Despite presenting a united front in public, sources claim that behind closed doors, Princess Charlene is cunningly taking charge of her troubled marriage with Prince Albert, effectively putting her philandering husband in his place.

"Charlene isn't the vulnerable person that many believed her to be," reveals an insider. "She's demonstrating greater shrewdness. Since agreeing to resume her royal duties, there has been a battle of wills, but now she has Albert and his ever-present aides right where she wants them."

As previously reported by GLOBE, 45-year-old former Olympic swimmer Charlene has removed her wedding ring and avoided public appearances with her 65-year-old husband, fueling rumors that their marriage is faltering. While Prince Albert maintains that she is content, insiders paint a contrasting picture.

"Charlene will initially agree to attend an event with Albert, only to change her mind later, causing chaos within the palace and leaving Albert to handle matters on his own," an insider discloses.

On March 24, Charlene navigated her way through Milan, Italy, sans her famed three-carat diamond engagement ring, only to don it for the Monte Carlo Women of the Year Awards later that evening. The following night, she left her husband to attend the Rose Ball in Monte Carlo accompanied by his sister, Princess Caroline.

Allegedly, Prince Albert is so apprehensive that the mother of their eight-year-old twins, Jacques and Gabriella, might leave again that he has enlisted courtiers to keep tabs on her.

In 2021, Charlene spent ten months in her native South Africa, claiming to recover from a sinus infection. However, sources indicate that she left in response to a Brazilian woman's paternity lawsuit alleging that Albert had fathered her child while courting Charlene. Although Albert dismisses the Italian lawsuit as unfounded, he already supports two other children born out of wedlock.

Upon Charlene's return to Monaco, Albert sent her to a Swiss clinic for four months, where sources allege she underwent electroshock treatments.

"Since completing therapy, Charlene has surrounded herself with her own carefully selected team and no longer experiences emotional breakdowns," shares the insider. "She's emerged stronger, leaving Albert at a loss for words."