Princess Charlene of Monaco has returned home to the tiny city-state following a strange medical odyssey that separated her from her husband, Prince Albert, and their young children for nearly a year.
The palace issued a statement Saturday confirming the 44-year-old monarch was reunited with her family, although she is still healing from the aftereffects of what has been described as an infection.
“She still needs peace and calm,” the statement said, adding that she was having an “encouraging recovery.”
The princess’ health has been a subject of speculation since she apparently suffered an ear, nose, and throat infection when visiting her homeland of South Africa 10 months ago.
As per Yahoo, she returned to Monaco briefly in the fall, appearing gaunt, after being stranded there for six months, only to be taken to a Swiss clinic to be treated for “exhaustion, both emotional and physical.”
Albert told People at the time that she chose to leave Monaco.
He said, “She wanted this. She already knew the best thing to do was to go and have a rest and have a real medically framed treatment.”
Princess Charlene will gradually return to public life “as soon as her health is strong enough,” according to the palace.
Princess Charlene’s royal life has been difficult for her, according to The Daily Beast, with Monaco’s elite failing to warm to the former Olympic swimmer after she married Albert a decade ago.
But Albert has insisted that his wife’s illness is totally medical.
“This has nothing to do with our relationship. I want to make that very clear. These are not problems within our relationship,” he told People.