Prince Albert of Monaco makes solo appearance in New York – after Queen’s funeral

Prince Albert of Monaco made a solo appearance in New York last night as he addressed the UN – after attending the Queen’s funeral in London with his wife Princess Charlene. 

The 63-year-old donned a pair of thick framed glasses as he took to the podium for  the historical event in New York, as the United Nations’ 77th session got  underway. 

However it is not known if his wife, Olympic swimmer Charlene, 43, has joined in the States for the visit. 

Days ago, the couple had their highest profile appearance to date at the Queen’s funeral in London. It came after a difficult 18 months, where their marriage was plagued by rumours of a third love child, before Charlene spent some 10 months in South Africa. 

Prince Albert delivered the address in front of other world leaders and their partners at the summit.

He donned a smart navy suit with a light blue tie for the occasion, and opted for a thick pair of black frames. 

It did not appear his wife was among those watching – and it is unknown if she travelled to New York with her husband for the trip or remains in Europe.

Earlier this week, the couple made their highest profile appearance to date,  when they attended the Queen’s historic funeral in London, joining 2,000 other mourners at Westminster Abbey.

The Monaco palace has consistently denied media reports of a rift between Charlene and the principality’s ruler Prince Albert, who were wed in 2011.

However rumours the pair were incompatible were sparked from the outset, with Charlene attracting a barrage of attention over an apparent bad dose of pre-wedding jitters which, reportedly, saw her seeking refuge in her country’s embassy and gaining the moniker ‘the Runaway Bride’.

In December 2020, it seemed the relationship was plagued by rumours, with a third paternity suit emerging. 

The allegations in December 2020 claimed that Albert had fathered a love-child (which would be his third, if proven) with an unnamed Brazilian woman during the time when he and Charlene were already in a relationship.

The woman said she met the prince in a nightclub in Rio de Janeiro in 2004 — when Charlene and Albert were supposedly dating.

Her daughter, a 15-year-old Brazilian schoolgirl, sent a handwritten note in Portuguese to Prince Albert at the Royal Palace last September.

Albert’s legal team call the allegations ‘a hoax’ and the legal team of the woman concerned declined to comment.

It was due to come to court in Milan in February but never commenced. Some believe the matter has been settled.

Soon after the allegations came to light in December 2020, Charlene famously shaved half her head in the style of a punk rocker. By the spring, she left for South Africa. 

She  had a 10-month absence in her native South Africa last year, where she contracted and was hospitalised for a serious sinus infection that delayed her return to Monaco.

She underwent surgery in October for an ear, nose and throat infection after checking in under a pseudonym in a Durban hospital, a palace source said at the time.

After her return to the principality in November, Charlene left almost immediately to receive treatment for ‘exhaustion’ at a Swiss clinic.

Friends previously told Page Six that the mother-of-two ‘almost died’ while she was in her home country, while her husband spoke out to say she is suffering from ‘exhaustion, both emotional and physical’.

‘She was clearly exhausted, physically and emotionally. She was overwhelmed and couldn’t face official duties, life in general or even family life,’ Albert told People magazine in November.

A palace statement released on December 23 revealed Albert and the couple’s children were planning to visit Charlene during the Christmas holidays, as well as asking for the family’s privacy to be respected.

It added that the princess ‘is recuperating in a satisfactory and reassuring manner, although it may take a few more months before her health has reached a full recovery.’

But distinguished royal journalist Stephane Bern has long speculated that Charlene’s litany of supposed health problems could simply be a cover-up to excuse her from participating in royal activities alongside her husband.

Bern said in January of last year, Charlene was expected to make a trip to visit French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, but suddenly came down with an illness.

‘The princess had contracted a sudden gastroenteritis,’ he said.

‘The Palace has had to invoke a suffering princess so often that the Monegasques today find it hard to believe. By crying wolf, the mother of Jacques and Gabriella has discredited and isolated herself.’

The couple released an official family portrait to mark Easter, but body language experts noted at the time that Albert looked ‘tense’ in the image, while highlighting the close bond shared by Charlene and her children

She returned to public duty in May of this year, joining her husband Prince Albert, 64 and their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, seven, at Monaco’s E-Prix.

However body language experts said she appeared ’emotionally isolated from an animated Prince Albert’ despite trying to ’emphasise her role as a loving wife’. 

Since then, she has joined her husband and children at a TV festival, religious ceremonies and a royal visit to Norway. 

She has gone on to take part in solo engagements alongside the joint appearances with her husband.

And she has also taken part in more family occasions publicly – including joining her children on their first day of school. 

In July, she shared a photograph alongside Prince Albert as they celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary.

It is unknown what her current relationship with Prince Albert is like. French media has claimed she is receiving £10million a year to appear by her husband’s side at public outings.

Leading French media reported the ruler of the tax haven Mediterranean principality was doing everything possible to keep Charlene ‘at his side at public events’.

Major French outlets that specialise in celebrity news said Charlene’s sudden re-appearance was welcomed by all Royal watchers.

The Prince has also fathered two other children outside of wedlock. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, who is now 29 and the result of Albert’s affair with an American estate agent, and Alexandre Coste, 18, whose mother is a former Togolese air hostess.

Both children were struck off Monaco’s line of succession in return for vast financial settlements.

Charlene has directly attempted to address the talk about a third possible love child.

She told Point de Vue magazine last January: ‘When my husband has problems, he tells me about it. I often tell him, ‘No matter what, I’m a thousand percent behind you. I’ll stand by you whatever you do, in good times or in bad.’

Her appearance at the Queen’s funeral earlier this week was her most high profile to date, and represented a return to the world stage for the Monaco royal. 

Earlier this month, she paid an emotional tribute to the Queen on her Instagram page, sending her condolences to the British Royal Family.

She posted a photo of the late monarch on Instagram to express her sorrow. Her tribute followed messages from royal families around the world including Spanish King Felipe VI and Dutch King Willem-Alexander.

Posting on Instagram, Princess Charlene wrote: ‘I am deeply saddened at the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a truly great lady whose dedication and service was recognised throughout the world during the 70 years of her reign.

‘Today, my thoughts are with her family, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and the British people.’ 

And at the funeral, she walked arm-in-arm with Prince Albert, wearing a lengthy, modest, black dress with black heels.