- Princess Charlene and her daughter attended a Monte Carlo Fashion Week event on Tuesday.
- Princess Charlene opened up about her recovery and addressed rumors about her marriage.
- She contracted a severe ENT infection in May 2021 and later received treatment for exhaustion.
At her latest public appearance, Princess Charlene of Monaco said she's "still fragile" following an illness that left her grounded in South Africa for several months and addressed rumors around her marriage.
Reuters reported that Charlene attended a Monte Carlo Fashion Week event on Tuesday with her daughter, 7-year-old Princess Gabriella. Charlene shared a behind-the-scenes photo of them before the event on her official Instagram account.
"I loved every moment preparing my Princess for her first official event," Charlene, 44, wrote. "We're looking forward to a great evening at the fashion awards."
While there, the royal addressed speculation surrounding her health and marriage to Prince Albert. The comments were initially published by the French daily newspaper Nice-Matin, as People reported.
"When I returned to the Principality, I focused all my energy on my children, my husband and my health because they are my priority," Charlene told Nice-Matin. "My state of health is still fragile and I don't want to go too fast. The road has been long, difficult and so painful. Today I feel calmer."
Charlene was hospitalized in South Africa after contracting an ear, nose, and throat infection in May 2021. As a result, she was grounded in South Africa for five months before reuniting with Prince Albert and her twins in November 2021. That same month, Prince Albert told People that Princess Charlene was admitted into a Swiss treatment clinic for emotional and physical exhaustion.
During that time, outlets speculated that the couple's separation was related to marital issues, but Prince Albert denied the rumors to People. The outlet noted that although Prince Albert and their children visited Princess Charlene at the Swiss clinic on several occasions, rumors persisted that there was a rift between the couple.
Speaking to Nice-Matin, Charlene also responded to rumors that she planned to leave Monaco and buy a home in Switzerland.
"You want to talk about rumors of divorce or my new home in Switzerland?" Princess Charlene told Nice-Matin. "I still find it regrettable that certain media peddle such rumors about my life, my relationship. Like everyone else, we are human beings and like all human beings we have emotions, weaknesses, only our family is exposed to the media and the slightest weakness is relayed."
She praised Prince Albert, whom she married in 2011, calling him her "protector" for speaking out against the rumors and "very supportive."
"We discussed these malicious articles together and he did everything to protect me and our children," Princess Charlene told Nice-Matin.
Representatives for Princess Charlene did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Charlene made her first public appearance amid her ongoing health concerns on April 30 at the Monaco E-Prix, which she and Albert attended with Princess Gabriella and her son, 7-year-old Prince Jacques. The twins were born in December 2014.
