Princess Charlene (Monaco)

[royalwave]

They waited so long to say much of anything that now they appear to be spinning as fast as they can. "She's a little bit of an iconoclast..." "She doesn't want to be Kate [Middleton] and she doesn't want to be Grace Kelly." She doesn't conform to expectations and following her own passions is just "Charlene being Charlene." "She's not a shrinking violet."

"The kids are so overwhelmingly charming and loving." "They're wonderful parents."

Yet the one thing always glaringly absent is any sort of statement along the lines of how much Albert and Charlene love each other. It's always about their partnership and being a team in raising the children. "She's part of my life, part of our lives, part of life in Monaco." I mean, so is the butler. So is the Monaco Grand Prix. There's just no passion whatsoever. After her surgeries he thinks of her "with tenderness."

We can't even get something as simple as "Charlene has always wanted to pursue her own passions and that's what I love about her." There's just nothing.

[groovethang]

Sept 9, 2021 11:52:58 GMT -4 Lwaxana said:

Their whole story is so weird and I feel bad for saying this, but those twins are creepy.

I really hope that Princess Gabriella’s hair looks like that because she decided to cut her own bangs. “Royal kids. They’re just like your kids!”

[royalwave]

Sept 9, 2021 12:50:18 GMT -4 groovethang said:

I really hope that Princess Gabriella’s hair looks like that because she decided to cut her own bangs. “Royal kids. They’re just like your kids!”

Yes, Charlene said that she cut her own hair prior to the latest family photo.

[PearlySweetcake]

Sept 9, 2021 12:50:18 GMT -4 groovethang said:

Sept 9, 2021 11:52:58 GMT -4 Lwaxana said:

Their whole story is so weird and I feel bad for saying this, but those twins are creepy.

I really hope that Princess Gabriella’s hair looks like that because she decided to cut her own bangs. “Royal kids. They’re just like your kids!”

Thank you - I've been thinking this for a long time. I think there's something congenitally "off" about those kids; possibly due to their premature birth. Compare pictures of them to pictures of Will and Kate's kids at the same age. The BRF kids are animated and expressive. The Monaco twins had the big round heads and vacant stares for the first several years. Even now, they seem...well...delayed.

[featherhat]

Even her 10 year anniversary post was "thanks for our beautiful children."

She was in SA for months before they said anything, and even then it was managed poorly. Then the announcement of her infection and then they started releasing weird little 10 year celebration videos which clearly had nothing to do with their actual lives.

Albert is actually in a position where he doesn't have to justify her absence to taxpayers because there aren't any. So either claim medical issue privacy and "none of your business" or just actually call up People and tell the truth.

They've gone half way when it's clear that there's more going on and they do have my sympathy on that but than also don't do the incredibly fake family poses that raise more questions than answers and only serve to get actual serious media organisations commenting on the issue.

Charlene's conversion to Catholicism is said to be completely genuine for what it's worth but I doubt that's why they haven't divorced.

[Ladybug]

Given the drama around their wedding, I doubt they would have trouble getting an annulment in the Catholic Church. Annulments are based on the “validity” of the sacrament, and if one or both participants are not seriously committing to the vows because of mental distress, that can be grounds to declare the sacrament invalid.

Monaco is one of the few Catholic monarchies left and it’s why Charlene had the privilege to wear white (Privilège du blanc) when having an audience with the Pope. Non-Catholic women wear black.

[peaches130]

What would the twin’s status be if their parents’ marriage was annulled? Albert already has several illegitimate children, and adopting/legitimating heirs has precedent in Monaco. Charlene may be worried about her children’s position in the pecking order.

Mind you, if I were Charlene I’d be worried about setting foot in Monaco, period. She could be a real liability to Albert - attracting awkward publicity, potentially wanting to raise the children on another continent, and Albert can remarry in the Church as a widower much easier than as a divorcee. The royal family doesn’t have to answer to the Monegasque police. And those Riviera roads are mighty steep.

[Auroranorth]

Annulment of a marriage in the Catholic Church does not make the children of that marriage illegitimate. In any case, legitimacy is a legal concept, not a moral one. Albert's other children are illegitimate because he never married any of their moms. I doubt he would remarry, though. He'd probably ask Caroline to take over any of Charlene's duties that needed it.

[ladyboy]

I took Peaches' question to be less that those kids would be considered illegitimate, and more along the lines of, could older illegitimate children become higher up in the line of succession if there's a divorce? It may not be something legal but a divorce could potentially shift public perception and allow for changes to occur if there's already precedent.

[luckylexie]

Team Charlene, that's all I have to offer here. And that I'm not surprised that the twins tend to look sour all the time. That is one unhappy household.