Princess Charlene of Monaco
Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco is currently in her home country of South Africa as part of a five-day trip with the South African Red Cross and the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation
She arrived in the country on began Thursday. There were no official royal duties, and so, she took some time to swim and shop. Friday started with a visit to the Gugulesizwe Primary School in Daveyton. There she helped the Red Cross demonstrate first aid and CPR before the students, teachers and administrators in the school. To honour her visit, a tree was also planted.
This school is where she launched the South African extension of her foundation in 2012. About Gugulesizwe, she said, “I have taken a personal interest in the school, and I will support and do my best to make sure that the learners at the school are exposed to great sports, health and safety so that they can build a great community around them.”
On Saturday, the Princess of Monaco attended the Princess Charlene Empress Club Stake horse race with the funds raised benefitting the school the visited the day before, Red Cross and the Highveld Horse Care Unit. It was also Ladies Race Day at the Turffontein Race Course. Her brother, Sean Wittstock, accompanied her.
Also while in her native country, Charlene gave an interview to the journalist, Jean Smyth from Eyewitness News about her love of Africa, her children and her foundation. She said she first created the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation to teach children to swim. It was expanded to water safety, but now they have also added CPR “to be part of the education programme,” according to the Princess.
Smyth asked, “How proud are you in what you have achieved so far inserting what the future holds for the foundation?”
She responded, “I am very happy that we were able to reach thousands around the world.”
When asked if her role as a mother impacted her passion and role in the foundation, she explained that one one of the first things she wanted to do was to make her children, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, familiar with the water. She was also asked about passing her South African heritage on to her children. She responded, “I am African. This is my home. It will always be. It is in my heart and my veins.
“I can’t wait for them to come here. I can’t wait for them to be introduced to Africa.”
