mother was a former Togolese airline hostess.
They were both removed from Monaco’s lineage of succession and received large financial settlements.