Prince Albert of Monaco enlisted his eight-year-old twins to help clean up the streets of the city this weekend, while their mother Princess Charlene enjoys time with family in her native South Africa.

The Prince, 65, stepped out with Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, for a World Cleanup Day litter picking event which had been organised by the principality.

In photos posted on the Monaco Palace’s official Instagram account, the family get stuck into the task at hand, with Prince Albert appearing in a red polo neck shirt emblazoned with the Monegasque flag.

Meanwhile the twins, who recently started a new school year, looked adorable in matching blue outfits – with Gabriella sporting a denim jumpsuit while her brother was dressed in a blue polo shirt and shorts. The trio each donned a cool white baseball cap.

The family outing comes as Princess Charlene, 45, enjoys some time with her relatives in her native South Africa after putting to bed rumours that her marriage to Prince Albert was on the rocks.

The mother-of-two flew to Cape Town last week, in her first visit to her home nation since her bout of ill-health two years ago. 

Yesterday, the Palace shared snaps of Charlene carrying out solo engagements in South Africa, where she officially opened a Waterbike Challenge race that was being held in Sun City.

In the series of photos, the mother-of-two, dressed in a loose-fitted black shirt and white trousers as she presented the winning team, the ‘Bumble Bees’, with their first place trophy.

Glowing in the sunshine, the Princess beamed as she handed out the accolade. 

In 2021, the Princess last went back to South Africa to visit family but did not return to Monaco for 10 months. According to the palace, a sinus infection prevented her from being able to fly.

By March 2022, the Palace announced she had returned home to Monaco and was reunited with her family, but she was still in need of medical attention before she would make a full recovery. She then went to a clinic in Switzerland for further treatment.

After receiving treatment and returning to royal life, Charlene’s relationship with her husband of 12 years was put under intense scrutiny as rumours of a rift between the royal couple began to circulate.

Earlier this year, French publication ROYAUTÉ reported the couple were on the brink of divorce – rumours the Palace was forced to deny.

The rumour mill went into overdrive that same month when the mother-of-two was spotted out and about in Milan on a solo visit, without her wedding or engagement ring. 

A spokesman for the royal couple issued a statement asking people to dismiss the reports, saying: ‘I would like to formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the French magazine Royauté. Please disregard this article which is totally unfounded.’

In the months that followed, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene put on a united front and appeared together at several public outings, both with and without their children.

However, just last month, reports emerged in German and French media that Princess Charlene was actually ‘living in Switzerland’, only saw her husband ‘via appointment’ and that their marriage was ‘ceremonial’.

A source close to the couple told French newspaper Voici that the former Olympic swimmer and son of Grace Kelly are just a ‘ceremonial couple’. 

It added that Charlene has promised to return to Monaco on official occasions and is now allowed to see her children more often.

‘Albert and Charlène are now good partners, take turns taking care of the children,’ a source added to Bild German newspaper.

With rumours swirling once again, the couple put on a united front and appeared at almost a dozen engagements in as many days last week – with each of the pair raking part in interviews to deny the rumours.

In her first interview for several months in the Monegasque media, the former Olympic swimmer, 45, hit back at the rumours of tension between the royal couple and insisted she is ‘serene and happy’.

She told Monaco Matin she is in ‘great shape’ and hopes to continue sport soon after regaining ‘more energy and feeling stronger’.

After a three-week family holiday to Corsica to ‘unwind’ before the start of school term, Charlene said she feels ‘serene and happy’.

The royal no longer wants to address the unfavourable rumours in the hope that they will eventually disappear.

Instead, she spoke to the publication in light of her eight-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, returning to school.

She suggested a united front and shared parenting goals with Albert when it comes to taking care of their children, revealing: ‘The first thing that seemed essential to me and my husband was to teach them to swim.’

Meanwhile Prince Albert told an Italian publication: ‘Charlène is always by my side. I don’t understand all these rumours which hurt me, about the fact that she lives elsewhere, in Switzerland, meetings by appointment to see us. These are lies.’