Princess Charlene's trip to South Africa has lasted much longer than it was supposed to, and it's gotten people talking.
Prince Albert is defending his marriage to the 43-year-old former Olympian amidst talk that Charlene ran away from Monaco to South Africa to escape him. The shockingly direct address aims to shut down the talk once and for all.
Still, there's no concrete timeline on Charlene's return. Many believe that there's something going on behind the scenes, although whether it's a separation or something entirely different remains unclear.
Princess Charlene traveled to South Africa in mid-May for charity work. She was supposed to be gone for just a few days, but she reportedly experienced complications from a sinus lift and bone graft procedure she'd undergone in preparation for dental implants.
As a result of these complications, Charlene has had to have several other procedures. One she underwent in late June forced her to miss her 10th wedding anniversary. She underwent another 4-hour-long procedure in mid-August.
"She didn't leave Monaco in a huff!" Albert told People magazine.
"She didn't leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else. She was going down to South Africa to reassess her Foundation's work down there and to take a little time off with her brother and some friends."
"It was only supposed to be a weeklong, 10-day maximum stay, and [she is still there now] because she had this infection all these medical complications arose," he continued.
"She didn't go into exile. It was absolutely just a medical problem which had to be treated."
Still, Albert is aware that the rumors are that Charlene has left him and their 6-year-old twins behind. He says he's aware he should have addressed the rumors sooner.
"I was concentrating on taking care of the kids," he said in his defense.
"And I thought it would just probably go [away]. You know if you try to answer everything that comes out then you're constantly [responding], you're wasting your time."
Albert said that though they're a high-profile couple, they aren't immune to being affected by these rumors.
"Of course it affects her, Of course it affects me," he said.
"Misreading events is always detrimental. … We're an easy target, easily hit, because we're in the public eye a lot."
Despite a collapse last week, Albert says Charlene is getting better.
"She's ready to come home," he said.
"She's jokingly said that she's ready to stowaway on a ship to come back to Europe."
