Charlene talks Monaco, Mandela and more

The royal wedding of Prince Albert II in early July will be a huge day for Monaco…and for his beautiful bride Charlene Wittstock.

In an interview with Monaco-Matin the South African former Olympic swimmer said “I feel immense joy and emotion as you can imagine. I also know that this is an important time for the people of Monaco; I will do all I can to live up to their expectations.”

She has said that over the past four years she has come to love Monaco and that “deep in my heart it is already my country”.

“I feel I was immensely fortunate to explore Monaco in the company of the person who knows it best! I was struck, above all, by its incredible openness to the world and its unrivalled generosity. I have learnt that Monaco is the European country that donates most per inhabitant to humanitarian causes. This spirit of generosity is the population’s predominant feature, and the many initiatives carried out can only be a source of pride for the population.”

She hopes to support a humanitarian cause in Monaco that’s related to children and sport.

“Since my teen years, I have always strived to share the things I do well. When I was very young, in South Africa, I helped teach underprivileged children to swim, and I received a lot from them in return. That was when I realised that giving is the most wonderful thing one can do.”

Charlene’s South African roots and Nelson Mandela feature prominently in her drive to be a humanitarian, and she recently supported Mandela Day.

“I remember that in 1995, during the Rugby World Cup in South Africa, Nelson Mandela walked onto the field wearing a Springbok jersey representing unification and freedom within our nation. In that same year, he launched the Children Foundation. I was 17 years old. I admire Nelson Mandela for his courage, it changed the course of history. The suffering he endured made him a unique person. This is why I am so proud to bring my contribution to the Nelson Mandela Fund. However, the work has just begun; a lot more remains to be accomplished.”

Charlene’s a long way from ‘home’ but her family ties remain incredibly strong.

“We’re a very close family. Gareth, Sean and I were brought up with the same values, those that we got from sport. They gave us great balance. Sport is a family heritage: my uncle played football for SA as captain of the team, and my mother was an Olympic level diver athlete. Family life was simple and healthy with strong family ties. It shaped us.”

And it’s this mutual love of sport and philanthropy that have helped bring her and HSH Prince Albert II together.

“We share an interest in understanding what’s going on in the world and the same desire to help others. But there are also some subjects on which we don’t agree!”

When asked which subjects those would be, she grins and responds: “Allow me to keep some secrets…”