SHE'S TOUGH! SHE'LL GET THROUGH THIS

Princess Charlene’s family rally behind her as speculation about her health and marriage refuse to die down

- NICI DE WET

HE COACHED his daughter for years, shouting encouragement to her as she swam up and down the school swimming pool in Benoni and later achieved Olympic glory.

Mike Wittstock believed his little girl had what it took to make it then – and he has that same faith in her now.

“My daughter used to swim 20km a day,” the 75-year-old tells YOU from the family home on the Gauteng East Rand. “Based on the way she used to train, I know she’s tough and will get through this and come out much stronger.”

Mike and his wife, Lynette (74), we're worried about their only daughter, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, yet were cautious about visiting during her recent stay in SA.

There were Covid-19 travel restrictions, for one thing. But they wanted to protect Charlene, Mike says.

“[There are] our ages – we have to be very careful,” he says. “I also didn’t want to possibly infect her because she’d been through so many medical procedures and was vulnerable.”

They communicated all the time, however. “We spoke regularly on the phone and I speak with the twins,” Mike adds. “We have a great relationship.”

Charlene’s family are rallying around her – because there’s little doubt it’s going to be an uphill battle for her.

There were hopes the princess would get back to her life when she left South Africa after spending six months in the country for treatment for a serious ear, nose and throat infection.

And for a brief moment, things seemed on track.