urgent message

Princess Charlene's Olympic past still shapes one of her most important royal missions

Charlene also noted that "a few seconds of attention can change everything"

JULY 27, 2026 12:55 PM EDTJUL 27, 2026, 12:55 PM EDT

Princess Charlene of Monaco is using her platform once again to champion the cause that has defined much of her public life since joining the royal family.

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Marking World Drowning Prevention Day, the princess shared an urgent message encouraging families to prioritize water safety, reminding the public that many drowning tragedies can be prevented through education and vigilance.

Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock, then an Olympic swimmer, attend the Mare Nostrum swimming meeting in Monaco before their royal wedding in 2011.

The message, shared by the Prince's Palace and the Princess Charlene Foundation, highlights the importance of learning to swim, understanding lifesaving techniques and remaining alert around water, particularly during the busy summer months when more families head to beaches and pools.

Charlene also noted that "a few seconds of attention can change everything," calling on everyone to make aquatic safety a shared responsibility.

Before becoming Princess of Monaco, Charlene Wittstock took part in the Midmar Mile charity swim in South Africa, helping raise funds for the Special Olympics in 2011.

What makes the initiative especially meaningful is Charlene's own background. Long before becoming Princess of Monaco in 2011, she represented South Africa as an elite swimmer, competing at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as part of the country's 4x100-meter medley relay team.

Her years in competitive swimming laid the foundation for what would later become her signature charitable mission.

Princess Charlene of Monaco is using her platform once again to champion the cause that has defined much of her public life since joining the royal family.

In 2012, just one year after her royal wedding, Charlene established the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation with a clear goal, helping prevent drowning through swimming education, lifesaving training and water safety awareness.

Since then, the foundation has expanded its programs to dozens of countries, introducing thousands of children to swimming while promoting CPR training and rescue skills for communities around the world.

Princess Charlene joins French Olympic swimmer Alain Bernard during a Water Safety Day event focused on drowning prevention at Larvotto Beach in Monaco in 2017.

Each summer, the foundation renews its awareness campaign across Monaco and several coastal communities, a tradition that has become one of the princess's most recognizable annual initiatives.

This year's campaign arrives as Europe experiences another busy holiday season, with Charlene stressing that prevention becomes even more important as rising temperatures draw more people to the water.

Princess Charlene teaches children essential swimming and water safety skills during the U.S. launch of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in Santa Monica in 2016.

Although Princess Charlene supports a wide range of charitable organizations, from children's programs to health and sports initiatives, water safety has remained at the heart of her royal work for more than a decade.

It is one of the few causes that directly reflects the life she built before royalty, allowing her to combine her experience as an Olympic athlete with her role as one of Monaco's most visible public figures.