Prince Albert Doesn't Have To Pay Wife Princess Charlene $12.5 Million To Stay: Report

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene's marriage was put into question again after a French magazine claimed the former allegedly paid the latter to remain by his side.

Voici, a French magazine, claimed in a report last week that Prince Albert allegedly pays his wife $12.5 million a year to stay with him. The report came after the Olympic athlete returned to the principality after being gone for almost a year due to health problems. She was stuck in South Africa for six months and spent another four months in a facility treatment in Switzerland.

"Of course, she has a generous prenup, but Albert doesn’t have to pay her to stay," an unnamed insider told Page Six. "After being away for so long during her illness, Charlene is so happy to be back with Albert and the kids. They spend every weekend in their country place. Albert is fully supportive of Charlene and is also helping her with her charities."

It was not the first time Princess Charlene and Prince Albert's marriage got questioned. In July 2021, the German magazine Bunte and France's Paris Match claimed that the royal couple had already split and Princess Charlene had no plans to return to Monaco.

"'She was full of good will, but she quickly felt judged and misunderstood,' says one of her friends in the Principality. 'So she closed up to protect herself,'" the French outlet reported.

Bunte added that Princess Charlene was already looking for a house near Johannesburg. It added that Prince Albert's solo appearance at the Tokyo Olympics only fueled the split rumors.

The controversial reports were published when Princess Charlene was away from her family. Princess Charlene's trip to South Africa was supposed to be a 10-day visit. However, she encountered a complication from a previous ENT that grounded her in her home country. She underwent several corrective procedures and returned to Monaco in November 2021.

An unnamed insider told Page Six that Princess Charlene "almost died in South Africa." Shortly after her return to the principality, she decided to seek treatment in Switzerland after experiencing signs of "exhaustion, both emotional and physical."

"She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general, or even family life," Prince Albert said at the time.

Princess Charlene was able to return to Monaco in March. She made her first public appearance after being gone for a long time in April by attending the Monaco E-Prix with Prince Albert and their 7-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.

A week later, the Monaco princess made her second public outing by attending the Saint Devote Rugby Tournament. The annual youth athletics competition halted for two years due to the pandemic, and it was "the event closest to her heart," according to people within her circle.