Charlene Swims for Charity

HSH Prince Albert II's fiancée Charlene Wittstock (a former Olympic swimmer as we know) wrapped up her visit to her former homeland of South Africa by participating in the 38th aQuelle Midmar Mile Race at Midmar Mile Dam in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday morning. She had never participated in the race before but took part this year to raise money for the Special Olympics and was pleased to visit South Africa and see some old friends and family whom she has been apart from for some time. The race was held Saturday and Sunday and marked the end of Charlene's week-long visit home where she certainly attracted more attention, or at the least a different sort of attention than in the past -before she was engaged to marry the Prince of Monaco.

Prior to the race she attended several charitable activities to raise money for the Special Olympics; a very worthy cause. On Friday she was at St. John’s Diocesan School in Pietermaritzburg to host a charity breakfast that raised $2,300. Afterwards she cut the ribbon to open a new pool at the school for competitive swimmers and unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion. The future Princess of Monaco spoke of her hope that the new facilities would see the school produce some future Olympic swimmers. The Games are clearly very dear to Charlene and Prince Albert who are both veteran Olympians (though in very different sports. That evening she attended the launch of the “Nelson Mandela Intimate Moments Exhibition” by Kerry Muldoun at Liberty Midlands Mall.

Now, it is back to Monaco, surely for more wedding plans for the future Princess of Monaco but she will be back in South Africa again after her marriage where the Prince and new Princess will both attend a meeting of the International Olympic Committee; something so important to both of them that they changed the original date of their wedding so that certain guests would not have to choose between attending to their Olympic duties and attending the wedding. "Nice guy" Albert II, always thoughtful...