She said goodbye to competitive swimming years ago, but for Princess Charlene of Monaco, the pool is still part of her daily routine. It’s thanks in part to her passion and the time she devotes to her Learn To Swim foundation, which aims to teach the basics of swimming to children and adults in different parts of the world. A true mission, which the princess carries on in the name of her cousin Richard, who drowned when he was five years old.
A little-known episode in the former swimmer’s life, but one that affected her greatly, as she told Ouest-France in a recent interview: “Richard drowned in a river, very close to my uncle’s house. He was only five years old. It was devastating for our whole family. I don’t think that kind of pain ever goes away completely,” the wife of Prince Albert II said. Hence, the belief that learning to swim “should be a fundamental right, just like learning to read.” A theme on which the princess has always insisted. “Cost should never be an obstacle to acquiring life-saving skills,” continued Charlene, who was reportedly greatly affected by the significant number of drowning deaths during this summer season: in France alone, according to data reported by the Monaco Tribune, there were 193 deaths between June and July.
And water safety is precisely the purpose of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, which has been active since 2014 and features three programs: Learning to Swim, Water Safety, and Sports and Education. Over the years, more than one million people in 43 countries have taken part in the programs; large numbers, to break down the limitations, often including economic ones, that prevent many from accessing swimming lessons.
In Monaco, Charlene knows, “Facilities and supervision are of high quality,” while being aware that “No place is totally safe” and that “vigilance is still necessary.”
