Charlene of Monaco: Large sums of cash, very expensive requests… the real underside of her life in Monaco?

Albert II of Monaco proudly celebrated the centenary of the birth of his father, Rainier III, in 2023. Many festivities were organized last year and showed a united princely family. A unity, however, shaken by the disclosure of the secret notebooks of the former administrator of the sovereign’s property, Claude Palmero, who arrived last June. They were revealed in a long investigation carried out by Gérard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme for The world. We discover a prince very alone in the face of his entourage, he who must face delicate questions while maintaining cohesion in the principality. A situation all the more complex as it involves his wife Charlene.

In 2011, the eternal bachelor who was the son of Rainier III and Grace Kelly married former South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock. She then becomes Princess Consort of Monaco and enters a very special world. Her life is scrutinized by the media who celebrate the birth of their twins Jacques and Gabriella (9 years old today) as much as what she prefers to leave in the shadows, such as her health problems in 2021 – an ENT infection. From now on, it is another part of his life which is the subject of all attention, his expenses which would have been scrupulously in the notebooks of the ex-accountant of Albert II, during the 22 years he was at his service.

Charlene of Monaco’s endowment in question

Wanting to maintain good relations with Albert’s women, at the beginning of 2016, it was decided, according to the Palmero notebooks, that Charlene’s endowment would be increased by 250,000 euros. THE World puts forward dizzying figures which exceed those of Albert’s sisters: “According to our information, in 2023, his wife’s total annual endowment was close to 1.5 million euros.“

In the investigation of Worldwe read that “complains about the financial constraints imposed on him by this simple accountant“who is Claude Palermo. He wrote down dizzying figures in his notebooks to which journalists were able to partially access.”Provide an allocation of around 700,000 euros to be taken from SAS’, not without warning: ‘Be careful, however, not to increase the allocations too much during times of outcriese'”, he writes according to The world. Noted around the world for her stylistic choices, Charlene is said to have a very expensive taste in fashion: “HSH Princess Charlène wishes to buy dresses, I told her that there was no budget for that, private expense.“

What are Princess Charlene’s expenses in the viewfinder?

How does Charlene of Monaco spend the prince’s money, other than with her outfits? “This day in April 2016 when she demanded 77,000 euros in cash. She would have rented a second villa in Corsica with a personal cook paid 300 euros per day. For the baptism of his children, 683,000 euros are released. Not to mention the staff it employs, some are in an illegal situation” writing The world. The decoration of the ex-swimmer’s office is estimated at 1 million euros. Not to mention the expense of Charlene’s family. Claude Palmero writes that he reported to Albert: “300,000 euros to pay to Sean Wittstock [le frère de Charlène] for his house.” A week later, the budget was revised upwards: “Sean W: it’s 3 × 300,000 euros.”

Prince Albert responded to the revelations in Claude Palmero’s notebooks

Many figures which raise questions but the lawyer Me Darrois replied in the name of Albert II: “For all members of the princely family, Mr. Darrois explains to Le Monde, from the moment Claude Palmero informed him of such excess, he was instructed to have them fully covered by the family’s private assets.“It would be Albert’s personal assets and therefore not those of the taxpayers.

Albert of Monaco therefore did not remain silent and spoke out to express himself in the face of this information which is making headlines, he speaks on behalf of his entire family. For him, trust was broken with Claude Palmero. He recalls that because of his influential role, the property administrator also had many powers. However, “on numerous occasions, and despite repeated requests, [il s’est] found unable to obtain a precise statement of family assets“. He adds : “Claude Palmero’s prerogatives did not authorize him to speak on my behalf, which he did more and more regularly, even refusing, at times, to relay my decisions.“