Charlene and her African Heritage

[Renata4711]

This thread is about Charlene Wittstock's life in Africa, from childhood to today.

All of us are influenced by our birthplace and other places which have been important to us.

Which are the places that influenced Charlene?

[Renata4711]

Not many of us may remember a state named Rhodesia, or Southern Rhodesia. It is named after Cecil Rhodes.

When I attended the Sixth Form (16 to 18), I had to do a project on Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Nyassaland.
Over forty years later, I'm finding out info again about these three countries, only now they are called Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.

Charlene was born in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. It is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, with Harare being the largest city and the capital city.

Bulawayo is a city with a subtropical climate, with no less than 128 primary school and 48 secondary schools.

Here's a link about Bulawayo with info, also Zimbabwean proverbs!!

http://www.bulawayo1872.com/

[Jaya]

Charlene expresses herself now a lot like a proper European. BUt I hope she still keeps one foot in Africa to may be create a charity for one of the many problems it faces. Does anybody know if Charlene will keep her Afrian Passport and citizenship?

[Renata4711]

Would that be a "Republic of South Africa" passport ?

[Thtregoddess11]

Originally Posted by Renata4711

Would that be a "Republic of South Africa" passport ?

Originally Posted by Jaya

Charlene expresses herself now a lot like a proper European. BUt I hope she still keeps one foot in Africa to may be create a charity for one of the many problems it faces. Does anybody know if Charlene will keep her Afrian Passport and citizenship?

Jaya, I agree.I think she may as Grace kept her US citizenship until what? Her 25th wedding anniversary? Perhaps Charlene will do the same and her and PA's children will have dual Moneguse/South African Citizenship growing up the way PA and his sisters supposedly did.
Renata:
I believe so. I think South Africa is a commonwealth of Great Britain/The United Kingdom.....

[LadyMacAlpine]

Originally Posted by Thtregoddess11

Jaya, I agree.I think she may as Grace kept her US citizenship until what? Her 25th wedding anniversary? Perhaps Charlene will do the same and her and PA's children will have dual Moneguse/South African Citizenship growing up the way PA and his sisters supposedly did.
Renata:
I believe so. I think South Africa is a commonwealth of Great Britain/The United Kingdom.....

Dual nationality

Dual nationality is strictly forbidden under Monégasque law.

Nationality law of Monaco

[Thtregoddess11]

Originally Posted by LadyMacAlpine

Nationality law of Monaco

For "regular" people. Grace did it for years, so did her kids, I think it's part of the whole diplomatic immunity thing or something like that. There are exceptions to every rule. We'll have to wait and see.

[Renata4711]

Back to Charlene's African Heritage:

The Wikipedia article on Bulawayo states that most residents of the city can speak at least three languages (including English, Ndebele, Kalanga, Sotho, Tonga, Nambya and Venda)

Bulawayo is twinned with Aberdeen, Scotland !

Apart from Charlene, Chelsy Davy and the writers Doris Lessing and Alexander McCall Smith were born there.

[Thtregoddess11]

Originally Posted by Renata4711

Back to Charlene's African Heritage:

The Wikipedia article on Bulawayo states that most residents of the city can speak at least three languages (including English, Ndebele, Kalanga, Sotho, Tonga, Nambya and Venda)

Bulawayo is twinned with Aberdeen, Scotland !

Apart from Charlene, Chelsy Davy, Doris Lessing, and the writer Alexander McCall Smith were born there.

Naturalized American actress Charlize Theron was born in Beoni, South Africa-where Charlene moved when she was 10, and where I believe her parents and brothers are currently located.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Thtregoddess11

Naturalized American actress Charlize Theron was born in Beoni, South Africa-where Charlene moved when she was 10, and where I believe her parents and brothers are currently located.

I'm not sure about her mother or brothers, but her father died when she was 15.

[Renata4711]

Tregoddess, I'm coming to that - I'm trying to keep a chronological order of places connected with Charlene.

At the moment, we're still in Zimbabwe.
Lumutqueen queried the "tough lessons" one might learn in a country like Zimbabwe.

The former Rhodesia regained its independence as Zimbabwe on April 18, 1980.
Before that day, a Civil War was raging in the country/countries in question.

Even now, Zimbabwe is regarded as one of the poorest countries in the world, and white citizens are still having a tough time.

History of Zimbabwe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Lumutqueen]

Yeah I can understand that but do we know if Charlene was ever involved in incidents during the Civil War?
You say in a country like Zimbabwe, but Charlene grew up in Bulawayo so we should be talking about the lessons she may have learnt where she grew up. You don't know that her family was ever personally affected by the white discremination, her parents are still living there yes? So they seemed to have adjusted.

Bulawayo looks like a wonderful city,
Bulawayo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Renata4711]

The family moved from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to the Republic of South Africa.

Whichever way you look at it, both these countries have had more than their fair share of violence, unstable governments, and the like.

It may well have been a very different upbringing from, say, in Europe.

[Thtregoddess11]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

I'm not sure about her mother or brothers, but her father died when she was 15.

No-Charlene's parents and brothers still live in Benoni, South Africa. And contrary to popular belief, NO, Lynette does not live in Monaco with Charlene and Prince Albert. She is still located in Benoni with her husband and sons.

Yes, Charlize Theron's father died in 1990, and Charlize was a witness to her mother shooting him in self-defense, according to her wikipedia page. Theron was an only child.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Thtregoddess11

No-Charlene's parents and brothers still live in Benoni, South Africa. And contrary to popular belief, NO, Lynette does not live in Monaco with Charlene and Prince Albert. She is still located in Benoni with her husband and sons.

Yes, Charlize Theron's father died in 1990, and Charlize was a witness to her mother shooting him in self-defense, according to her wikipedia page. Theron was an only child.

My post was to do with Charlize, because I didn't see your addition about Charlene in the original post.

[Angeline]

Charlene grew up on what we would consider "the wrong side of the tracks"--partly why her parents are rarely included, trips with pr albert to SAfrica with her are rare & one can read their responses to her engagement for the quality of their relationship.

[Renata4711]

Angeline, that may be just a little unfair.

I think it's possible that the Wittstocks may be a little bemused by the change in their daughter's fortunes - however one would describe that!

I'm sure it must be very strange for Granny Wittstock to understand what's happening. The sheer distance between a little place in Europe and South Africa must be almost incomprehensible.

Sure, the two brothers may find it much easier.

[Thtregoddess11]

Originally Posted by Renata4711

Angeline, that may be just a little unfair.

I think it's possible that the Wittstocks may be a little bemused by the change in their daughter's fortunes - however one would describe that!

I'm sure it must be very strange for Granny Wittstock to understand what's happening. The sheer distance between a little place in Europe and South Africa must be almost incomprehensible.

Sure, the two brothers may find it much easier.

Renata, I agree with you entirely. It has to be weird for all of them-Mike, Lynette, Garreth and Sean to see her like this...
but in a sense, even weirder for her to go from being this common girl one day, to the future princess of Monaco the next

[Renata4711]

How true .... especially since she was not brought up to be a princess.
I wonder whether her African heritage will help her a little.

Africa is in the news very much at present, and for all the wrong reasons, what with the Mediterranean countries, or Côte d'Ivoire.

I'm wondering whether she still thinks of Africa ....

[Renata4711]

Charlene has been sent a letter from a school in Benoni asking her for her help in refurbishing the swimming pool.

Africa will probably never be very far from her thoughts.