THIS time last year there were already whispers of something not being quite right. The new hairstyle she sported – a severe half-shaven pixie cut, a dramatic change from the demure bobs she’d had for years sparked plenty of speculation.
It was an act of rebellion against her husband and the institution she’d married into, some said – a sign of unhappiness, that she felt trapped in a gilded cage and wanted to express herself.
Yet she laughed off the fuss as she marked her 43rd birthday with her family in January 2021, saying she just felt like a change and wanted to do something a little more adventurous.
Who could’ve foreseen then the year that lay ahead for Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco?
And who could’ve predicted she’d herald her 44th birthday all alone in a clinic far from her family, her only messages to the outside world coming in the form of social-media posts?
As gossip continues to run riot about the whereabouts of the princess and the true nature of her illness, the palace issued a statement giving a brief update.
“The recuperation of HSH Princess Charlene is currently progressing satisfactorily and very encouragingly.”
But it seems it will be a while still before Charlene returns to her old life.
“Her recovery and follow-up dental care [ following a severe ear, nose and throat infection] are expected to take several more weeks. It’s requested that her private life and that of their children continue to be respected.”
A POIGNANT BIRTHDAY VIDEO
この記事は YOU South Africa の 10 February 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は YOU South Africa の 10 February 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them
LIAM LAID TO REST
More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.
SHILOH HANGS OUT
THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.
LEO IN LOVE
He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down
PACKING A PUNCH
Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William
