Princess Charlene Shines as She Meets HIV-Afflicted Children in India

Princess Charlene has drawn much praise for her first official visit to India where she met with HIV/Aids patients and spoke to a delegation which included the Dalai Lama.

On Saturday Princess Charlene addressed the inaugural “Laureates and Leaders for Children, Summit 2016” in New Delhi in which the rights of children around the world was debated.

During her speech, Charlene (nee Wittstock) said: “I moved from Zimbabwe to apartheid South Africa in 1989 at the age of 11. There I glimpsed something of the injustice of inequality, especially for children…”

She said she is “proud to now live in a country in which child rights are at the top of the policy agenda” and said she is “passionate about saving lives and protecting the future of our children…

“In 2012 I set up a foundation to end drowning – the 3rd largest unintentional injury killer in the world. In 2012 an estimated 372,000 drowned. Here in India, drowning is the biggest accidental killer of children. These deaths are preventable,” said the former South African Olympic swimmer.

“My foundation has worked tirelessly to reach over 100,000 people in 27 countries by teaching children to swim, to learn water safety techniques and CPR.” (The foundation celebrates its fourth anniversary on 14 December.)

Charlene also referenced former SA President Nelson Mandela’s famous quote: “We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.”

Her passion to save and protect children was very evident during her visit to India. On Thursday she represented her husband Prince Albert II in visiting an Indian NGO that supports children and families affected by HIV/Aids. The Prince’s trust has long supported the NGO, helping the financing and care of over 95 families.

The Princess met with a family who have been excluded by their village because of their HIV status. The Monaco Palace described it as a “moment of sharing filled with great emotion”. She promised to help the family and offered their son a cricket bat.

She also visited a village where she met HIV-afflicted children and artists and was greeted with bouquets and garlands.

Princess Charlene threw an early safari-themed birthday party for her twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, before flying to India where the Children’s Summit overlapped with her own children’s second birthday on 10 December.

All photos on this page © Eric Mathon / Prince Palace