After months of absence – Princess Charlene returns to Monaco

A simple dark dress with Zulu pearls, a blonde bobby hairstyle, and a dark face mask: this is how Princess Charlene bid farewell to Queen of Monaco of South Africa, where she was stuck for months after health issues. “It’s been a tough time here, but at the same time it’s been great to be back in South Africa,” she said on the tarmac of Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.

In a word, she accepted a gift basket from dignitaries of KwaZulu-Natal province. A final word of thanks to the doctors, a look ahead, as if filled with anticipation for her family–and then she boarded the three-engine private plane with the princely coat of arms next to the door.

It was the end of a long history of suffering. “Thank God she’s back home,” her father, Mike Wittstock, told dpa in Johannesburg on Monday, with evident relief in his voice. Her sister-in-law Chantelle Wittstock, who accompanied her on the trip, confirmed in the morning: “The princess has just landed in Monaco. She is in a good mood and very excited to be home again.”

Fighting poaching

I originally traveled to the country at the southern tip of Africa to support the fight against rhino poaching. She had visited a nature reserve where rhino guards to protect them from poachers. A little later, local media reported that the oral surgery performed before her trip delayed her return to Europe in the small principality. When flying at great heights, it cannot compensate for the pressure in the ears.

However, the princess’s long stay in South Africa has sparked speculation on social media about a possible separation from Prince Albert II and the princess’s possible return to her old home. She had met Prince Albert II (63), who was 20 years her senior, at a swimming competition in 2000, having previously been on the South African national team at the 2000 Olympics.

“I look forward to returning”

On the other hand, Charlene, 43, has repeatedly protested in interviews about how much she misses her husband and children. She confirmed this again before leaving on board the Royal Falcon in Durban: “I am very much looking forward to my return…”