She enjoyed a fiery display with her family last night at the celebrations for Monaco’s patron saint but today Princess Charlene appeared in a more sombre mood.
The mother-of-two, 43, visited the Monaco Cathedral this morning for a ceremony in honour of Saint Devote wearing a black frock and boots with Prince Albert, 62, by her side.
St Devote’s Day is a national holiday in Monaco in remembrance of their patron saint, a Christian martyr who was killed and tortured for her faith in the 4th century.
The royal couple’s united front comes after it emerged Prince Albert is set to appear in court in the coming months to fight explosive claims he fathered a third love child with a secret girlfriend.
She enjoyed a fiery display with her family last night at the celebrations for Monaco’s patron saint but today Princess Charlene (pictured with Prince Albert) appeared in a more sombre mood
The mother-of-two, 43, visited the Monaco Cathedral this morning for a ceremony in honour of Saint Devote wearing a black frock and boots with Prince Albert, 62, by her side (pictured)
Princess Charlene took part in the service at Monaco Cathedral and was seen holding on to her husband’s arm as the pair left the ceremony.
Dressed to impress, the royal sported a black frock with matching knee-high boots and a shimmering, tailored coat.
She gave her demure outfit a pop of colour by adding a pink beret, while completing her ensemble with a pair of stylish glasses.
Both royals wore face masks at the ceremony, which followed COVID restrictions.
Sainte Devote is the patron saint of the Grimaldi family, reigning in Monaco, and is celebrated each year as a national holiday.
The royal couple’s united front comes after it emerged Prince Albert is set to appear in court in the coming months to fight explosive claims he fathered a third love child with a secret girlfriend. Pictured, Princess Charlene
St Devote’s Day is a national holiday in Monaco in remembrance of their patron saint, a Christian martyr who was killed and tortured for her faith in the 4th century. Pictured: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene
According to legend, Christians saved Saint Devote’s body and cast it off in a boat to Africa in the hope that once there she would receive a Christian burial.
A dove then flew from her mouth and guided the boat to Monaco where it ran aground and the Saint has helped the principality in times of peril ever since.
In line with the legend, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene took part in an annual ceremonial ritual remembering the Saint’s final journey last night.
They also helped set light to a fishing boat – a tradition that’s been going strong since the reign of Prince Louis II in 1942.
They were given torches which they used to set fire to a fisherman’s boat like the one that the Saint’s body was carried on.
Princess Charlene (pictured left) took part in the service at Monaco Cathedral and was seen holding on to her husband’s arm as the pair left the ceremony
Dressed to impress, the royal (pictured with her husband, right) sported a black frock with matching knee-high boots and a shimmering, tailored coat
The royal couple’s outing comes just a week after Princess Charlene praised ‘loyal’ Prince Albert in her first comments since claims arose he is facing a paternity suit over a third love child.
The mother-of-two shocked royal fans around the world when she debuted a striking punk shaved haircut in December.
Days later it emerged her husband, 62, is set to appear in court in the coming months to fight explosive claims he fathered a third love child with a secret girlfriend.
After appearing alongside her husband in snaps over the Christmas period, the former Olympic swimmer made her first comments in an interview in which she hailed Prince Albert as ‘loyal, determined and courageous’.
Speaking with Point du Vue, she revealed: ‘When my husband has problems, he tells me about it. I often tell him, “No matter what, no matter what, I’m a thousand percent behind you. I’ll stand by you whatever you do, in good times or in bad.”
Princess Charlene (pictured) gave her demure outfit a pop of colour by adding a pink beret, while completing her ensemble with a pair of stylish glasses
Sainte Devote is the patron saint of the Grimaldi family, reigning in Monaco, and is celebrated each year as a national holiday. Pictured, Princess Charlene
Both royals (pictured) wore face masks at the ceremony, which followed COVID restrictions
The mother-of-two went on to say she also often tells her husband she will ‘protect him’ and will ‘always be by his side.’
Meanwhile Princess Charlene revealed her drastic new haircut was ‘her decision’, explaining she had wanted the cut ‘for a long time’ because the ‘style pleases her.’
She said she had dismissed comments about the style ‘not being royal’, adding: ‘And I have nothing to answer them, except that we are in 2021, and that in these times so troubled, so difficult, other much more important subjects deserve our attention.’
And after being asked ‘are you happy’, the royal responded: ‘There are times more or less easy, it is the case for everyone.
‘But I am happy as I am, fulfilled by what I am going through, I know I am very privileged.’
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene (pictured centre, while at the service) took part in an annual ceremonial ritual remembering the Saint’s final journey last night
Sources in the Mediterranean principality say Charlene has had a ‘terrible’ year as lawyers for the billionaire couple brace themselves for the court case that opens in Milan in February.
Albert, who already supports two illegitimate children, is alleged to have had a relationship with a 34-year-old Brazilian woman which resulted in a daughter on July 4, 2005.
The claim, which his lawyers dismissed as a ‘hoax’, is particularly painful as he was dating Charlene at the time, having met the former Olympic swimmer in 2000.
Albert received a handwritten letter from the child, who is now 15, in September this year reading: ‘I don’t understand why I grew up without a father, and now that I have found you, you don’t want to see me.’
Legal papers were also filed, as lawyers for the claimant called on Albert to undergo a DNA test – just as he did before finally being identified as the father of two illegitimate children born in the 1990s and early 2000s.
‘This was before Charlene and Albert were an item, but the latest case covers a time when she was already in love with him,’ said a source who works closely with the Monaco Royal household.
‘Charlene has had a terrible year, with one family crisis after another including Albert going down with Coronavirus, and now she’s gearing herself up for this hell.’