Albert & Charlene 2020 - News & Events

[Maria]

Albert is 64 years old. We don’t know if he’s healthy or not; certainly his size suggests he isn’t as active as he perhaps ought to be. The average living age in Monaco is about 85 which would mean Jacques would be 28 when he’s left in charge. It’s quite a lot of time to prepare - but there are no guarantees for anything in this world. Again I don’t agree with how they bring the children to so many events but OTOH I can sort of understand if Albert feels a need to do it.

It’s certainly not about Charlene hiding behind the twins tho’.

[Isabel]

I questioned Charlene and her committment to her children when she disappeared from Monaco for a year because of dental issues.  I didn't believe it because anyone with a thread of common sense could not believe a family with the kind of money they have, could have a mother away from her children due to dental issues for almost a year.

Like most of us, I eventually realised Charlene's health issues were serious.  What kind I don't know but they were very serious considering she immediately left Monaco to a Swiss clinic the moment she arrived.

Monaco's family is very tight knit despite magazines talking crap about Caroline wanting to be the first lady of Monaco - there are plenty of pictures of the family supporting Gabriella and Jacques.

Which for me put the emphasis again in Albert.  The Norway trip is not the first time he's brought the children to an international official trip, he did it a year ago to Ireland and the pictures of these small children among adults was/is unnecessary and wrong. They are being used by Albert as an emotional crutch, it's how I see it.

As an example, in 2017 the Argentinian President (Macri) and his wife had a State visit to Spain and brought their daugher, similar age as Jacques, with them.  The only pictures released of their child were a couple of private ones with Letizia as their daughter was never a part of the official visit and you won't see any institutional pictures with her.   Royals can be a parents at the highest level while protecting their children's rights to be children specially when they have top level child care until they can enjoy private time... and there is always plenty of private time in foreign visits once the institutional work is done.

How often have we seen pictures of children next in line to an European throne being part of a foreign visit ? None. This is why I question why these children keep being centre stage of foreign working visits.  The picture of Norway's royal family with Albert, Charlene and their small kids in front is not cute.  It's awful.

And no, Charlene should never be blamed for this.

[Mariola]

I don't understand why the children are always accompanying Albert in official or semi official trips to other countries.  I get the family has gone thru tough times, I get Monaco does its own thing and rarely follow any other type of royal protocol....but come on.  Working foreign trips are not for children, like most of us won't take our children to working trips or important meetings.  Even if Albert and Charlene don't want to part with them, they have plenty of support to take the twins with them but still kept out of the limelight.

I really think the kids are being over exposed and being centre staged in adult business.   Personally, I don't like it.

I think the children are not yet ready to have the parents out of their sight. Charlene was missing for 1/7 th. of their life and she has been back only for 3 months or so. Gabriella constantly holds her hand and her brother is always near his father.

I mentioned before that my father was in the hospital for a long time when I was +/- 7 years, how scared I was that my mother also would disappear. My mother says I was very very 'clingy' for a long time after.

It is maybe no coincidence that this first trip is to one of the most relaxed royal families, and the events are day time and not state visit, if I am correct, so for me it's no big deal that the twins are included this time.



 

[ralf103]

I would assume, for a family of Albert's means they have a nanny or at least someone well known to the children who can mind them while mum and dad do the official bits? I don't have an issue at all with the children coming along - the Cambridge children have attended foreign visits etc, but IMO there is no need for them to walk at the front of the royal party in such a way for such a (for a child) boring event, surely they can be taken along more discreetly? Feels IMO like a bit of "let's make the most of good family PR" to me though I don't doubt that the children are coming along for a good reason after such a muddled few months/year.