Here’s a look back at what must have been one of the toughest years of her life …

May 2021, the start of a year of turmoil

At the end of May 2021, the first reports around Princess Charlene’s health emerged after the royal was supposed to attend the Monaco F1 Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, on May 23.

At the time, the palace said in a statement that the princess had contracted an ENT infection, which had left her grounded in South Africa. She was in the country raising awareness about rhino poaching when she fell ill. According to People, her health issues were related to complications from a sinus lift and bone graft procedure she’d undergone in preparation for dental implants.

The health crisis

While in SA, she had several corrective procedures to help her condition, with one surgery being four hours long. In September, four months after it was first revealed that she was still stuck in the country, she was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after collapsing at a lodge in KwaZulu-Natal. The palace confirmed she was a patient at a local hospital.

The princess remained in South Africa while doctors apparently tried to stabilise her. She underwent several procedures and there were some reports that she was so sickly, she “almost died”. Images on her Instagram account showed how much weight she had lost.

The marriage mystery

As time went on and the princess remained in SA away from her family, rumours about her marriage to Prince Albert began circulating. Charlene has always been known as the “reluctant princess” after reportedly trying to run away from Albert in the lead-up to their wedding back in 2011.

Meanwhile, the rumours around Albert and Charlene’s relationship were so strong that, in an unprecedented move, Albert publicly denied they were having marriage problems. He told People magazine that Charlene did not leave Monaco in a “huff”, nor was she in exile, insisting that it was her medical issues that kept her stuck there.

“She didn’t leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else,” he said. “She was going down to South Africa to reassess her foundation’s work down there and to take a little time off with her brother and some friends.”

The return – but still out of sight

In March 2022, People reported Charlene had returned to Monaco after receiving care in a Swiss clinic. The palace said she still needed “peace and calm” and requested privacy.

These strong comments around her physical and mental health saw growing concern as there was still no word from the princess herself.

Signs of life

For Easter Sunday this year, Charlene posted an image of herself with her kids and husband for the first time since November. The staged photo shoot featured a soft tone and showed the princess affectionately embracing her daughter Gabriella. While there has been no comment from the royal on her ordeal, the picture was considered positive proof by many that she is currently doing better.

Then, on May 1, she made her first public appearance. Charlene remained true to her signature aloof style, not smiling or frowning, but simply straight-faced.

Despite this, the princess, who was previously visibly thin, appears to have gained some weight, further indicating that she appears to be on the path to recovery.