Princess Charlene and Prince Albert are joined by their mini-me twins Gabriella and Jacques, 9, as they wave from the balcony to have a good time Monaco National Day

Princess Charlene of Monaco and her family put on a sweet display as they waved from the balcony to mark the country’s National Day on Tuesday. 

The former Olympian swimmer, 46, who is married to the principality’s ruler Prince Albert, had earlier begun Monaco’s important day with a mass in the cathedral. 

She later took to the balcony of the Monaco Palace in Monte Carlo with Albert and her mini-me twins, Jacques and Gabriella, nine, for the army parade. 

The beaming royals waved to crowds, with Jacques looking smart in uniform and Gabriella looking adorable in a bright blue coat, reflecting her mother’s vibrant look.  

Accompanied by Princesses Caroline of Hanover, 67, and Stephanie, 59, Charlene looked radiant for the occasion.   

The mother-of-two donned a two-piece lilac suit, believed to be custom-made from Louis Vuitton, adding a stylish fascinator and black pumps. 

The mass marked the first in a series of official events, followed by a ceremony awarding medals and a military parade. 

Members of the honor guard arrived outside Monaco’s Cathedral to mark the event, with members of the clergy joining in front. 

National Monaco Day is also known as The Sovereign Prince’s Day, and the date of the celebration is chosen by the reigning Prince.

Traditionally, the Princes chose the day of the saint they are named after.

But when Prince Albert inherited the title, he decided to choose the same day as his father rather than the day of Saint Albert, which would have been November 15.

It is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before, and a mass in Monte Carlo the next morning.

It comes after Charlene discussed with Paris-based Gala magazine how she can no longer workout like she used to when she was training to be a medal-winning athlete.

‘I walk, I cycle, I swim too, but not as much as before. When I was young, I trained very hard, I challenged myself physically. These days, it’s all about moderation,’ admitted the royal in the candid interview, according to Hello!.

‘It can be quite difficult because my nature is to want to beat records, win medals and surpass my limits. But, at nearly 47 years old, I can no longer do that… my body won’t let me. My spirit and my heart might, but my body says no,’ added Charlene.

It’s rare for the Princess to offer an update on her physical fitness after she spent much of 2021 and 2022 overcoming a lengthy health crisis, which saw her spend 10 months in South Africa away from her children and check into a private Swiss clinic for treatment for ‘extreme fatigue’, sources told AFP at the time.

In another candid admission, Charlene, who turns 47 in January, discussed her nine-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques and how their personalities are quite different.

She labelled her daughter as ‘very curious’, explaining how she asks ‘lots of questions and demands a lot of attention’. Meanwhile, her son is ‘more reserved’ and ‘naturally very calm’.

‘The conversations I have with Jacques and those with Gabriella are so different, as well as the time spent with them,’ she revealed.

Charlene admitted that it’s ‘difficult to find time to spend one-on-one time with them’ but insisted it is important when parenting twins.

Prince Albert’s wife and their children often support the ruler on special royal engagements including Monaco’s National Day.

But there was a time in recent years when Charlene couldn’t perform her royal duties after suffering a lengthy health battle.  

The royal first fell ill in South Africa in May 2021, during what was meant to be a 10-day visit.

Complications from a sinus operation led to her staying in her native country for 10 months, and there have been rumours about the state of her marriage ever since.

There had been claims by leading French media that Albert had signed an ‘ultra-confidential contract’ to pay his wife more than £10million a year to fulfil her royal duties.

She returned to Monaco but was there for a matter of days before reportedly leaving for a Swiss treatment facility. The exact nature of her condition was not made public but Albert said she was ‘exhausted’.

Photographs of their reunion were greeted with a hefty dose of scepticism by the French media.

Prince Albert said he was ‘hurt by the vicious rumours’ peddled about his marriage following his wife’s absence and said that it’s the ‘most beautiful thing’ to have her back with him.

The Royal Palace announced in March last year that Charlene had returned and would make a gradual reintroduction to public life. She has since regularly made public appearances with her husband and children.

Major French outlets that specialise in celebrity news said Charlene’s sudden re-appearance was welcomed by all Royal watchers.

In December 2022, she told local newspaper Monaco Matin she felt ‘so much better’ than she has in recent years.

Revealing she has ‘less pain and much more energy’, she said she ‘is continuing to recover, to rebalance herself.’

She added: ‘My family and those I love are my rock. I approach the future, step by step, one day at a time.’

Meanwhile Prince Albert has also spoken out in praise of his wife publicly. The royal has said she has ‘turned it around in an incredible way’ after a long-running health battle.

Speaking in December 2022, the royal told People he was ‘really proud of my wife,’ adding: ‘Charlene’s doing really well.’

He continued: ‘As you know, last year was a very tough year for her – and the beginning of this year.’