Princess Charlene's Kids Share Heartbreaking Messages For Their Mom

Princess Charlene has had a rough run for the last several months. The princess of Monaco embarked on what was supposed to be a brief trip to South Africa turned into a months-long stay after she suffered health complications. According to Vanity Fair, she underwent several surgeries, and complications left her unable to fly for quite some time. She was finally able to return to Monaco earlier this month. However, her plight was far from over.

The princess, who was once an Olympic swimmer for South Africa, and her husband Prince Albert have been plagued with rumors of discord within their relationship. Upon her return, Charlene's sister-in-law Chantell Wittstock told Channel24 that she was "extremely happy to be back home with her family." Wittstock reiterated that she would be staying with her husband and two children.

Although she posted a photo with her family on Instagram, we recently learned Princess Charlene has been checked into a treatment facility to get help. Her husband told People that she was suffering from "exhaustion, both emotional and physical." After months of illness, the princess' family is clearly feeling the pain of being separated from her. Her two children, the six-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, shared a message of support for their mother during a recent appearance with their father.

Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques held up signs showing their love for their ailing mother

November 19 marks the National Day of Monaco, and the royal family (minus Princess Charlene) made a public appearance for the holiday. While standing on a balcony, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques used the opportunity to share a message for their missing mother (via Page Six). Princess Gabriella held up a sign reading "We miss you mommy." Prince Jacques had a sign, too. His read "We love you mommy." Both heartbreaking messages were accompanied by hearts and clearly penned by their young hands.

Although she was unable to attend the event, Hello Magazine noted that Princess Charlene did celebrate Monaco's National Day with a post on Instagram. The post in question is a video of Monaco's flag waving in the wind as the national anthem plays. She did not provide a caption, but the comments section was filled with messages of support from concerned well-wishers.

The Monaco royal palace confirmed that Princess Charlene would not be in attendance for the National Day celebrations earlier in the week. It was also revealed that she was healing in a "secret location" (via CNN). At the time, it was expected that she would be stepping away from public duties for the next several weeks at least. Now that Prince Albert made it clear she is seeking treatment, it is unclear what the next steps will be in her healing process.

Prince Albert said Princess Charlene chose to enter the treatment facility

Although Princess Charlene has not publicly commented on her situation since it was confirmed that she was in a treatment facility, her husband Prince Albert has offered an update. He told People that he arranged a meeting with the princess's brothers and sister-in-law. At the meeting Charlene voiced her desire to seek treatment. "She had already made her decision, and we only wanted her to confirm it in front of us," he said.

In an effort to protect her privacy, Prince Albert has opted out of revealing where Princess Charlene is at the moment. He simply said "elsewhere in Europe" since it would be exceedingly difficult to protect her privacy in Monaco. The prince added that it became evident very rapidly that his wife was not doing well after she was reunited with her family. "She was clearly exhausted, physically and emotionally," he said. "She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general, or even family life."

It is unclear how long she will be seeking treatment; however, he floated the concept of a weeks-long sojourn. While he opted out of being specific about what is ailing the princess, he flatly denied several rumors. Chiefly, he said it was not COVID, cancer-related, or the result of plastic surgery. He also stressed that the treatment was not due to a strained relationship. According to Page Six, the palace plans to share an update before the holidays.

Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques reportedly understand that their mother is ill

They may only be six, but Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques are clearly very concerned for their mother's health. Prince Albert told People that they understood the situation. He said the pair "knew that she was tired. That she was not quite herself. And then I told them that she needed some time to rest, and that she is now somewhere not too far away, that we can go see her one day," he explained. "They know that she's going to talk to them very soon. They miss her, of course, but they understand."

Prince Albert appears to be doing what he can to keep his children well in their mother's absence. According to a palace source, he attempted to keep the National Day celebrations close to normal so that things wouldn't seem out of order (via People). The children seemed to be supporting one another during the event. People also noted that they were spotted holding hands at two points during the celebration.

The twins and Prince Albert will have an opportunity to visit Princess Charlene in the coming weeks. Although he wasn't clear on when the reunion would take place, we imagine that it will be a very happy day for everyone involved. In the meantime, we wish Princess Charlene and the rest of her family well.