The Transformation Of Princess Charlene's Face

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Princess Charlene is addicted to plastic surgery — or, at least, that's what her critics say. In 2017, when the princess should have been enjoying her pregnancy with royal twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, her haters told The Daily Beast that she just loved going under the knife (via New Zealand Herald). "A lot of people are hoping she will just stop the plastic surgery now she is finally pregnant," one Monégasque source snarked at the time. Later, when Charlene suddenly became ill during a philanthropic trip to South Africa, she faced so many plastic surgery rumors that her husband, Prince Albert II, had to tell People, "If you want to discuss another speculation, [Charlene's absence from public life] isn't related to plastic surgery or facial work at all."

To get to the bottom of this gossip once and for all, we reached out to double-board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Samuel Golpanian. The award-winning Beverly Hills-based physician has gone on the record about the changes in Charlene's face, and, in his view, Princess Charlene's stunning transformation has not been quite as severe as the tabloids would have you believe. Over the years, the South African beauty has experimented with lots of different makeup looks, camera angles, and poses. The result is an ever-changing face that reflects Charlene's increasing maturity and comfort with her public role.

Before Princess Charlene met one Grace Kelly's children, Prince Albert II of Monaco, she was simply a commoner. Then known as Charlene Wittstock, she lived in South Africa and loved to swim. "Charlene was really good," recalled Dean Price of Swimming South Africa, according to journalist Arlene Prinsloo's book titled "Charlene: In Search of a Princess." "She was very dedicated and a very serious swimmer. She worked really hard and was a nice and fun person to have around." This was perhaps an understatement. Charlene was not just good at swimming — she was so incredible that she qualified for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

At the time, though, the athlete was so focused on her strokes and splits that she couldn't waste time worrying about all things beauty. Because of this, when photographers captured her by the pool in the early 2000s, Charlene hardly caked on the blush and foundation. Standing on the pool steps, the swimmer looked extremely confident and totally natural in what appears to have been a nearly makeup-free look. The dark traces around Charlene's eyes indicate that she had potentially been wearing a dab of mascara, but the smudges on her lower eyelids reveal that the swimmer may have inadvertently rinsed off the substance by taking a dip in the pool. Ultimately, Charlene's face at the time stood as a reflection of her sportier priorities.

Before Princess Charlene met Prince Albert, attracting public admiration was not very high on her priority list. Leading up to the 2000 Olympic Games, Charlene was asked to model the South African team's swimwear in an official photoshoot. But due to the swimmer's lack of familiarity with the modeling world, the whole thing went terribly wrong. Speaking to Arlene Prinsloo for her book, "Charlene: In Search of a Princess," the princess' former teammate, Mandy Loots, revealed that Charlene was supposed to stay dry for the shoot. Unfortunately, the athlete couldn't help herself and jumped into the pool — delaying the shoot for hours until she could fully dry off.

Of course, when Charlene started dating Albert in 2006, her lack of camera awareness had to change. All eyes were suddenly on Charlene — and this meant that she had to experiment with makeup and learn which photo angles were the most flattering. By the time the 2008 Monte Carlo Red Cross Ball came rolling around, Charlene understood that some dewy skin toner, a light eye, and copious lipgloss would give her a nice fresh look that would look good on camera. And while she did generate plastic surgery rumors, Dr. Samuel Golpanian told us that they were probably just rumors. "She's wearing makeup and the angle is more flattering [than her swim shots]," he explained, "so those factors alone can create a noticeable difference."

In the weeks leading up to Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II's wedding, the couple faced an onslaught of nasty rumors. These continued after their multi-day celebration, which spanned July 1 to 2, 2011. After the grand affair, royal watchers began accusing Charlene of indulging in plastic surgery. No part of Charlene's face was apparently beyond criticism, with some fans alleging that she had done work on her nose, lips, and cheeks.

Fascinatingly, after viewing Charlene's wedding pictures, Dr. Samuel Golpanian said that the bride likely didn't get very much work done — if any at all. The double-board certified plastic surgeon explained, "The differences you see in skin texture and overall appearance are mostly due to makeup in the [wedding] photos." Even though the bride looked quite different than the girl who once posed for in an Olympic swimming pool, she had by then benefited from the work of royal makeup artists and stylists. Her wedding photographers also would have been instructed to make her look as good as possible. And, as Golpanian noted, "Camera angle and styling play big roles."

In terms of the allegations that Charlene had gotten lip fillers for her big day, Golpanian was quick to set the record straight. "I don't think she had lip filler or major work on her lips — her lip thickness looks consistent over the years," he said.

After meeting Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene's life changed forever. She began to frequent galas and fundraisers on the reg. She grew more accustomed to working with professional makeup artists and stylists. And, she even collaborated Giorgio Armani. But, royal life was not always easy for Princess Charlene, who struggled with the rude gossips in Monte Carlo. Elite insiders told The Daily Beast that the princess was "common as muck," as they were less than thrilled with her middle-class pedigree. There were also complaints surrounding her sense of style and public presence. Even her fertility came under fire.

In this environment, it would only make sense for Charlene to curate a pristine public image. Pointing to a photograph of Charlene at the 2014 Rose Ball, we asked Dr. Samuel Golpanian whether her gorgeous youthful look could be attributed to any sort of plastic surgery procedure. Golpanian noted that she still looked very "similar" to past photos. However, he did observe changes in her smile.

"Her teeth are noticeably different in the later photos, so she likely had veneers or dental work as well — and that can significantly enhance someone's overall look," Golpanian detailed. Of course, when it comes to getting "small enhancements" like "subtle volume in the cheeks and possibly along the jawline," the surgeon wasn't willing to rule anything out. That being said, it's safe to say that most of Charlene's beauty here was natural.

By the time 2017 came rolling around, Princess Charlene was thriving in her princess role. Her charitable project, the Princess Charlene Foundation, had dedicated a wonderful five years to the promotion of water safety and swim lessons. And, she had produced an heir and a spare through her kids, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. All these factors certainly led the confident and relaxed look that she pulled off at the 2017 Princess Grace Awards gala. With her hair cut short and swept behind her ears, Charlene's face stood out more than ever. Once thin and angular, Charlene's cheeks now seemed rounded. Her lips also seemed more plump.

Dr. Samuel Golpanian concluded, "Looking at the 2017 photo I think the roundness you see photo could be attributed to facial fillers. You can also see volume in her lips and mid-face area (the cheekbones where filler is often used to create a lifted, youthful contour)." But just because the princess underwent a few changes does not mean that surgery was necessarily the motive. Golpanian was quick to point out, "Another possibility is that she simply has naturally fuller facial fat and strong bone structure at that stage." That being said, the physician seemed fairly confident that Charlene had altered her lips, stating, "The lip enhancement suggests she'd had some injectable work."

In January 2021, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert stepped out to celebrate Monaco's patron saint, Sainte Dévote. While there was nothing unusual about the couple's choice to honor their country in this way, there was something strange about Charlene's attire. Rather than opt for clothes that centered her natural beauty, Charlene hid her face completely. Just like Albert, the princess wore a black face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, she took things a step further by also sporting a large pair of bug eye sunglasses that concealed her eyes and most of her forehead. She also donned a magenta beret, obscuring her identity even further.

Interestingly, this photograph was taken just months before Albert made a startling revelation about Charlene's relationship to public life. Later that year, Albert would tell People that Charlene had been struggling. "She was clearly exhausted, physically and emotionally. She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life," the prince shared. Maybe Charlene chose to hide her face on Sainte Dévote Day out of a need for privacy. Maybe she did it because she liked the drama of the look. While it's hard to confirm Charlene's motives for selecting such an unusual style choice, it goes without saying that her mysterious yet bold look was not easy to forget.

In 2021, Princess Charlene took a leave of absence from public life following a number of mysterious rumors surrounding her health. As reported by Page Six, the diagnosis was a particularly painful sinus issue that caused Charlene to undergo several surgeries in South Africa. A close friend told the outlet that the princess suffered greatly in this time. "She has not been able to eat solid food in over six months because of all the surgeries she has since gone through. She has only been able to take in liquids through a straw, so she lost nearly half her body weight." Because of the extent of Princess Charlene's health issues, she did not attend her usual galas or grand openings and instead stayed away from the cameras.

When she did finally return to public life in 2022, Charlene attended important events like the Monte Carlo Formula 1 Grand Prix. Her face was visibly thinner than it had been in 2017, and her bold red lip did little to hide the exhaustion that seeped into her expression. And, given what Charlene's inner circle has said about her illness, it's surprising that she didn't seem even more fatigued. "We don't know why the palace is downplaying that she almost died in South Africa," the aforementioned friend told Page Six in the same interview.  

Just a few months after her appearance at the Monte Carlo Formula 1 Grand Prix, Princess Charlene looked like a whole new woman. Her cheeks had once again rounded out, and she no longer radiated a sense of exhaustion. "I would first like to say that I feel so much better today than I have in recent years," Charlene divulged in an interview with Monaco Matin, according to People. "I feel less pain and much more energy. I continue to recover, to rebalance myself. It will still take time, but I'm happy."

While Charlene may have seemed to be in a good place with her recovery, royal watchers worried that she might have been dissatisfied with other aspects of her life. Princess Charlene's body language in 2022 hinted at a deep sense of chagrin. That year, at a December photo opportunity held in honor of Christmas, Charlene was photographed staring off into the distance. Her face held a contemplative look that seemed profoundly sad. She occasionally pursed her lips into a soft grimace as she gazed into the void.

These more serious moments have drawn comparisons between Princess Charlene and Princess Diana. As body language expert Judi James told the Express, Charlene and Diana both had "fluctuating facial expressions. Diana generally looked happy, but she could suddenly fall into a facial expression that was incredibly sad and reflective. ... Charlene has shown a similar trait since her wedding."

In 2025, Princess Charlene stepped out at the Ballon d'Or wearing subtle makeup that accentuated her natural beauty. Noticeable, though, were lines that crinkled adorably around her eyes. While some public figures rely on fillers and botox to prevent the natural signs of aging, Charlene embraced her age in an elegant and natural way.

"Charlene also has a lighter complexion — what we call a lower Fitzpatrick Skin Type — which means less melanin and less natural protection from the sun, so fine lines and wrinkles tend to appear sooner," Dr. Samuel Golpanian told us. The fact that Charlene spent her teenage years in sunny South Africa probably contributed to these lines. Golpanian went on to note that the princess had chosen the route of "graceful aging" — a trend that looks absolutely fantastic on her. When asked if Charlene had potentially had any filler removed, the physician commented that such a drastic move would be "uncommon ... unless there's a medical complication."

Given all of Charlene's health issues in 2021, it is certainly possible that she reversed previous procedures in pursuit of a more natural lifestyle. That being said, we could not help but admire the evolution of Princess Charlene's face. As she ages, her beauty just increases. We cannot wait to see what is next for the Monégasque princess.