Princess Beatrice of York Current Events 8: September - November 2007

[Bella]

While I do tend to agree w Jo of P and everyone, I def. think alot of her behavior is due to age (what 18 y/o doesn't like to go to parties and isn't awed by the idea of 'being in a movie'?). And I do side w Sesa about her not having really had a good role model (parent) to learn from. Sarah does like the spotlight and if that means going to parties and being seen w "celebs" at high-profile resorts, so be it for her. And that's pretty much the environment the York princesses have been brought up in, right or wrong. Hopefully, now that they're grown up, they'll start down a more royal path and not turn into 21st century Princess Stephanies of Monaco (no offense, but remember her wild youth? The poor thing will forever be linked to wild parties, wild men and a very NON princess-like lifestyle). Maybe they should be encouraged to spend more time w Dad, but he seems to be a very busy man w his own royal duties so Mom is probably it for now.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by sesa

And just for the record, I think she is too immature to be doing Royal things on her own. She may be HRH, but just because she is born into it does not mean she knows what to do with it or how to act. I actually think she as well as her sister could benefit from "Princess training".

But think of Victoria and Madeleine of Sweden: Victoria suffered as well from dyslexia (and anorexia in addition). I can't remember Victoria or Madeleine ever using their rank like Beatrice, even though they were teenies, too. And they are direct descendants of the souverain, not only grand-daughters.

[selrahc4]

She's 19, not 18. With a gap year she'll start university at age 20. That's older than most, so perhaps by then she'll have a better idea of her goals.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

And that's what annoys me: she doesn't want to become an actress "for real". She doesn't want to become a model "for real". She probably won't become a designer "for real" - you have to have a intensive education to be one (see Stella McCartney - she worked hard before she became what she is now!). She won't be an astronaut "for real" - all she wants is to fulfill her teenie dreams! And all of them! Let my Daddy throw a costume ball at Windsor Castle for the Crème de la crème! Let me party with mommy all around the world! Let me be a front-page model! That's the past and that's what her "gap" year seems to be all about.

A gap from what, please? From having grown up as a princess? From having to learn something in a most priviledged school? Harry and William at least spent time in the third world helping poor people there before they started doing their duty for their country as young recruits.

IMHo Beatrice Mountbatten-Windsor should do something to earn the right to be called HRH. In centuries past she would have been required to become a political bride and work for the sake of her old and new country as wife, mother and the first (or one of the first) ladies in her new homecountry. That could have turned out to be quite an unpleasant position, but that was the prize to be payed by a "princess".

Beatrice could already have shown a promise that she would use her status for other people than herself and her august circle. But did she? Instead I see only information about absolutely shallow doings. Her Royal "Highness"? It's laughable, isn't it?

Whoever said that royals earn their royal titles? A hereditary monarchy doesn't work that way. Princesses are Princesses simply because their daddy was a Prince. That's all there is to it, no magic exam, no special courses, no entrance requirements to make sure they're Princess material. Its all a mistake of birth; if Beatrice's mother had been a princess then she wouldn't have been a princess. A lot of the rules around royalty are arbitrary and don't make any sense but there they are. And therefore Beatrice is a Princess. Unfair but true.

It makes royalty watching more interesting as far as I'm concerned. I like to see how people who were not chosen for their role based on ability make out of it. If people want a hereditary monarchy they have to take the good with the bad and the bad is sometimes a royal who is only a royal by accident of birth.

[Elspeth]

Trouble is, these days people are less likely to be tolerant of royals who aren't seen to be doing something in return for the wealth and privilege. That was one of the criticisms of Prince Edward after he decided a military career wasn't for him. Princess Margaret got away with the partying lifestyle because back in the 1950s it was a more deferential time and people cut some slack for youngsters who had grown up during the war. I don't think Beatrice is going to get that same sort of tolerance, especially if all the reports and photos continue to focus on parties and freebies.

Having said that, I also think that for a young lady with A-levels in history, drama, and media studies (or whatever it was), a walk-on role in a film about a historical figure is somewhat appropriate. At least it has something to do with her A-level topics.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Whoever said that royals earn their royal titles? A hereditary monarchy doesn't work that way.

Of course you are right, but still I think the times have change and the "world" (public and media) is not longer willing to let "princesses" get away with everything only because they are born a princess. Stephanie of Monaco learned some lessons about this, I guess and a lot of other princesses are to cautious to play the peacock for a willing/unwilling crowd.
I don't believe people want people's princesses. Because people already have their "people's people" - their politicians they can select through votes. So once the princesses that are forced on the people become little barbies in the sense that these princesses live the dreams of any young barbie girl, then that's annoying and leads to feelings of envy and the question if their pampered life makes any sense.

And: do people nowadays really want hereditary monarchies with all the people attached to it by blood? I don't think so. There are certain expectations even in the smallest village of how the respective "lady of the manor" should behave and if she doesn't she'll fast find herself cast in a different and not so pleasant role. Same with "Royals" who don't behave or who don't have value for the community.

When we talk about society and society's expectation here, we should realise that people supporting the monarchy do that because of the tradition this institution represents and because of the actual people being the representatives. Beatrice through her behaviour does not at the moment embody the institution of the past and she is IMHO not yet the personality to make people believe in the value and sense of this institution.
That is quite normal for a young lady, for any young lady, agreed but what she does is thwart the institution .

The monarchy has not been the perfect way to organise a nation, but it's concentration on a leading personage with a (more or less) clear claim to rule has lead to a certain stability. Nowadays it's enough to have this person on top and a suitable heir. And there are alternative ways to organize a nation. So all other family members can potentially become a problem if they don't fit in.

Even Diana as a young bride (and a teenager) understood the reasoning behind the way she was, wel,. let's say, encouraged to lead her life as member of the RF. And she did it in great style without falling for the temptation to live Barbie's dreams. Even later she was able to mix her fun with a genuine enough care for other members of the society she lived in.
And I don't see that in Beatrice at the moment.

[ysbel]

I think Margaret got away with a lot because the Queen put the throne on a more secure position with her relatively early marriage to Philip and stable family life with him and her children Charles and Anne. For most people, Margaret was an entertaining non-factor in contrast to the dutiful but sometimes staid Queen.

Charles' and William's position is not that secure; they've both faced criticism, first there is an element to the population that wants Charles off the throne because of Camilla which is a shame because I think he is the most stable of the lot and secondly William himself seems a bit aimless despite being considerably older than Beatrice. Harry, who is second in line, has also faced his fair share of criticism for public drunkenness, the Nazi costume, etc. I don't think Beatrice would be so much a factor if Charles' and William's position were more secure.

As a Princess, Beatrice doesn't get anything from the Civil List and any income she gets outside of a regular job would have to come from her father or the Queen. So in absence of a public paycheck, Beatrice's accountability comes from her family. If they don't want to make her accountable that is a shame but since Beatrice is fifth in line to the throne is it really a matter of a royal crisis? At the age of 19 I do think Beatrice deserves a break now because she is just getting out on her own. In a couple of years if she is still clinging to Mummy then I'd say she has a problem.

What disturbs me is that people expect the same accountability from these families that inherit their position as they do from politicians that campaign and get votes to win their office. For the heir perhaps yes, but for the other members of the family it starts getting unrealistic. If people want that type of accountability even from someone like Beatrice who is fifth in line to the throne and whi is not getting any public monies to the throne perhaps it is time to rethink and have another form of government.

[Elspeth]

I think if the royal family is to be at all significant, the members who still count as royal - who have HRHs - should be held to a higher standard of accountability. A lot of people don't realise that Prince Michael doesn't do royal duties and has never been paid from the Civil List, and they don't like his perceived habits of getting company directorships and adting as spokesman for commercial concerns. It's seen as being OK for David Linley to have a normal job because he hasn't got a royal title and isn't expected to do royal duties. But someone like Prince Michael is in a rather ambiguous position, and the nuances of that position are somewhat lost on people who aren't royal watchers.

The same is likely to happen to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie if they aren't careful. Lady Louise might avoid the problem because of not being styled with an HRH, but as long as those two young ladies are Princesses and Royal Highnesses, they ought to be behaving as such. Otherwise it becomes relevant to ask why the HRH and the Succession aren't limited much more stringently like they are in some other monarchies, to include only the monarch and the immediate family.

If Lady Beatrice Mountbatten-Windsor wanted to go out partying with Sarah every week and live in New York most of the time, fair enough. HRH Princess Beatrice owes her country a bit more than that if her HRH is anything other than three irrelevant letters.

[Antoniane]

In the weekly edition of HOLA, you can see somes photos about princess Beatrice as an actress.

This is the link : LA PRINCESA BEATRIZ DEBUTA COMO ACTRIZ

It's fun to see her dressed like that !

Antoniane

[Warren]

Thanks Antoniane.

This pic from Hola! is not bad so in case the link changes later on, here it is...

Princess Beatrice in Victorian costume
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[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by ysbel

What disturbs me is that people expect the same accountability from these families that inherit their position as they do from politicians that campaign and get votes to win their office. For the heir perhaps yes, but for the other members of the family it starts getting unrealistic. If people want that type of accountability even from someone like Beatrice who is fifth in line to the throne and whi is not getting any public monies to the throne perhaps it is time to rethink and have another form of government.

I can only speak for myself, but for me it is a difference if we deal with "ex-"Royals or with Royals from states where the head of the family still occupies the throne. Beatrice is HRH - she is socially considered to be one of the top ladies in her country. While nowadays curtseying is not longer required, it was till not so long ago that close to all other women of the UK and the Commonwealth would have been required to curtsey to that young miss!

IMHO it's a matter of give and take - you can see with Camilla how she gives for what she could take after her marriage. But with beatrice so far I see only taking. And while I accept that she is young and had an unfortunate fate with that mother, I believe she was raised in a kind of opera world of royality produced by her mother and her acquaintances.
While I'm convinced that soe day she will wake up and realise what is going on with all those slimeys around her, I'm still annoyed that this kind of portrait of a young girl is presented to those Britains who still believe in their monarchy and their social system.

[Duchess]

i'm sort of torn on this one. while she represents the RF in everything she does (whether she likes it or not) i feel she needs to buck up and start showing some responsibility and maturity. some say "she's only 19" but this is just excusing her. i'm sure there's more than a few of us here at the forums that were living on their own and being serious about life when they were that age. then again since she doesn't receive income from the civil list then i also feel that she doesn't owe the public anything. if HM wants to support any of her family members financially, and is doing that with Bea, that's her business. yes HM's income is from the public but aren't we all ultimately supported by the public? once we've done our job and received our pay, what we do with it is our business (as long as it's legal).

Beatrix i don't think we need to worry about her getting an academy award (i'm sorry i don't know the UK equivalent) for her part in the film. her little flirtation with acting will fade away and be forgotten about very quickly and therefore she won't be taking the bread and butter away from any real, deserving actors again. :)

[susan alicia]

Nell Gwyn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
here is a charming actress with intimate royal connections

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

Who said life was fair? I simply said a member of the Royal family playing actress might be a laugh to them but it's someone's job their taking. I don't know of any other instance when a Royal has used their connections to get a part in a film. Let me know who did that.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

I think if the royal family is to be at all significant, the members who still count as royal - who have HRHs - should be held to a higher standard of accountability.

The queen has the power to hold Beatrice accountable because she is the source of Beatrice's title and income. The fact that the queen is not publicly holding Beatrice accountable tells me that Her Majesty is waiting to see how things shake out and that Beatrice is too young now to make a final judgment. She is probably also more concerned with William and Harry right now because they are older and closer to the throne. But the Queen has always taken care with Beatrix and Eugenie after the fallout of their parent's marriage so I find it hard to believe that she doesn't know what is going on. I don't think the Queen's lack of action is based on ignorance. It may though may speak more to her temperament; I've heard she doesn't like to get involved in the personal lives of her family members.

I think a larger problem is that the institution doesn't know what to do with the royals who are closer to the throne. Harry seemed set for a military career for which he was well suited and a career which I was positive would sort out what personal problems he might have had but the fiasco over his appointment in Iraq has pretty much left a bad taste in people's mouth that his military career is powder puff and not for real. Its certainly going to affect his reputation among his fellow officers which isn't going to help Harry grow up any.

As for William, there seems to be some sort of plan to teach him the ropes but he's done a bank internship and picked up a couple of charities so the plan is not really clear to the rest of us; its definitely not as clear as the Queen's plan to bring Charles up. Granted Charles was heir to the throne and William is not but it is also just as likely that William will have a shorter wait for his turn than Charles did. This would be a reason for earlier preparation not later.

As far as what role Beatrice and Eugenie might have in the royal family, I don't think the Royal Family is there yet. Princess Anne and Prince Andrew were relatively lucky in that their interests fit in well with their royal roles and family history so they continued their careers without a beat. Anne was an accomplished horsewoman and Andrew was very athletic and fit into a military role at a time when royals could still fight.

The only criticism that Diana made of the royal family that I thought was valid was when she said that the Royal Family had no idea what to do with her and what her role would be. I think that is a problem because of what happened to the reputation of the Royal Family when Diana decided to make out her own role. But in hindsight, without any clear guidance, what else was Diana going to do? I don't think the situation has changed much then.

I don't think Beatrice or Eugenie or William or Harry has been given their roles and expectations from the Queen. If she has given expectations privately, they have not been made public so I find it meaningless to judge them on how well they live up to the HRH. Without a clear purpose, people, especially young people, may feel aimless and as long as their royal titles will preempt them like Harry from certain situations, then I think the institution needs to set up the expectations for what they can do and what they can't.

I'm a bit concerned for Beatrice's sake that she wants to become a mini-Mummy, I think she can do a lot better. I hope that she becomes more focused and mature but until there is more clarity on what the Queen wants the roles of her grandchildren to be, I think any judgement on how well they are living up to their HRH status is a bit premature.

As much as I admire the Queen for how she carries out her role as monarch, I have my reservations for how she carries out her role as the head of the House of Windsor and how Her Majesty handles that role is probably going to have a longer term impact on the monarchy than her own role as monarch.

[susan alicia]

well she is very close to her mother which is nice, scores of daughters and mothers do not have that. As far as I am concerned she can fool around for a few years more and then she will probably marry and much depends on her choice of husband, it can make or brake her. Her character is different from slightly older femaile royals who do not do much either than be respectable. Helen Taylor is a respresentative of Armani and Sarah Chatto draws a bit and as far as I know Serena Linley does not do anything specific expect have a family.

[Bella]

Thanks Antoniane and Warren for the photos. I really like that dress! I wonder if the other extras in a similar role as Pss B are wearing that same dress. I thought I read someplace it was specially made for her.

Thanks Susan Alicia for th like about the actress/mistress. I find it rather amusing (in a distasteful kind of way, of cour