Prince Albert leaves Charlene at home

Monaco - Prince Albert of Monaco was accompanied to a charity event by an American singer at the weekend, The 53-year-old prince left onlookers bemused by his decision to attend the auction at the Opera Garnier in the principality with Beth Hart instead of his new wife, Princess Charlene.

One source told MailOnline:  "They looked very comfortable and relaxed together. Albert clearly needed a female partner, but everybody was asking where Charlene was. Surely it's the job of a princess to accompany her prince to events like this?"

Beth Hart - whose song LA Song (Out of this Town) featured on the final season of Beverly Hills 90210 - performed at the event.

The weekend's function marked the second time in a row that Charlene was not in attendance with her husband at an event.

Last week, the prince launched a classic sailing boat race in Monaco, but was accompanied by his sister Princess Caroline.

The couple were dogged by speculation that their relationship was in difficulty even before they married during the summer.

The prince has previously admitted he spent part of his honeymoon in South Africa in a different hotel to Charlene, but his staff said it was to "avoid the traffic" when he attended an Olympic committee meeting.