Royal Profile: 40 Facts about Princess Charlene of Monaco

1. Princess Charlene of Monaco was born as Charlene Lynette Wittstock on 25th January 1978 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Africa {Source}.
2. She was the first child of Michael Wittstock and Lynette Humberstone-Wittstock  {Source}.
3. When she was aged 12, her family emigrated to South Africa from Zimbabwe {Source}.
4. At an early age, she developed a passion for swimming {Source}.
5. In 1996, at 18, She won the South African Championship {Source}.
6. In 2000, Her team came in fifth at the Sydney Olympic Games {Source}.
7.  That same year, She won the gold medal for the 200m backstroke event at the "Marenostrum" international swimming meeting in Monaco {Source}.
8. This is when she met Prince Albert for the first time, He was presiding over the international competition {Source}.
9. In 2002, She won three gold medals at the swimming World Cup (50m and 100m crawl, 4x100m relay) and the silver medal during the Manchester Commonwealth Games (4x100m medley relay) {Source}.
10. In 2006, the royal pair was spotted in public for the first time at the Winter Olympics in Turin {Photos}
11. In 2007, She ceased competing after qualifying for the Beijing Olympics {Source}.
12. The Princess Consort of Monaco has two younger brothers {Source}:
1. Gareth Wittstock (1982)
2. Sean Wittstock (1983)
13. Through her brothers she is also the sister-in-law of  {Source}:
1. Rosin Gavin-Wittstock (Garreth, 2015)
2. Chantell Wittstock (2013, Sean)
14. Through her two younger brothers and sisters-in-law, she is the aunt to:
1. Kaia-Rose Wittstock (2013, Gareth) {Source}
2. Raigen Wittstock (2014, Sean) {Source}
3. Avia-Grace Wittstock (2016, Sean) {Source}
15. She is a godmother to {Source}:
1. Raphael Casiraghi-Elmaleh(2013)
16. Miss Wittsotock was married to the Prince in a civil ceremony on 1st July 2011 in the Throne Room at the Palace of Monaco{Source}.
17. The religious ceremony took place on 2nd July 2011 in the Cour d'Honneur of the Palace of Monaco{Source},
18.  She bears the title "HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco" along with all the historical titles vested to the Prince, in the feminine{Source}.
19. While growing up in Africa, she was well-aware of problems linked to childhood {Source}.
20. During her career as an Olympic athlete, she also gave swimming lessons to underprivileged children{Source}.
21. Since 2009, She has been Honorary President of "Ladies Lunch Monte-Carlo {Source}.
22. Since 2010, She has been associated with the "Nelson Mandela Foundation"{Source}.
23. She regularly participates in fund raising events for charities such as "Amfar"{Source}.
24. On the 27th of May 2011, H.S.H Princess Charlene was appointed as a Global Ambassador of Special Olympics{Source}.
25. On 8th of July 2011, Princess Charlene has been appointed as a co-patron of the "Giving Organisation Trust", a group of South African charities that deals with issues ranging from AIDS among underprivileged children to the protection of the environment{Source}
26. Since June 2012, Princess Charlene has been the patron of AS Rugby Monaco{Source}
27. In July 2016,She accepted to become the Patron of the "South African Red Cross Society", on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of this association{Source}.
28. In September 2016, She attended the "World First Aid Day" in Geneva, as the Ambassador of this event{Source}.
29. She also created Her own Foundation, the "Princess Charlène of Monaco Foundation"{Source}.
30. In her free time, she enjoys surfing,mountain hiking, reading biographies and ethinic South African poetry and viewing contemporary art{Source}.
31. She shares a birthday with:
1. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Emir of Abu Dhabi(1948)
2. Miss Elisabeth Maria Angela Tatjana von Lattorff(2002)(Liechtenstein)
32. She is the sister-in-law of:
1. Princess Caroline of Hanover (1957)
2. Princess Stephanie of Monaco (1965)
33. Through her husband, she is the aunt of:
1. Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi (1984)
2. Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi (1986)
3. Pierre Rainier Stefano Casiraghi (1987)
4. Louis Robert Paul Ducruet (1992)
5. Pauline Grace Maguy (1994)
6. Camille Marie Kelly Gottlieb (1998)
7. Princess Alexandra Charlotte of Hanover (1999)
34. Through her husband, she is the step-aunt of:
1. Prince Ernest-August Jr of Hanover (1983)
2. Prince Christian of Hanover (1985)
35. Through her husband, she is the stepmother of:
1. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (1992)
2. Alexandre Eric Stephane Coste-Grimaldi (2003)
36. Through her nieces and nephews, she is the great-aunt of:
1. Raphael Casiraghi-Elmaleh(2013)
2. Soon-to-Be Baby Casiraghi-Borromeo (2017)
37. She is the aunt-in-law to:
1. Beatrice Casiraghi Borromeo (Pierre, 2015)
38. She, along with Prince Albert have two children:
1. Princess Gabriella Thérèse Marie of Monaco, The Countess of Carladès  (2014, older by two minutes)
2. Prince Jacques Honoré Rainier, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis de Baux (2014)
39. Her astrological sign is Aquarius.
40. For her daughter's godparents, she chose:
1. Gareth Wittstock (her brother, Gabriella's uncle)
2. Nerine Pienaar (who is a close friend of Princess Charlene )