Princess Charlene was supposed to be the guest of honour at this weekend’s Monaco F1 Grand Prix – but she is set to miss out after being forced to extend her stay in South Africa.
The royal – who is in the country to raise awareness of the fight against rhino poaching – has picked up an infection meaning she is unable to leave South Africa for the next few days.
Charlene is battling an infection of the ENT sphere (ear, nose and throat), according to the Palace of Monaco.
Revealing the news in a statement, the palace said: “During a trip to the African continent as part of a wildlife conservation mission, SAS Princess Charlene contracted an ENT infection that does not allow her to travel.
“Unfortunately, she will not be able to attend the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. SAS Princess Charlene sends her best wishes to the Automobile Club of Monaco, organizer of the event, as well as to the drivers and teams involved in this great automobile competition.”
It was only on Thursday that Princess Charlene shared images on Instagram of herself with a rhino that had had its horns removed in a painless way to try and deter poachers.
The process helps them survive even if they come across a poacher, who will kill a rhino specifically for its horns.
The Princess wore a camouflage sweatshirt and black sweatpants and was snapped hugging one of the rhinos that had bandages over its eyes and ears following the procedure.
Princess Charlene was last in South Africa just two months ago to attend the funeral of Goodwill Zwelithini, King of the Zulu nation, who died at the age of 72 due to complications from diabetes.
