Charlene (French: Charlène [ʃaʁlɛn]; born Charlene Lynette Wittstock, 25 January 1978) is Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Albert II. Before her marriage, Charlene was an Olympic swimmer representing South Africa. Charlene was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). She relocated to South Africa in 1989. She began her swimming career in 1996 (winning the South African Championship) and represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with her team finishing fifth in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay. Charlene retired from professional swimming in 2007. Charlene met Prince Albert at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in 2000. The couple married on 1 July 2011. On 10 December 2014, she gave birth to twins Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques. Princess Charlene's charity work primarily revolves around sports, AIDS, and underprivileged children. Charlene founded the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in 2012 to support her personal humanitarian endeavours.
