Princess Charlene of Monaco is opening up about the family tragedy that fuels her passion for promoting one of her closest causes.

In a new interview with Ouest-France, the former Olympic swimmer revealed that the drowning death of her cousin Richard at age 5, when she was also a child, has inspired her advocacy around water safety.

“Richard drowned in a river, very close to my uncle’s house. He was only five years old. It was devastating for our whole family. I don’t think that kind of pain ever really goes away,” Princess Charlene told the outlet, the Monaco Tribune reported on Aug. 14.

Prince Albert’s wife, 47, added that learning to swim “should be a fundamental right, just like learning to read.”

“Cost should never be a barrier to acquiring a life-saving skill,” Charlene said.

The new interview comes as Princess Charlene was “deeply concerned by the sharp rise in the number of drownings” during the summer season. According to the Monaco Tribune, there have been 193 drowning deaths in France in June and July.

The royal has made water safety the focus of her foundation, Fondation Princesse Charlène de Monaco, and champions this effort through three programs: Learn to Swim, Water Safety and Sport and Education. The foundation was established in 2014 and has helped over one million people in over 43 countries to date, working to prevent drowning and inspire children through sport.

Princess Charlene acknowledged that Monaco is fortunate to have “high-quality facilities and supervision,” but emphasized that “vigilance is still necessary” and that “nowhere is totally safe.”

According to a statement from the Princely Palace of Monaco, swim lessons are prioritized in Monaco from nursery school onwards, “so that every child can develop safely in the water.”

Earlier this summer, Princess Charlene hit the ground for this mission and attended the annual Water Safety Day organized by her foundation. On June 17, she stepped out at Larvotto Beach to explore and support the programs designed to introduce young people to lifesaving skills, water safety and rescue, appearing at the event attended by almost 100 5th and 6th-grade students from Monegasque middle schools.

Before she married the Sovereign Prince of Monaco in 2011, Princess Charlene (née Wittstock) was a professional swimmer who competed for her home country of South Africa at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

It proved to be the same year that she met her future husband, Albert, at a swimming competition in Monaco, and the couple would announce their engagement a decade later.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!  

Princess Charlene and Prince Albert went on to welcome twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, now 10, and the family most recently appeared together at the community celebration commemorating the 20th anniversary of his accession to the throne.