With humble beginnings in South Africa, Princess Charlene has ensured she has not forgotten her roots after joining the Monegasque royal family and shooting to fame as Prince Albert's wife.
The former Olympic swimmer, who met her husband at the Mare Nostrum international swimming meet in 2000, has been open about how her life changed drastically following her royal wedding in 2011. Perhaps one of the most marked differences between her pre-royal life and today is her living arrangements.
After growing up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 12-year-old Charlene and her swimming teacher mother, Lynette, and photocopy salesman father, Michael, moved to Benoni.
During an interview with The Times, she reflected on how she falls back into a very normal dynamic when visiting her childhood home, but added that she continues to fear for her parents' safety.
"I worry about them a lot. I worry about the fact that people break into the house and they’ve been robbed many times. There have been a lot of killings on our street," she confessed in 2013.
"If you’re not from a very wealthy background – and we are from a very lower-middle-class income – you can’t afford to live in a secure area. But they wouldn’t have it any other way; they are happy," Charlene added.
By comparison, Charlene and Albert live in the Prince's Palace of Monaco, which she later described as an "enormous palace". When they want to escape the city, they have Princess Grace's mountain retreat known as Roc Angel.
© AFP via Getty ImagesDespite her safety concerns, the Monegasque royal said she visits her parents in South Africa twice a year. "My mum is my best friend. I miss her all the time," Charlene began, before explaining they slip into old habits of chores.
"My mum will put the washing on and I’ll help her load the dishwasher. We will go and buy some vegetables and food and cook for friends. We sit and have a good laugh and watch a soap opera.”
Charlene's home
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene got married at the former Genoese fortress in 2011, and they now share the home with their twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
© Palais PrincierBuilt in 1191, the historic palace was previously home to Albert's parents, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III. They renovated the southern wing, which houses the royals' private apartments and the Napoleon Museum.
Since moving in, Albert and Charlene have kept much of the building the same, even preserving numerous belongings of Hollywood legend Grace, such as childhood photos and letters.
However, Charlene insisted she put "a woman's touch" on the home, telling Tatler there was "an air of mournful neglect about the palace, which once symbolised the principality's decadence and theatricality."
The Princess commented: "This place needs a woman's touch. You can tell that a woman hasn't lived here for a while. I want to make some big changes to the interiors to modernise things and liven it up."
