In a candid interview with Paris Match published on Thursday, August 1, former Olympic athletes HSH Prince Albert and Princess Charlene shared insights into their mutual passion for sports, their first meeting by a pool, and their approach to raising their children.

Prince Albert fondly recounted the serendipitous moment he met Princess Charlene at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition, saying, “I found her to be an excellent swimmer, and also a kind, smiling and approachable person. We had a great time. I don’t know if I should say it, but that evening I caused her some trouble because I didn’t get her home on time…”

Princess Charlene added with a laugh, “Yes, it’s true that I had some problems that evening, but we’re not going to tell you everything…”

Their relationship publicly blossomed in 2006 during the Winter Olympics in Turin, where they appeared together for the first time. Both Olympians in their own right; Prince Albert as a bobsledder for Monaco and Princess Charlene as a swimmer for South Africa.

Princess Charlene reminisced, “It was an exciting moment for me. Firstly, because I had never seen a Winter Olympics before… and very little snow. To share it with my new boyfriend was even more amazing.”

The sovereign then reflected on the Olympic spirit, stating, “When you live it in the heart for sixteen days, you feel like you are part of a family. Obviously, there is competition: you are there to do better than the competitors, the other teams. But it is also with them that you share this unique experience.”

When asked if he had any advice for France on winning the Games, Prince Albert, who chairs the International Olympic Committee’s Commission on sustainability and legacy, said, “I spoke with President Hollande, then President Macron, and with Ms Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, but without giving them any particular advice. I rather approved their intention to make these Games exemplary in terms of sustainability and legacy.”

As far as a first Olympic medal for Monaco goes, Prince Albert II expressed optimism: “I am certain that it is possible. I do not know if it will happen during these Paris Games… But one day there will be a Monegasque athlete on the podium. Sometimes, we were not so far from it… We can dream of an exploit!”

Despite their busy schedules, the couple maintains an active lifestyle. Princess Charlene shared, “I still swim a little to stay fit and I’ve tried other sports. A little water biking and paddle boarding. I like hiking and gymnastics.”

Prince Albert detailed his own athletic pursuits: “I have played no less than seventeen sports, at a competitive level. I play little today, but I still play tennis and squash. Water sports and beach volleyball in the summer; skiing in the winter. And then I go to the gym regularly, to maintain a certain balance. It helps to overcome a lot of things.”

The importance of sports extends to their children, twins Jacques and Gabriella. “We encourage them to do it, yes, although it is essential that they try several disciplines before concentrating on one in particular,” Prince Albert II explained. “They swim, do gymnastics. They have been introduced to fencing, tennis and volleyball. Jacques does taekwondo. The values adopted in sport are fundamental.”

Featured image courtesy of Gaëtan Luci/Palais Princier :HSH Prince Albert celebrates his 66th birthday surrounded by the Princely Family and the people of Monaco, on the morning of Thursday, March 14