Prince Albert attends Rose Ball without Princess Charlene amid rumours the couple may split

Prince Albert of Monaco attended the glittering Rose Ball without his wife Princess Charlene last night – amid rumors the couple could be splitting up after she was spotted without her wedding ring.

During a performance in Milan on Friday, 44-year-old Charlene’s ring finger was conspicuously exposed, sparking speculation that the Monegasque royal family may be planning a divorce.

Later that day, however, the couple made a joint appearance at the Monte Carlo Woman of the Year awards, where Charlene appeared to be proudly wearing her wedding ring and poured cold water on the split rumors.

Prince Albert, 65, attended the Rose Ball without his wife last night, accompanied instead by his sister, Princess Caroline of Hanover.

The royal family looked their best as he smiled for cameras, wearing a classic black two-piece suit and bow tie. Meanwhile, Caroline donned a sequined silver maxi dress for the occasion, pairing it with strappy sandals and an elegant updo.

Charlene’s absence may not have surprised everyone, as she was also absent from last year’s glitzy ball.

On that occasion, Prince Albert was once again joined by Princess Caroline as the couple attended the event together.

The pair’s joint appearance on Friday followed French magazine ROYAUTÉ claiming that the prince and princess were in a divorce process – a rumor that gained momentum when the article was repeated by gossip sites, sparking speculation on social media.

Rumors of the couple’s marriage first circulated after Charlene was absent from Monaco for most of 2021 while undergoing medical treatment in her native South Africa, and was admitted to a Swiss clinic to receive treatment on her return for exhaustion.

She is now back in full swing with royal duties and public appearances, but the French magazine ROYAUTÉ claimed that the prince and princess are in the process of divorcing.

However, the palace press office said they “formally deny the malicious rumors spread by the magazine.

A spokesperson said: ‘I would like to formally deny the malicious rumors spread by the French magazine Royauté. Please ignore this article which is totally baseless.”

On Friday, Princess Charlene broke out of the cover again for the first time since the rumors and stepped out in a camel-colored sweater

Princess Charlene (pictured) was spotted in Milan on Friday, without wearing her wedding ring, sparking more split rumors

The royal couple married in July 2011 after the prince proposed marriage with a handmade pear-cut diamond flanked by smaller diamonds designed by Paris-based Italian jeweler Repossi.

Later, during the wedding service, the couple exchanged Cartier 18-carat white gold platinum rings, with Princess Charlene laughing as she placed the ring on her husband’s finger.

However, since their high-profile marriage, there have been reports of a rift between the Prince and Princess.

At the time, Charlene was dubbed the “Runaway Bride” by the French media after she allegedly tried to flee from the wedding, but the reports were always denied.

Princess Charlene was noticeably absent from the Rose Ball last night, which he attended with Princess Caroline (L-R photo: Christian Louboutin, second from left, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Stephane Valeri at the Rose Ball)

And since her wedding day, the royal family often does not have a single ring – and sometimes even several rings on her wedding finger.

In the early days of marriage, the royal family was often seen flaunting the dazzling beauty, but as of 2017, she’s rarely pictured wearing the rings — even at formal events.

The highly anticipated Rose Ball was first thrown in 1954 by Princess Grace of Monaco, the American actress who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

The event is currently presided over by the Sovereign Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline of Hanover.

The money raised will go to the Princess Grace Foundation, which helps young artists through grants.