Well it is obvious to us she is his girlfriend because we read gossip mags/sites, but what about the Ambassadors, Heads of State, finance professionists Albert meets due to his position? What do or should they care whether he is happy, makes a mistake, marries too early/too late or has to ease things with his "significant other"?
What if Sarkozy or Bush acted like this? Imagine the French President bringing a date to all his official functions, without ever bothering to tell anyone in which capacity he is bringing her. Not only would he cause great trouble to all protocol experts and those organizing events, but he would damage his personal credibility and his role (and I'm not talking about private lives; there they should be free!).
I apply the same standards to Albert. I think the fact that we literally watch young royals from their birth makes us at the same time too demanding and too soft towards them: we sometimes demand perfection, but we are also ready to condone any behaviour, because we want them happy, well settled, with kids, a beautiful bride, maybe we know thay lost their mother, or father, or a true love, all things we would never consider when judging an elected politician!
Albert should, in my opinion, do one of two things: he fears the press, the pressure, he wants to take time? Then he has to stop bringing Charlene at public fonctions and just bring her to the cinema or to private trips. Otherwise, he has to make a public statement clearing the air about Charlene status; after he tells everyone if she is his girlfriend, or companion, or bride to be (all would be fine with me) he can have her by his side in his official capacity.
The ambiguity greatly damages his scarce credibility in the national and international political arena, and whether we remember it or not, Albert is not a starlet, a rock star or a football player, but a Head of State of a nation in need of credibility.
ETA: sorry for the OT but I don't agree about Charles ruining Diana's life...they both contributed there.
Exactly! Thanks for explaining what should be obvious and shouldn't have to be explained!
What is worse, is that Albert seems to want to have an even higher profile than his father, in both his role and for Monaco, possibly a more serious side in the global world. (jmo) This seems to be his focus, so having his
current girlfriend tagging along everywhere he goes amongst other
dignitaries, who I can't believe are impressed by this gesture? Since it would seem this action discounts their own position and the event itself, when Albert hasn't given Charlene a status that is worthy of showing up publically at so many
public events where Albert has a role. There is a reason a private relationship is referred to as such? Why is it so important that Charlene accompanies him
to all these funtions before they are officially engaged? (especially when she seems bored out of her mind at many of them).
Maybe he should take notice of the problem Giulliani is having now, for doing much the same thing with his wanna-be girlfriend and even now, that she is his wife -- Her over stepping her role, as well as, the way they both fluanted their relationship is now taking it's toll on his political career. In my book his wife is not his only weakness and baggage, but she is a big example of it, which she highlights. So, I hope his wife Judy makes him happy and "
that is all that matters"?
What happens if/or when Albert breaks with Charlene?? Does Albert really think he is going to be able to show up everywhere with
another girl, half his age? (Or any age?) Everytime he gets a new girlfriend, is he going to want to prance her out on public display with the same dignitaries? All I can say, is that I believe, he has made his bed now, he better be planning to marry Charlene and hope she is worth it! Because his conduct in promoting this relationship so publically from almost day one, doesn't really give him much option?? (IMO) Besides it would have turned off any discriminating, intelligent woman that possessed some grace, who might have otherwise found Albert interesting and attractive. Now that they have managed to make this relationship so nauseating (IMO). He might as well get it over with and just marry her, as it seems Albert is not a very complex man (IMO), perhaps all he needs is a simple young girl to make him happy and she will be be worth any limitations he might encounter in having married her or someone much the same? I think maybe many of us are just irritated because we were just disillusined, because we hoped or thought perhaps Albert was a more evolved kind of man and didn't have such limited and outdated ideas concerning women and/or relationships? (jmo) I guess it is encouraging in how many women are turned off by this. I know longer read these threads because of Albert or his realtionships - Sadly, I'm not sure even Monaco offers much interest for me anymore. It's more that I enjoy reading and participating in discussions with the many smart women on this board. That is really what is most enjoyable about the boards