Prior to marrying Prince Albert of Monaco, Princess Charlene was an Olympic swimmer in her home country of South Africa and in a new interview, the royal gave a rare insight into her pre-royal life.
Speaking of whether her and Prince Albert's eight-year-old children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, would follow in her Olympic footsteps, Princess Charlene commented: "I don’t want to push them into training intensely for a sport. The Prince and I were Olympic athletes.
"It’s a choice that’s very demanding and needs constant work, which speaking from experience, can have an impact on your childhood."
© Action Press/ShutterstockThat said, the young royals are just as sporty as their accomplished parents, with Charlene sharing: "The first thing that felt essential for my husband and I was to teach them how to swim so they wouldn’t be scared of swimming.
"These days, they’re very confident in the water and Prince Albert is often with them taking part in aquatic activities, for example over the summer."
As well as lengths in the pool, Princess Charlene shared that her daughter has a hobby in common with the UK's Princess Charlotte. Though the Prince and Princess of Wales' daughter loves ballet, Gabriella's dance of choice is a little cooler.
© Eric Mathon / Prince Palace"Gabriella has a passion for hip-hop dancing," Princess Charlene said, before adding: "Jacques practises taekwondo. The important thing is to give them a good education, self-confidence and a happy childhood."
READ: Princess Charlene reveals big difference between twins Jacques and Gabriella
It certainly sounds like the Monaco royals have a varied set of hobbies to keep them busy when they're not joining their parents on royal engagements!
Charlene gave further insight into the youngest when asked about them by Monaco-Matin, sharing that they have their own unique characteristics, describing her daughter as "spontaneous" and "confident" while her son is more reserved.
© Stephane Cardinale - Corbis"Gabriella is pretty spontaneous, she’s quite confident," Charlene elaborated. "I think it’s the difference between boys and girls at that age, when girls are perhaps more expressive. They complement each other in a way and are learning about their new environment. But they’re still young and are changing day by day," said the mother-of-two.
Though they shared a womb, the youngsters are spending time apart this year at school, as for first time Jacques and Gabriella won’t be in the same class.
"Like any other pupil going back to school, they had a lot of questions: about their new classmates, their teachers, what they were going to wear on their first day. They did still ask me when their next holiday would be, though!" Charlene revealed.
Here's hoping they're settling in well!
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