Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco attend the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco today. Photo / Getty Images
Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco attend the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco today. Photo / Getty Images
Princess Charlene could have found herself in a awkward situation while attending the Monaco Grand Prix over the weekend.
The 46-year-old royal was see at the annual event with her husband, Prince Albert, 66, this morning NZT with the Daily Mail reporting that the couple could have been mere metres away from Albert’s former mistress, Nicole Coste.
The outlet reported that Coste - a former flight attendant turned fashion designer - was attending the event with Ferrari. She made a post on Instagram earlier in the day wearing a white trench coat as she looked over the city of Monaco, writing “We are waiting for the victory of Charles Leclerc the the country’s child. Loving this jacket!”
Coste and Albert’s seven-year relationship was reportedly the most well-kept secret in Monaco’s society with many members of the public completely unaware of the coupling despite the two attending multiple red carpet events and social gatherings.
The Daily Mail reported that the pair - who were understood to have met in 1997 and ended things about 2005 on the command of Albert’s father, the late Prince Rainier III, had a child together in 2003.
Prince Albert of Monaco chats with Nicole Coste as they watch a match from his private box at the Monaco Tennis Open in April 2002 in Monaco. Photo / Getty Images
Alexandre, now 21, was not formally recognised as Albert’s son until 2005 when the French publication Paris Match released photos of the young boy in Albert’s arms.
Following the public outing, Albert’s lawyer told the New York Times that the Prince “has and will continue to face up to his responsibilities” of being the boy’s father.
Coste and Charlene reportedly have a fractured relationship after Coste claimed the Princess upset her mere months before the royal wedding in 2011 by placing her then 8-year-old son in the “employee wing” of the palace.
“She changed my son’s room, taking advantage of his father’s absence to put him in the employee wing,” Coste said. “As a mother, I cannot find words to describe these actions.”
Albert hit back at the comments and while he did not confirm or deny whether Coste’s accusation was true, he said it was “inappropriate” and told publication, Point de Vue he was “furious to discover” she had made the statement.
“I obviously did not know what she was going to publish,” he said. “She had just informed me that she was going to release something. I thought it would just be a birthday photo.”
Happy mother’s day to everyone that celebrates today, including Princess Charlene.
The palace shared this photo, probably taken in Paris last week when Prince Albert received the Commander of Agricultural Merit.
— The Royal Couturier (@RoyalCouturier) May 26, 2024
It comes after the Princess released a photo of her and her two children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, 9, to celebrate Monaco’s Mother’s Day.
Going for simplicity, she wrote “Happy Mother’s Day” and wore a neutral double breasted jacket, while her son wore a navy suit and her daughter a white coat.
