Charlene, Princess of Monaco, before royalty: A ‘tomboy’ turned Olympic swimmer from the same South African town as Charlize Theron, far from the Grand Prix, glamour and gowns
Before she married into the Monaco royal family and became mum to Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques, she represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and befriended Idols winner Jason Hartman and fellow Olympian Ryk Neethling
Before that the princess lead a very different, and not so royal, life. All the way away in Africa, in fact.
An African princess
She may be one of Europe’s most-glamorous royals, but Princess Charlene actually hails from Africa. Charlene Lynette Wittstock was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and relocated with her family to South Africa in 1989.
The princess told South Africa’s Huisgenoot magazine: “I have the privilege of having this life, but I miss my family and my friends in South Africa and I’m often sad because I cannot always be there for them.”
It wasn’t always glamorous gowns
The princess’s outspoken South African father, Michael, told Times Live that Charlene was a fearless tomboy who would regularly get into fights as a kid.
“Once she jumped off a tree onto a horse and broke her arm in three places. She was not scared of anything,” her father said.