Prince Albert of Monaco is a ‘warm and welcoming’ royal whose focus is on charity, not tabloid scrutiny: pal

Princess Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer, was on an extended stay in her home country of South Africa.

"He was very warm and welcoming," she told Fox News. "And he has a great sense of humor. I enjoyed his company from the beginning. He’s very down to earth and spoke immediately of his love for the arts, film and theater. That runs through his family and his love for Monaco."

But the evening was more than just a glamorous night out. Zarah’s husband, Eugene Maillard, was the CEO of Very Special Arts (VSA) at the Kennedy Center, which aims to ensure that the arts are accessible to all. He was formerly the executive director of the Grammy Foundation. The couple was in the process of potentially collaborating on a project with Albert. The idea was potentially a filmed concert that would raise awareness of global dance among youth. However, Maillard died in 2020 before it came to fruition.