Princess Charlène is feeling better after a stay in a Swiss clinic, and at Easter there were finally new photos with her twins Jacques and Gabriella, and her husband Prince Albert.
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Serious accusations
However, the peace did not last long. The idyll has been abruptly disturbed by a scandal that has just now come to light: Father William McCandless has been accused in the USA of possessing thousands of images of child pornography.
But what is the relationship between the alleged paedophile priest, the princess and her family? For one thing, he married Charlène's brother, Gareth Wittstock, and baptised his daughter.
He was a close confidant of Charlène
On the other hand, McCandless is also a close confidant of Charlène herself. He saton the board of her foundation, and has also acted as her priest, with whom she made her confessions. Until 2017, the priest was at the 44-year-old's side in Monaco.
During his time in Monaco, McCandless is said to have collected child pornography and imported it into the USA, for which he is now facing trial. In the United States, he faces asentence of 60 years in prison for the offence.
The Princess has been 'disappointed' again
For the Princess, this affair is a heavy blow, as not only did she herself put her trust in the priest, but she also let him near her children. A source told Bild how Charlène is doing and said:
The Father and Charlène were very close. Once again she was disappointed. The case will only further confirm her principled distrust of all people
Even relatives from the Prince's Palace of Monaco are said to have helped in the investigation of McCandless. According to Bild, Jean Raymond Gottlieb—the ex of Princess Stéphanie (Prince Albert's sister)—has been doing research for the Monaco Intelligence Service for several years.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.
Read more:
⋙ Princess Charlène: The royal's Easter photo raises questions about her marriage
⋙ Prince Andrew: The Duke locked himself in a room for two days to watch porn, new book reveals
⋙ Hundreds of victims finally given rights to their pornographic videos