Charlène talks about "difficult time"

Much has been said, rumored and written about Charlène of Monaco in recent times. She herself, however, hardly ever spoke out. Now the princess has given a rare interview to a South African magazine. It also deals with her husband, her children and her family.

For months, Charlène of Monaco was stuck in South Africa last year. For health reasons, as the official story goes. When she finally returned to the principality, she was gone again shortly afterwards. To regenerate abroad, as they say.

Since then, there have been numerous speculations about the 44-year-old. And they not only raise the question of what is really behind Charlène's exhaustion. Her relationship with Prince Albert II and her role as mother of the two seven-year-old twins Gabriella and Jacques are also being put to the test.

However, the princely house is not entirely innocent of the fact that the rumor mill is boiling over. Albert II repeatedly makes only vague statements about the physical and mental state of his wife. She, on the other hand, remains almost completely silent.

"I am deeply religious"

Now, however, Charlène has given a rare interview. Not to a media in Monaco or elsewhere in Europe, but to the magazine "You" in her native South Africa. But even after reading this interview, one is only conditionally smarter than before.

"I went through a difficult time," the princess admits frankly, after all. "But I was lucky enough to be supported and loved by my husband, my children and my family, from which I draw all my strength," she counters at the same time the rumors about problems in her marriage.

But Charlène seems to rely not only on family, but also on God. "I am deeply religious," she explains. The fact that she met Pope Francis as recently as July was "an honor and a great privilege" for her, the princess says. "Faith has guided me through the difficult times of my life."

"Filled and structured"

Charlène also offers a little insight into her daily life in the interview. "My daily life revolves around my children," she says. At the same time, however, she says she also strives to fulfill her duties as princess. "My year is full and structured. I devote myself fully to my current and future projects, but also to the needs of my children," she assures.

Meanwhile, Charlène is said to be back in Monaco on a permanent basis. For some months now, she has also been attending public appointments again. She goes swimming regularly and also sometimes to the gym, she explains in the "You" interview, also that she is on the road to recovery. And, of course, that's how it should stay.

Guessing about Charlène's radiant appearance

Maybe she just can't please anyone. After all, Charlène of Monaco has returned to public appearances following her month-long hiatus, such as this weekend's Formula 1 race. The fact that she seems relatively relaxed there, however, is fueling speculation once again.

Charlène of Monaco had been out of the picture for what felt like an eternity. First, she was stuck in South Africa for months because of alleged complications following an ear, nose and throat infection. Then she recovered from what was said to be emotional and physical exhaustion for just under six months in a Swiss clinic.

Since the beginning of May, the princess is now said to be back in her adopted country. Her return to the public eye took place around four weeks ago during the Formula E World Championship in Monaco. The 44-year-old was also not to be missed at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monte Carlo this weekend. Despite all the crisis rumors surrounding her marriage to Prince Albert II, she even appeared holding hands with her husband.

During her appearances at the Formula 1 weekend, Charlène appeared relaxed - unusual for her by now. Together with her husband, she met several racing drivers. Photos show the two of them talking to Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, for example. Charlène and Albert also had their picture taken with actor Patrick Dempsey, who had traveled to the event.

Twelve million euros a year?

Charlène also put her children in the limelight against the backdrop of the Formula 1 event. She shared a photo of twins Jacques and Gabriella on Instagram, showing the two seven-year-olds on a sofa. The girl is sitting tensely on the edge in a floral dress, holding a small pair of binoculars in her hands. Her brother, meanwhile, seems preoccupied with a pair of headphones. "Focused on winning! Here's to a great Grand Prix," Charlène wrote in response.

So is all well again in the Monegasque princely family? Some observers have their doubts. Rumors are doing the rounds that Charlène has negotiated a tough deal with the palace. As the French magazine "Voici" recently reported, the princess is moving her residence to Geneva, where she is to be paid twelve million euros a year by the principality. In return, she has agreed to regularly attend public representation events.

In the "golden cage"? Charlène of Monaco causes guesswork with artwork

Digital art objects show Charlène of Monaco

In her post, which she posted on her Instagram account, the wife of Prince Albert (64) diligently stirs the promotional drum for her first NFT collection, created in a collaboration with artist Junaid Sénéchal-Senekal. Non-Fungible Tokens" are unique, non-exchangeable digital contents, in this case art. Individual image fragments to be purchased are arranged in a grid in the posting, which as a whole produce the artificially depicted, alienated portrait of the noblewoman.

Just a random grid or a deliberately used pattern that is supposed to represent a cage? Whether due to the arrangement or the serious look of the royal in the artwork: Followers are busy guessing what the number is supposed to be.

"In a golden cage," interprets a follower into it. Another fan writes: "I want to make you a little happier." Trapped and unhappy? That's not how all followers see the story behind the NFTs: some just think it's "beautiful" what the princess has put out there, sending busy emoji hearts.

The sad Princess of Monaco?

The fact that the blue-blooded from Monaco the unfortunate impression seems as if tailored to the thin body, but makes not only the art. For a long time already about a thick marriage crisis with her Albert is rumored. After months of absence last year, when she had to endure an ear, nose and throat disease in South Africa, the former swimmer returned to Albert and her twins in the spring. But then she had to go straight back to a clinic for luxury treatment in Switzerland.

Her smile on the photo with her husband, recently taken on the occasion of their eleventh wedding anniversary, seems rather tortured and forced. Even before, during a visit to an event with her family, it was noticeable how distressed and absent the princess still seemed, even after the treatment.

Charlène and Albert make out in Oslo

For a year now, there has been speculation about the married life of Prince Albert II and Charlène. The couple is said to have been living separately for a long time and only attend public appointments together. In Oslo, however, they are now simply smooching the rumors away.

Princess Charlène and Prince Albert II show their private happiness in Oslo and kiss away the rumors that have been circulating for a long time about an alleged love affair. The Monegasque princely couple arrived in Norway for an official visit with their children, seven-year-old twins Gabriella and Jacques. A private lunch was held for the royals at the Bygdø Kongsgård manor house in Oslo, attended by the Monegasques, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Märtha Louise.

Afterwards, Haakon and Albert opened an exhibition at the Fram Museum. Shortly before that, the kiss between the Monegasque prince and his wife Charlène apparently took place. Other photos show the two in an intimate embrace.

Twelve million euros for Charlène?

It is Princess Charlène's first trip after her long battle with health problems. At the beginning of June, she had contracted the coronavirus. The 44-year-old had only returned to Monaco in March after a lengthy stay in hospital in Switzerland. Before that, she had already been stuck in South Africa for many months last year with an ear, nose and throat illness and was unable to travel back to Europe.

So is all well again in the Monaco princely family? Some observers have their doubts. Rumors are doing the rounds that Charlène has negotiated a tough deal with the palace. As the French magazine "Voici" recently reported, the princess is moving her residence to Geneva, where she is to be paid twelve million euros a year by the principality. In return, she had agreed to regularly attend public representation meetings.

"We missed the princess very much. And we were obviously hurt by the malicious rumors that were spread," Albert told Le Journal de Dimanche in an interview in early June. "But we were able to stick together despite the distance, we spoke often." The princely couple has been married since 2011.

New district in the sea

This is what the luxury island for Monaco's millionaires looks like

19.09.2022 A new city district in the sea is to make room for expensive real estate in Monaco. But critics doubt that this construction project in the mini-principality is really environmentally friendly.

Everywhere in Monaco, cranes tower into the sky; construction noise is part of everyday life in the small principality. But it's no longer just the streets of the concrete stronghold that are being dug up; the sea has also become a construction site. Where walkers used to be able to look out over the waters of the Côte d'Azur from the Grimaldi Forum, they now see building rubble and excavators.

Space for a thousand super-rich

By 2025, the new Anse du Portier district is to be built off the coast at a cost of around two billion euros. Six hectares of land will be reclaimed from the Mediterranean. 60,000 square meters of residential and commercial space are to be built here. There will be room for a thousand super-rich people in five apartment buildings and 14 villas. The penthouse designed by celebrity architect Renzo Piano is to cost 100,000 euros per square meter. Also planned are a park, a marina for 30 boats, below-sea-level parking garages and a main square. The Grimaldi Forum is also to be expanded. French landscape architect Michel Desvigne is creating gardens between the buildings.

Lack of luxury real estate

The government is overseeing the construction project, and private investors are financing it. According to real estate agents, prospective buyers are lining up for the 120 luxury apartments. In Monaco, demand for real estate has exceeded supply for years. That is also the reason for the billion-dollar project in the sea.

Because the second smallest state in the world is only two square kilometers in size, it is running out of space for new high-priced residential projects. Where it is still reasonably justifiable, the last gaps in the already densely populated city are being closed. More and more rich people are moving to Monaco. One reason is that they do not have to pay income and wealth tax here. The number of millionaires grew by twelve percent between 2013 and 2018, according to the Knight Frank Wealth Report. One in three of the 38,000 residents has at least one million euros in their bank accounts, including tennis pro Novak Djokovic and racing driver Lewis Hamilton. They pay between 53,000 euros and 100,000 euros per square meter, more than anywhere else in the world.

Sand from Sicily

The foundation for the artificial peninsula is formed by 18 huge concrete blocks on the seabed, each weighing 10,000 tons. The newly created area will be filled with 600,000 cubic meters of sand from Sicily. The mini-state on the Mediterranean has already expanded by around 20 percent in the past 100 years. Dubai and Singapore have also used enormous amounts of sand to create artificial islands, new harbors, housing developments and parklands. Dubai's artificial islands in particular have become a symbol of the Gulf states' megalomania and an environmental sin. The fillings interfere with the natural ocean currents and thus disturb the underwater world.

Planned as an ecological showcase project

Monaco's land expansion, on the other hand, is to become a showcase ecological project. "I hope Monaco's new ecological quarter will become a model for other real estate projects by the sea," Albert II let slip in a press release. He said he has had marine biologists accompany the construction project from the beginning. In addition, the peninsula is to follow the contours of the coast so as not to influence the currents. 40 percent of the energy is to come from renewable sources. And cars are not even allowed to drive on the island.

Countless stones with protected algae and mussels have been relocated. A total of 520 square meters of sea grass will be repotted. Over the next 15 years, researchers will use cameras to record how the relocated species behave. The water quality of the new habitat will be constantly monitored by sensors.

Criticism from marine biologists

Nevertheless, there was and is protest - from neighboring France. Marine researchers and biologists criticize the construction project because it robs many animals of their habitat - so that even more luxury living space can be created. "Monaco's previous land reclamation projects have already destroyed 81 percent of the flora and fauna in shallow waters up to ten meters deep and almost 60 percent in depths up to 20 meters," explains Alexandre Meinesz, a biologist at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. The new construction project will "further reduce biodiversity and destroy life in shallow coastal waters, which are already scarce." Nadine Niel, president of the French marine conservation organization Aspona, also fears that the marine ecosystem off Monaco could topple. The principality is not a member of the EU and is therefore - unlike its member states - not obliged to check construction projects for their environmental compatibility.

Albert II, the "Eco-Prince

Prince Albert II has been working on his reputation as an eco-prince for years, drives an e-car and is known for picking up plastic waste. To warn of the dangers of global warming, he has already made a pilgrimage to the North Pole. The prince wants to turn Monaco into a carbon-neutral country by 2050, producing no more carbon dioxide than it offsets. Even if the current traffic situation in the city-state is still anything but ecological: sports cars with enormous fuel consumption in the narrow streets, clouds of exhaust fumes from constant traffic jams, Formula 1 and helicopter cabs for the rich.

France subsidizes Monaco with millions of euros

France has been paying Monaco around 100 million euros a year in VAT refunds since 1963. The small country is a well-known tax haven, the second richest country in the world by GDP per capita, and where one in three inhabitants is a millionaire.

An agreement concluded in 1963 between General de Gaulle and Prince Rainier III provides for Monaco to receive a share of French VAT revenues.

This is to compensate for the loss of revenue caused by the decision that the French can no longer shop VAT-free in the Principality.

According to the Principality's budget documents, France will pay Monaco about 105 million euros in 2022, down from 100 million euros in 2021.

This is less than in the 1990s: in 1997, for example, France paid 839 million francs to Monaco, equivalent to about 174 million euros in 2021.

The annual sum is calculated according to "a formula set out in an exchange of letters between the two countries and is decided each year on the basis of annual data," the French Economy and Finance Ministry told EURACTIV. The amount varies depending on the annual net revenue in each country.

However, Monaco also directly collects its own VAT, which amounts to well over €100 million - bringing the state's total revenue due to VAT to €898 million in 2022, including French VAT.

Asked by EURACTIV whether it was legitimate to continue such a scheme, the ministry replied that "this payment is perfectly logical, since France collects VAT on transactions carried out on Monegasque territory."

Monaco residents who are not French nationals are not subject to income, capital gains or wealth taxes. Inheritance tax is zero for direct relatives and very low for others. French residents who settled after 1962 pay their taxes directly to France.

Monaco's advantages

"Initially, Monaco was a tax haven for the French, but in the 1960s, General de Gaulle forced Monaco - by means of a border blockade - to sign a tax treaty that obliged French people living there to pay taxes to France," a Monegasque living in France, who is well-informed about the situation and wishes to remain anonymous, told EURACTIV.

"In exchange for the end of the tax-free system, Monaco received a percentage refund of part of the French VAT," he added.

In 2000, Socialist MPs Arnaud Montebourg and Vincent Peillon presented a report showing that Monaco continued to benefit from the scheme - a pattern that continues today, EURACTIV learned from informed sources.

The report called a 60 percent increase in "Monaco turnover" in the calculation between 1963 and 1986 "arbitrary" and incomprehensible. The two states themselves saw the need to adjust the formula and changed it several times, including in 1987, 1989 and 2001.

No longer understandable

Initially, it was "understandable" because the principality was "a real enclave," the Monaco source told EURACTIV.

Now, however, the situation is an "anomaly" due to ties with France, the lack of proper borders and controls, and Monaco's economic situation, the source added.

Monaco's state budget has a revenue surplus of 2.9 million euros, according to December estimates. Even compared to 2021 - when the pandemic still had an impact on the economy - revenues are expected to jump 28.7 percent (420 million euros) in 2022, with 40 percent of that revenue coming from VAT compared to 2021.

"VAT remains the main source of revenue for the state and accounts for 53.4 percent of revenues, of which 88.3 percent is internal VAT," or €793 million, according to a report by the Monegasque parliament.

Asked by EURACTIV, Monaco's Finance Ministry confirmed that the remaining €105 million, described as "VAT from the common account" (11.7 percent of the total) and not "internal VAT," corresponds to what France pays.

Nearly 1.5 billion euros over 14 years

Between 2009 and 2021, France paid Monaco 1.497 billion euros, according to legislative documents from the Monaco National Council.

As early as 2000, Montebourg and Peillon criticized France's annual contribution to Monaco, saying it was "unknown to French taxpayers" and served to "allow the world's largest fortunes to remain in Monaco without being taxed," even though that may not have been the goal.

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