The marriage of Monaco's Prince Albert and Princess Charlene has been far from a conventional fairytale since the beginning, now with revelations emerging that the newlyweds spent their honeymoon night miles apart in separate hotels.
According to sources, Princess Charlene stayed at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga, South Africa, while Prince Albert opted for the Hilton in Durban, a ten-mile journey up the coast, on their honeymoon's opening night.
Charlene's father, Mike Wittstock, attempted to downplay the unusual sleeping arrangements, asserting Prince Albert had an International Olympic Committee conference to attend early the next morning at the Hilton. "Albert did not want to get up unnecessarily early and sit in traffic," Wittstock stated. However, palace representatives failed to elaborate on why Princess Charlene did not join her husband at the Hilton, merely noting that the atypical setup was "for practical reasons."
This development adds another layer of complexity to the troubled royal relationship. Previous reports from GLOBE unveiled that the former South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene, fled to her country's embassy in Monaco mere days before her 2011 wedding, only returning after Monaco officials retained her passport.
The princess was reportedly shocked to discover Albert had fathered a child, Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, now 19, with Nicole Coste, an Air France stewardess, during their courtship. This was in addition to another child he had out of wedlock.
Sources further allege that Charlene agreed to marry Albert after assurances from Monaco officials that she would be allowed to depart post-delivery of an heir to the Grimaldi throne. In 2014, she gave birth to twins, Jacques and Gabriella, now aged 8. However, following claims by a woman that her 16-year-old daughter was Albert's third illegitimate child, Charlene returned to South Africa for a ten-month stint in 2021, a claim Prince Albert staunchly denies.
Upon her return to Monaco, Charlene was sent to a Swiss clinic, where she reportedly underwent electroshock therapy. Since then, she has discarded her wedding ring and maintained a noticeable distance from Prince Albert, further straining the royal couple's relationship.