Michael Schumacher’s fiercely protective wife Corinna has guarded details of his condition for more than a decade since the Formula 1 legend’s life-changing skiing accident.
Michael Schumacher is said to have been seen in public for the first time in many years, having attended the wedding of daughter Gina-Maria.
The 27-year-old tied the knot with new husband Iain Bethke last Saturday in a glamorous ceremony at the family’s villa in Majorca. And media outlets in Germany have reported that stricken Formula 1 legend Michael was there to witness the festivities.
Schumacher continues to require round-the-clock medical care after his life-changing skiing accident more than a decade ago. He crashed while carving through the snow in the French Alps, hitting his head on a rock.
Though he survived, the seven-time F1 champion spent months in a medically induced coma. Since he was allowed to return to the family home on Lake Geneva in September 2014, he has been cared for by his loving wife Corinna and a team of medics.
Fiercely protective of her husband’s privacy, Corinna has allowed only a select few trusted friends and relatives to visit him and only a handful of people within and without the Schumacher family are said to know the details of his condition and care.
But Michael’s attendance at his daughter’s wedding may signal a change in the family’s attitude. Though he has been flown from the family home to their Majorcan villa before, this time it was different as he appeared in front of all the other invitees at the wedding.
It is however important to note that some measures were taken to protect the privacy of the affected F1 legend – guests watching reportedly had to surrender their hand held phones when they entered the house so that none of them took pictures of the 55-year old man. However, this is a debut for many years with members of the wider family, and others, which means that the woman’s attitude can have changed.
Michael Schumacher’s own brother Ralf, another former F1 driver, is among those shepherded almost entirely out of information about his elder brother’s needs. However, it is alleged that he was part of the guest list expected at his niece’s wedding, thus pointing to reconciliation between the Sky Germany pundit and his sister in law.
According to the Majorcan newspaper Ultima Hora, the event lasted around thirty minutes and the couple got married at about 4 in the afternoon. This villa that served as the venue of the ceremony was acquired by Corinna in 2017 in one of the biggest transactions where she used about £27 million to acquire the house from the long-time serving Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez.
And it may not be the last family event in the coming months which could see Michael perform in front of people again. Although there is no official approval yet, Danish model Laila Hasanovic suggested she’s expecting to become engaged to Mick Schumacher, the son of F1 legend Ralf Schumacher, after showing off a diamond ring on her finger in an IG post.