Portrait of Charlene, Princess of Monaco

Birthday profile

Charlene, Princess of Monaco

Zimbabwean-South African former Olympic swimmer; wife of Albert II, Prince of Monaco

Born
January 25, 1978
Age in 2026
48
Zodiac sign
Aquarius
Birth year
1978

About Charlene, Princess of Monaco

Charlene (French: Charlène [ʃaʁlɛn]; born Charlene Lynette Wittstock, 25 January 1978) is Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Albert II. Before her marriage, Charlene was an Olympic swimmer representing South Africa. Charlene was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). She relocated to South Africa in 1989. She began her swimming career in 1996 (winning the South African Championship) and represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with her team finishing fifth in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay. Charlene retired from professional swimming in 2007. Charlene met Prince Albert at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in 2000. The couple married on 1 July 2011. On 10 December 2014, she gave birth to twins Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques. Princess Charlene's charity work primarily revolves around sports, AIDS, and underprivileged children. Charlene founded the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in 2012 to support her personal humanitarian endeavours. Wittstock won three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg. The ring was reported to be created by Parisian jeweller Repossi. Princess Gabriella was born first, followed by Hereditary Prince Jacques, who is heir apparent to the throne.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Charlene, Princess of Monaco timeline

  1. Wittstock won three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg.
  2. Charlene founded the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in 2012 to support her personal humanitarian endeavours.

The world when Charlene, Princess of Monaco was born

Charlene, Princess of Monaco was born in 1978. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1978

  • #1 song"Shadow Dancing" – Andy Gibb
  • Top movieThe Deer Hunter
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe World According to Garp – John Irving

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMuhammad Ali wins heavyweight title for the third time
  • Top headlineCamp David Accords — Egypt and Israel sign peace agreement
  • Technology milestoneFirst spam email sent
  • Defining fadDisco and Saturday Night Fever
  • Notable inventionGarfield comic strip debuts
  • World population4.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonWashington Bullets (NBA)
  • U.S. population222.6M

1978 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Charlene, Princess of Monaco's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19782026
Gas$0.63$3.45/gal
Average home$55,700$435,000
Average income$17,730$67,500
Minimum wage$2.65$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.34$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population222.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, International Olympic Committee. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.