January 26, 2022:
Princess Charlene of Monaco celebrated her 44th birthday in a special way.
On Tuesday, the official Facebook accounts of the royal’s South Africa charitable foundation and the Palace of Monaco shared a video that celebrated her life and legacy.
It tells the story of the self-described “Benoni girl” (the Johannesburg suburb where she was raised in South Africa) who eventually became an Olympic swimmer and later married Prince Albert. The video ended with the princess becoming a mother of twins.
The tribute highlighted Charlene’s charitable work and featured rare family photos of Albert, 63, as well as their children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO IS A ‘WARM AND WELCOMING’ ROYAL WHOSE FOCUS IS ON CHARITY, NOT TABLOID SCRUTINY: PAL
“We honour you for how much you always give of yourself to change people’s lives around the world, your passion and dedication to saving and changing lives is truly an inspiration,” read a message that accompanied the video. “We trust this video of your journey thus far reminds you just how loved and appreciated you are. “
Charlene reposted the video on her personal Instagram account with a heart emoji.
The princess has been recovering after experiencing emotional and physical exhaustion following several health woes.
Back in May, Charlene traveled to South Africa for what was supposed to be a 10-day visit. However, complications from a previous ENT procedure resulted in several corrective surgeries. She was kept grounded in South Africa and recovered until November when she finally returned to Monaco.
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But shortly after she landed in Monaco, the princess soon experienced signs of emotional and physical exhaustion. After consulting her doctors and family, Charlene decided to seek medical treatment. It was ultimately determined that Charlene would seek treatment in a facility outside of Monaco.
Still, Charlene has kept closely connected with her family with the help of daily phone and video calls, People magazine reported. The outlet noted that at least one family visit was held during the holidays and Albert has privately visited his wife on several occasions since then.
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The celebrated athlete married the prince on July 1, 2011. The wedding was a spectacle, costing an estimated $70 million for the four-day event. They welcomed twins in 2014.
Their planned public anniversary celebration was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.