Princess Charlene of Monaco raises water safety awareness in South Africa

Princess Charlene of Monaco has returned to South Africa in aid of her charitable Foundation.
The 39-year-old former Olympic swimmer – who is the wife of Prince Albert of Monaco – has visited the country where she was raised as part of her work with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, which aims to raise awareness for water safety and teach children how to swim.
Speaking on behalf of her Foundation at an event in aid of water safety and drowning prevention, Charlene said: "Here in South Africa, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death after road accidents. We can save so many lives, simply by teaching people essential water safety skills and how to swim and by focusing on one person, one family, one community at a time."
During her trip to South Africa the Princess – who is mother to two-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques – visited Gugulesizwe Primary School and supervised a first aid and CPR training session for the teachers and the children as part of her role as patron of the South African Red Cross.
Also during her visit, Charlene attended the inaugural ‘Princess Charlene Ladies Day’, a charity race day created to support three organisations – the Red Cross, Gugulisizwe Primary School and the Highveld Horse Care Unit.
Charlene’s visit to South Africa comes after she recently revealed she "can’t wait" to bring her two young children to the country to teach them about their "heritage".
She said: "I am African and this is my heritage. It will always be. It’s in my heart and in my veins. I can’t wait for them to come here. I can’t wait for them to be introduced to Africa."
Previously, Charlene said she was focused on raising her children and educating them on the "responsibility" of royal life.
She said: "For now, I’m a full time mum. I don’t know how long that will be for. But yes, it is quite a difficult situation in comparison to the normal folk. We do have responsibilities and duties, and of course my son and my daughter are born into our responsibility. So it’s quite something for me to accept that and to educate them."