Rumours swirl on Monaco's royal honeymoon in South Africa

By Ulrike Koltermann Jul 14, 2011, 11:16 GMT

Paris/Durban, South Africa - Prince Albert of Monaco and his new bride, South African swimmer Charlene, are under close media scrutiny on their honeymoon in her native South Africa, as rumours swirl on the state of their marriage.

Each kiss and every gesture is being analysed for further 'evidence' that the union, sealed earlier this month, is already on the rocks.

A photo in the French media shows Albert, 53, giving Charlene, 33, what appears to be a half-hearted kiss on an apparently reluctant cheek. 'A strange honeymoon', was the verdict of the popular Paris daily Le Figaro on its front page.

Official denials are having no effect.

A photo can be deceptive, and there are others showing a happy Charlene, formerly Wittstock.

Yet other details also appear a bit odd.

The couple slept in separate hotels, according to reports in the local and French media.

They initially reserved a luxury suite in the Oyster Box Hotel near Durban, boasting its own lift, crystal chandeliers and a bathroom with a view out over the Indian Ocean - a fitting setting for newly-wed royals needing to produce an heir.

But in the end, Charlene slept alone in a smaller suite, according to Le Figaro, quoting a chambermaid, while Albert spent the night in the Durban Hilton some kilometres away.

'The reason is that Albert was taking part in a conference of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) there,' Charlene's father, Michael Wittstock, told South African media.

The conference started at seven in the morning, and Albert wanted to avoid the morning traffic, was the explanation given.

The Monaco royal palace also indirectly confirmed the separate sleeping arrangements. 'The princess slept in the hotel Oyster Box to better prepare the wedding party' that took place in the hotel, a palace spokeswoman said.

It is true that the South African trip had long been planned as more than a honeymoon, and that Albert intended to attend the IOC meeting in Durban. Charlene saw the meeting in her home country as a 'lucky coincidence'.

'We even moved our honeymoon dates in order to be here,' she told the media.

But the story about the separate hotels has fuelled rumours of problems in the royal household, amid widespread reports that Albert has to take a DNA test to establish the paternity of another love-child to add to the two he already has, as Britain's Daily Mail reported on Thursday.

Talking to the German Press Agency dpa, Albert rejected the rumours. 'All this is just to destabilize our marriage. It is most unjust,' he said.

He has also refused in the past to exclude the possibility of other children that might yet come to light.

Albert and Charlene's honeymoon really began only after the IOC meeting. 'We give no information about the location, so that they get the peace they deserve,' the palace said.

They are expected to return to Monaco on July 21.