Princess Charlene has finally returned to Monaco and her family after a lengthy illness left her stranded in South Africa for months.
The 43-year-old touched down on Monday and was quickly reunited with her husband, Prince Albert II, and their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
Posting a family snap to Instagram, Charlene shared her joy at finally being home, writing: “Happy day today. Thank you all for keeping me strong !! ❤”
The photo showed her cuddled up to her husband, one arm around his neck as they each rested a hand on their children’s shoulders.
Charlene was the only person wearing a mask in the photo, donning a simply black face covering that matched her all-black outfit.
She flew from South Africa to Nice, France via private jet before boarding a helicopter which flew her home to Monaco, where her family were waiting.
The princess spent the better part of the last year stranded in her home country, South Africa, after falling ill with a severe ear, nose and throat infection in May.
Though she is understood to have contracted the illness before she travelled to South Africa, it was only detected once she was already in the country for a funeral and wildlife conservation project.
The royal then required surgery and was grounded by doctors until she was deemed well enough to travel, which wouldn’t be for eight months.
She went on to require follow up surgeries to treat complications from the first operation and was forced to remain separated from her seven-year-old children for much of that time.
Albert brough Gabriella and Jacques to South Africa in August to reunite with their mother briefly while she recovered from one of her procedures.
But the visit only ignited more speculation about Charlene’s extended stay in South Africa, which some insiders have suggested may have been sparked by marital issues.
Charlene and Albert, 63, wed in 2011 amid rumours that the former Olympian was trying to escape the marriage – which Albert and palace officials have vehemently denied.
In the years since, there has been talk of “tension” between the couple, especially over Albert’s love children.
The royal has two children born out of wedlock that he has acknowledged; daughter Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, 29, and son Alexandre Coste, 18.
Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, 29, and Alexandre Coste, 18 are Prince Albert’s eldest children.
(Instagram)Both were conceived and born before he wed Charlene, but over the last decade there have been reports of other women claiming to have children by Albert.
Most recently, a woman alleged that the prince fathered a child with her in the early days of his relationship with Charlene.
The princess travelled to South Africa just months after the reports surfaced, leading some royal watchers to speculate that the love child rumours had inspired her international trip.
However, both she and Albert have denied any rumours about issues in their marriage and have continued to publicly voice their love and support for one another.
Princess Charlene and her husband have put up a united front.
(Getty)“She didn’t leave Monaco in a huff! She didn’t leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else,” Albert told People in September.
The prince insisted that his wife went to South Africa to spend time with family and work on her charity projects in the country and only stayed so long because of her illness.
“She didn’t go into exile. It was absolutely just a medical problem which had to be treated.”
