When Charlene Wittstock married into Monaco’s royal family, she gained two strong female role models in the shape of Prince Albert’s sisters, Princesses Caroline and Stephanie.
Having both been born into the dazzling, mysterious and often complex world of royalty, Caroline and Stephanie were the ideal women to help Charlene navigate her path as a newly minted princess.
But whispers from behind palace walls claim it hasn’t all been happy families, as a rivalry between Princess Charlene and Princess Caroline was born…
Rivalry begins
Journalist Arlene Prinsloo detailed in her book Charlene: In Search of a Princess that there is one woman who has been called Charlene’s “only ally” in the royal family. Somewhat unexpectedly, that’s not Caroline.
It’s believed that younger, more rebellious and sometimes troubled, sister Stephanie has always been Charlene’s biggest support.
Some say that the 21-year age-gap made it hard for Charlene and Caroline to see eye to eye. But the truth is, what Caroline struggled with most was having her position of ‘first lady’ taken away.
As the eldest child of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, Caroline’s role in the royal family was integral. But this became even more apparent after the tragic early death of her mother in a car crash, when Caroline was just 25.
De-facto first lady
Since 1982, Caroline had acted as the de facto first lady of the principality. Initially alongside her father, Rainier III, and then with her brother.
However, when Albert married Charlene, a South African Olympic swimmer, Caroline’s role shifted. This reportedly caused tensions within the family.
According to the UK’s Daily Express, Caroline reacted to her mother’s death by throwing herself into the first lady role.
“After Grace’s death a miracle happened. Princess Caroline stepped into her mother’s shoes. She has the same spirit as her mother. The way she is handling the jobs I have given her is a source of great satisfaction to me.”
Prince Rainier III
New pecking order
When Rainier died and Prince Albert II took the throne in 2005, Caroline remained in the role. Albert was a renowned bachelor – known by many as the ‘playboy prince’.
Royal expert Brittani Barger says: “Albert took quite a while to settle down, so maybe Caroline thought he never would, and she’d stay in that role forever.”
Barger continues, “When Charlene came on the scene and married Albert, Caroline had to take a step back.” Did this lead to resentment?
Since marrying Prince Albert in July 2011, Charlene has taken her place next to the Prince of Monaco, attending the country’s most important events, from national festivities to gala occasions, and becoming a true ‘first lady’.
According to a 2022 report in Royal Central, Caroline “felt deprived of her role” and “sidelined”.
If the rivalry between Princess Charlene and Princess Caroline started out tense, the dynamic presumably went through a shake-up when Charlene and Albert had twins. In December 2014 the Zimbabwe-born royal welcomed Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
While the twins’ birth should have been pure cause for celebration, their existence proved more complicated for Caroline.
After all, they entirely changed the family’s line of succession: Caroline and her kids were now bumped down the royal pecking order.
Time to make amends
Despite all of this, with time and age, Princess Caroline and Princess Charlene have worked on improving their public relationship. As reported by the German publication Bunte, 2023 was a watershed moment that saw the pair making more of an effort to stand together at royal events.
On 31 May of that year, Caroline and Charlene were spotted standing side-by-side at a memorial for the late Prince Rainier. Per Bunte, this was one of the first times they had been seen together in public since 2020.
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