Princess Charlene of Monaco has opened up about how a tragic family death impacted her in a rare interview about water safety.
Before she was Princess Charlene, she was Charlene Wittstock, a professional Olympic swimmer. However, since marrying Prince Albert of Monaco in 2011, Charlene has successfully fused her passion for swimming with her mission to amplify awareness around water safety.
© Gallo Images via Getty ImagesIn an interview with French newspaper Ouest-France (via Monaco Tribune), Charlene revealed that the cause is close to her heart after she tragically lost her cousin Richard in a devastating drowning accident as a child.
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Speaking to the newspaper, the Princess recalled how her cousin Richard died by drowning at the age of five, when she herself was just a child: "Richard drowned in a river, very close to my uncle's house. He was only five years old. It was devastating for our whole family. I don't think that kind of pain ever really goes away."
Since becoming a member of the Monaco royal family, Charlene has been heavily invested in teaching children to swim and raising awareness of the dangers of water through her dedicated foundation.
The Princess says that learning to swim "should be a fundamental right, just like learning to read."
The interview comes as it was reported that 193 people died by drowning in France between 1 June and 23 July 2025. Making for a 45 per cent increase on last year's drowning figures, Charlene told Ouest-France that she was "deeply concerned by the sharp rise in the number of drownings."
Princess Charlene's commitment to water safety
The Princess, who enjoyed a successful career as an Olympic swimmer for South Africa, is deeply committed to water safety. Through her dedicated foundation, Charlene runs numerous global water safety days, learn to swim programmes and educational events.
Most recently, her programme launched in Italy where schoolchildren spent the day handling tube buoys and nipper boards. They also learned coastal rescue techniques as well as introductory CPR.
© Getty ImagesIt comes after the Princess launched the Water Safety Day in Monaco in 2014 which offers a full day of activities combining swimming, water safety and the values of sport to the schoolchildren of the Principality.
"Cost should never be a barrier to acquiring a life-saving skill," Charlene affirmed when discussing the programme.
