Prince Albert of Monaco has revealed that Princess Charlene is “excited and happy” about the royal project to restore the palace amid rumors of their marriage on the rocks.
The Monagasque monarch, 65, has claimed his wife, 45, ‘shares the joy’ of the eight-year project in which Italian Renaissance frescoes inside the palace were brought back to life after other royals covered them with paint.
The prince was speaking for the first time since the palace was forced to issue a statement denying rumors that the couple were in the process of divorcing.
After French magazine ROYAUTÉ announced that their marriage of 12 years was about to end, a spokesperson said the couple “officially denied the malicious rumors propagated by the magazine.”
In recent weeks, the couple have stood on a united front at events around the principality, including a mass service in memory of Albert’s late father, Prince Rainier, last week.
Prince Albert revealed his wife, Princess Charlene, is ‘excited and happy’ about a project to restore the frescoes at Monagasque Palace that took eight years to complete, following rumors of their marriage on the rocks (pictured last month at the Woman of the Year Awards)
Talking to Hello! A magazine from the palace with revelations of the restored works, Prince Albert, who shares eight-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella with Charlene, indicated his wife was excited about the project.
When asked about his South African-born wife, he said: “Princess Charlene was excited and happy that we were able to carry out this work. Last year, she showed some of her guests the State Apartments and really enjoyed showing them the murals.”
“It shows how much she cares about the project and her desire to share the family’s joy in connection with these beautiful works.”
When split rumors first surfaced last month, royal fans also noticed that former Olympic swimmer Charlene walked out during a solo trip to Milan without her wedding ring.
However, later that day, the couple made a joint appearance at the Monte Carlo Woman of the Year Awards, where Charlene appeared to be wearing her wedding ring – pouring cold water on the split rumors.
The royal couple share eight-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella (pictured September 2022)
The plot seemed to intensify at Prince Albert’s next royal engagement, when he attended the Rose Bowl in Monaco without his wife present.
Elsewhere in his interview, Prince Albert made references to his late mother, Hollywood star Grace Kelly, who first began decorating the palace when she moved to Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier.
Describing his mother as a woman of “sure taste,” he said he believed his parents had an eye on him and his family and that they would “encourage us to continue on this path.”
The pair’s relationship timeline was hardly smooth; Rumors about the state of their marriage began to swirl after Charlene missed Monaco for most of 2021 while receiving medical treatment in her native South Africa.
The mother-of-two was admitted to a Swiss clinic for treatment for exhaustion upon her return – but is now back on track with royal duties and public appearances.
Charlene and Albert — who share eight-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella — wed in July 2011 after the prince proposed with a handmade pear-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds designed by Paris-based Italian jeweler Repossi.
Later, during the wedding ceremony, the couple exchanged 18k white gold and platinum Cartier rings, with Charlene laughing as she placed the ring on her husband’s finger.
At the time of the wedding, Charlene was dubbed “the runaway bride” by the French media after she reportedly tried to elope before the ceremony, but the reports were always met with denials.
A Parisian news magazine reported that Charlene was stopped at Nice airport after she allegedly learned something “painful” about her future husband’s private life.
A senior inquisitor in Monaco claimed at the time: “Charlene’s passport was confiscated so that the prince’s entourage could persuade her to stay.”
The rumor mill in France went into overdrive. It is suggested that Charlene overheard talk of another illegitimate child, conceived when she was dating Prince Albert in 2005, which would bring the number of children born out of wedlock to three.
But the princess will continue to dismiss the “hilarious” rumors. “Why would he take so much effort for our best friend to come join us, so that we would be reluctant?” said she.
