Prince Albert and Princess Charlene join children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella for the first day back at school in September.Photo:Eric Mathon / Palais princier
Eric Mathon / Palais princier
Princess Charlene is opening up about her 8-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, in a new interview as her children return to school.
Revealing that the twins will not be in the same classroom for the first time, the royal mom, 45, toldMonaco-Matin, “it’s a big step, and it feels good.”
On Monday,Charlenewoke the 8-year olds, dressed them in theirschool uniforms, and along with husband Prince Albert, 65, took them to school — just a few hundred yards away from the palace where the Monaco royal family lives.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene join their children Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques for the first day of school in September 2023.Eric Mathon / Palais princier
“They were both very excited to see their friends after such a long vacation,” Charlene toldMonaco-Matin.
“As with any student on the first day of school, they had a lot of expectations: about new friends, about teachers, about what they were going to wear for this first day,” Charlene continued. “They still asked me when the next vacation would be!” The family, she added, enjoyed a three-week long sailing holiday around Corsica in August.
“It’s an island that gives me renewed energy,” she told the outlet. “I like landscapes; the greenery, the sea, the people. As a family, we feel very comfortable there. To tell the truth, I don’t want to go on vacation anywhere else in the world! The beaches are so beautiful, the mountains welcoming. It’s a little paradise. And there is a historic link between Monaco and Corsica, which is important to maintain.”
After struggling withhealth issues that kept her away from her familyin 2021 and 2022, the former Olympic swimmer says she is now " happy and serene," and hoping to increase her sports activities soon: “I walk regularly, but I would like to get back into swimming training, to regain a little more energy and feel stronger.”
From left: Princess Charlene, Princess Stephanie, Prince Jacques, Princess Gabriella and Prince Albert of Monaco.David Niviere/SC Pool - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Asked to compare the children’s athleticism to her own at a similar age, she replied, “The first thing that seemed essential to me and my husband was to teach them to swim. That they not have any fear of water. Today they are very comfortable and the Prince often goes with them in the water for aquatic activities, like we did this summer.
“More generally, Gabriella has a passion for hip-hop dance. Jacques practices taekwondo. The importance is to give them a good education, self-confidence and a happy childhood. I don’t necessarily want to push them into intensive practice of a sport. The Prince and I were Olympic athletes. It is a choice which is very demanding, which requires constant training which, I speak with knowledge of the facts, can take precedence over your childhood.”
Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques, Princess Gabriella and Prince Albert of Monaco.
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Charlene’s renewing health has allowed her much more active public schedule, she admits.
Princess Charlene on May 28, 2023 in Monaco.Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
“He was a great man,” the Princess says of her husband’s father, who was married to Oscar winner Grace Kelly. “I see that he was a great leader who did so much for his country. And I’m proud my children are learning about their grandfather through the historical stories we’re telling this year. This allows them to understand the history of their country and their family. Besides, as soon as we pass somewhere that we see a photo or an image of Prince Rainier, both exclaim, ‘Oh look, it’s grandfather.’ It’s very touching.”
source: people.com
