At first glance, Princess Charlene of Monaco has a lot in common with her sister-in-law Princess Caroline.
Both women care about the principality and perform their royal duties with elegance and grace.
Both have struggled with the incessant attention of the European tabloid press.
And both have had sons who at one point or other stood to inherit the Monegasque throne.
In spite of these parallels, however, the two women are not believed to get along.
Apparently, the younger, more rebelliousPrincess Stephaniehas been the sole royal woman to offer the crown princess support.
After all, Charlene was born in 1978 and Caroline in 1957.
Nonetheless, as the years have gone by, details about their relationship have leaked to the press.
On September 13, 1982, the Hollywood-star-turned-royal lost control of her car and drove it off a cliff.
She died one day later.
Princess Caroline stepped into her mother’s shoes.
She has the same spirit as her mother.
When Rainier died and Prince Albert II took the throne in 2005, Caroline remained in this role.
At the time, Albert was a bachelor known by many as the “playboy prince.”
Because of this, Caroline likely assumed she would always be Monaco’s defacto first lady.
Because of this, when Albert did eventually fall for Charlene, tensions supposedly ran high.
This possibly led to resentment.
From the moment that Prince Albert II announced his engagement, Charlene was hounded by the European tabloid press.
Articles about her diet, workout routines, and fashion choices popped up left and right.
Meanwhile, interest in Caroline just could not compare.
The former leading gal was getting lost among newer, fresher faces.
She was the one at this side, getting all the publicity."
Losing that sense of relevancy might have been complicated for Caroline.
Others yet whispered that the bride had tried to flee Monaco three times leading up to her big day.
And at least one royal expert believes that the palace orchestrated this stunt to quell rumors of a feud.
Diamond hair clips or not, there was no shortage of speculation about Charlene and Caroline’s so-called feud.
And, apparently, tensions between the women overflowed prior to the ceremony.
Apparently, Charlene had wanted to wear it at the wedding, only to find that Caroline disapproved.
Of the supposed altercation, photographer said, “It was just fingers being pointed in faces.”
In the end, it is impossible to verify whether or not this argument ever took place.
Not between us but with everybody.
He also alleged that Princess Caroline had come up with a mean nickname to describe her new rival.
Apparently, the Grimaldi girls' closest friends began using the nickname as well.
As one royal tipster told theDaily Beast’s Royalist, “People are embarrassed by her … Interestingly, Charlene herself has admitted to having very few allies in her new royal home.
I only have two people I consider friends here.”
On December 10, 2014, the Zimbabwe-born royal welcomed Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella to the world.
Of course, it is worth noting that Caroline never seemed too keen to wear the crown herself.
This attempt to override Charlene’s parenting choices did not play too well with the twins' protective mother.
“Charlene is frantic to see that Caroline is taking over influence on her twins.”
Even so, there seems to be quite a bit of pettiness between the two women.
As reported byPage Sixin 2014, the trouble started when Charlene was planning Monaco’s annual Red Cross Ball.
And Charlene wanted to book a musical guest that the crowds would never forget.
In the end, though, this choice backfired no thanks to Caroline.
Princess Stephanie, Charlotte Casiraghi, Lynn Wyatt, and Karl Lagerfeld all followed suit.
And, interestingly, she does not seem particularly keen on including Charlene in her own events, either.
Fascinatingly, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco was quick to explain away Charlene’s absence.
She has the full support of Albert."
(It is worth noting thatCharlene withdrew from the public eyein 2020 after suffering health issues.)
In that sense, it was extremely important for the two women to stand together at Rainier’s memorial.
After all, they showed the world just how loyal they both are to the principality.
