To be a royal bride, you have to be an aristocrat.
Or, at least that’s what it might seem.
Over the years, many of the women who have married into European royal families have been quite blue-blooded.
Enter, Princess Charlene.
As the wife ofthe Monegasque ruler, Prince Albert, she is the highest ranked woman in Monaco.
What’s more Charlene’s ancestors endured a level of struggle that is unheard of from most royal brides.
In fact, one of her great-grandparents was actually abandoned at a foster home due to financial troubles.
For a time, all seemed well in the family of five.
Reflecting on this turbulent time in an interview withParis Match, Michael recalled, “It was pretty rough.
At the time, the country was at war.
So, I wasn’t always there.
I was going to the front for six weeks.”
“On weekends, we went to the Gwai River side.
There were wild animals, elephants, giraffes.”
At the end of the day, though, the Bush War was still a tumultuous period.
The princess reportedly shared, “I remember [my childhood days] filled with fear.”
Growing up, Michael and Lynette Winstock’s daughter and two sons played together for hours on end.
And, it is believed that these moments left a lasting impression on Charlene.
She was a real tomboy!
She ran everywhere and always came back covered in dust or dirt."
The three siblings also experienced a sense of communal loss, as violence tore through Zimbabwe in the 1980s.
These sorts of traumas likely inspired the three siblings to stick together.
In the end, Charlene trained hard and was able to represent South Africa in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Fascinatingly, it seems that Michael was way more invested in Charlene’s Olympic goals than Lynette was.
He was very involved in her swimming career."
From what Prince could tell, this level of involvement stepped from Michael’s appreciation of Charlene’s talent.
If anything, he continues to be proud of Charlene for everything she accomplished.
At the time, Charlene’s parents were overjoyed to see their daughter settling down.
And, as far as the gushing mama saw things, Albert was a solid guy.
She explained, “I am ecstatic my daughter is finally getting hitched.
My family is happy, we like him very much.”
“We go to the pub and have a few drinks,” he told the outlet.
“We talk about sport, especially rugby.
He doesn’t have a big head.
I appreciate it very much.”
The prince simply phoned his father-in-law-to-be and got a resounding yes.
Naturally, it did not take long for the media to spread the story.
And, within weeks, royal fans found themselves doubting the legitimacy of Albert and Charlene’s relationship.
It’s a mystery."
South Africans should be supporting Charlene rather than spreading nasty rumors."
The Zimbabwe-born Olympian also struggled to integrate in Monegasque society which is traditionally dominated by the international jet set.
As someone who was not brought up in a wealthy family,Charlene struggled to fit in.
One high society insider told theDaily Beast, “People are embarrassed by her.
Even as Charlene floundered in this hostile social environment, though, she could count on her family.
I only have two people I consider friends here.
Above all, my true friends are my family.”
I’m very grateful to have them."
Rather than worrying about what people were saying about her, Charlene decided to focus on her charity work.
The princess has been open about the way that her mother motivated her to start the foundation.
Addressing Lynette’s impact on her charity work, Charlene toldTop Billing, “My mom is my inspiration.
She taught myself, my two brothers, to swim.
She taught hundreds of children to swim.
However, she has also been concerned about their safety.
And this has long been a source of stress for the princess.
“I worry about them a lot.
She went on to explain that violent crimes had also reached her parents' vicinity.
“There have been a lot of killings on our street.
As the palace-based source told the Daily Mail, “It has made the world of difference …
Seems like a lovely turn of events, right?
“Mike and Lynette are still in Benoni.
They have not moved and they have no plans to move to Monaco,” she told the outlet.
Royal rumors never rest.
