The more beautiful, the more popular?
 

Hi everyone!

Do you think that beauty has something to do with how popular a royal person is? Do you think for instance Charlotte Casiraghi, Princess Mary, late Princess Diana and so on would have been as popular if they were more "average" looking?

As for men, are the most handsome royal men more popular than the average ones? For instance Andrea Casiraghi, Prince Felipe, Prince William?

I know that peoples opinion of beauty is completely individual, but you understand my point?

Ava.

I would definitely say this is true. Maybe something we are all fed on as children that all the good princesses and queens are always the beautiful ones. In psychological studies as well, it has been shown that more attractive people get the promotions, are taken more seriously etc etc.

Yes and no, they are all good looking but being royals is what makes them famous, and they are much more famous if they are in the top of the food chain (heirs) for example Prince Charles is more popular than Prince Andrew even if the late is much better looking than his older brother.

About Charlotte and Willliam, they carry the fame of their mothers who are extremely popular, yes , they are very attractive, but so are a lot of members of the european royalty and they aren't as famous as the others are.

It also comes with the country: the royalty of UK, Spain and Monaco is known worldwide for different reasons, so their members are very famous; let's take for example Infanta Cristina: she's the last one of her siblings in the succesion line but she's fotographed almost everywhere she goes whether she's doing royal duties or not, while other royal siblings like Constantjin and Laurent aren't as chased as she is because she's a member of the SRF, attractive with a handsome husband and cute children to boot, so her life is media bait.

We are all shallow creatures in nature (whether we believe it or not) and we like to watch good looking people and their lifes the good and specially the bad times are our "obsession" so maybe the most attractive are the most popular in a way.

What do you think?

I think that is true, because most women like to have a rolemodel, and the rolemodel is mostly a beautiful women, so you look up to her. For me that is how it works, for example; Mary is so very beautiful, she is so sophisticated and elegant, I want to be a bit like her.. (a bit :D ) And I really like watching her when she is wearing all the pretty princess clothing! So I think that you want to follow a person when you are fascinated and a bit envyous on her beauty/style..

Well being good looking definitly brings you more attention and popularity. For example, Prince William hasnt really done anything for people to think he would make a better king than his father but that fact that he is very handsom and had a beautiful mother definitly makes him popular. You get an extra boost if your more beautiful but that doesnt mean it will last.

I think it depends on the person.Princess Mary is beautiful and popular-

F.Ex: Princess Màxima is a very nice person, always happy and smiling..so thats the "clue" of her popularity...

Hi Ava Elizabeth !

In my opinion, I would rather say the contrary : It's because some persons are famous that we find them beautiful . Princess Mary is the perfect example for that . If she was only the girl-next-door, I think nobody would say she is beautiful . She would only be one among other average-looking women ...

Well, Princess Laurentien is popular in The Netherlands, but hardly a beauty. I think in the native country it is a combination, but personality counts most. For a royal to be popular outside their own countries it is the looks in the first place, as foreign people hardly know anything about the character of a foreign royal and only judge them by pictures.1

I agree very much with you. Look at Mette-Marit. (She is my favorite Crown Princess.) She is not by any means "beautiful". she is an average looking girl next door. And I think that her popularity stems from her being a Crown Princess as well as how and what she is doing with her fame and popularity. Since before she was married, she has handled herself with grace and dignity, she carries herself well, and has a certain aura about her that I myself think makes her beautiful.

I also think that it is human nature to judge people on thier looks especially when we first meet them or see them in pictures. Why else would we have the expression of " you never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression".

So if a royal first comes to the lime-light well spoken, dressed in designer clothes, hair and makeup perfectly done, and it all comes together to "enhance" ones looks, the vast majority of the publics reaction to him/her will be that he/she is beautiful and thus their popularity begins only to be enhanced with the job that they do and who they are related to as in Williams and Charlotte's case with their mothers being who they are.

It's just like when I was in school. The "rich" kids had all the trappings to "make" them more attractive and more popular. they became the cheerleaders and star football players. Where as the average looking kids were not popular, did not make cheerleading squad or the football team.

Todays society extends more to people who tend to be more on the beautiful side than on the average side, even though the average person may have something more to offer the world than just good looks. But someone who is beautiful will always be more popular. It's just human nature.

I completely agree, Marengo. After all, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands was hardly a beauty, but I'd be hard pressed to find a queen who, at the time of her reign, enjoyed more support and was more popular with her people than Juliana was. Or even Prince Claus, who was the most popular member of the Dutch Royal Family in the last years before his death. With the Dutch, he was even more popular than Maxima. A personality thing for sure. Of course probably outside of the netherlands, Maxima would probably have won the popularity contest over Claus because of her appearance.

it depends on the case. there are royals that are not particularly good looking, but people love them because of other qualities. i would say beauty and elegance help, but there must be also something inner in the person to describe him/her as popular.
i also agree with anita a lot. the fact that people are famous, popular makes people good looking, and proof of that can be found not only in royalty but with actors and actresses or singers.

Mary is very pretty but i wouldn't say she's beautiful but nonetheless she's still popular. i think it's her elegance and poise that makes her striking =]

I agree in general about the 'striking appearances'. But in the case of royals and royal spouses especially, I'm with Anita: we become 'enamored' with these people because we want to be. We want to think these people are more charming/striking/elegant/what have you than we are ourselves. We sometimes try to convince ourselves of this because if we didn't, if we actually <did> face (and owe up) to the fact that what we're really doing is paying average, and often average-looking, people a lot of money to represent country x, y, or z, we would have to face the question of where the added value is in all that.

I think that's often the conundrum with royals: they <are> more often than not, average, random people who are very very lucky to be in the situation they are: getting compensated monitarily very very well to be ambassadeur-at-large for a nation (for the price of privacy of course, but that's another thread). I do believe that indeed, even 'average' looking folks can look terrific--as long as you throw a lot of money on it <and> convince them they're something special. (as some of you may know, this is generally my peeve with Mary of DK). But I do also believe that some royals are very popular because, as luck has it, they actually <are> pretty special people.

I actually think this is the case with Maxima of the Neterlands. I started out thinking she was a gold digger, albeit a naturally good looking one. After following her activities for a bit, I'm now convinced the Netherlands is lucky to have her: she's good with people, gregarious, seems kind, and is intelligent with a vision. hence her popularity.

I quite agree with you Princess Olga. I think it's all in the packaging. It's easy to look terrific when you've got make-up artists, hairdressers, and wardrobe consultants at your beck and call. I always compare things like this to Christmas pressies: the daggiest gift can be the most glamorous one under the tree, and the best one might well be wrapped in newspaper and string.

Of course, I do have to admit, that were I in Mary's (or any other CP's shoes for that matter) I too would be taking advantage of all these things. I find it unfortunate that peoples popularity is so easily manipulated by their physical attributes. Really, it's like a great big high school, where the best looking kids were the most popular, while the plain Janes and gray men watched from the sidelines.

Late Diana,Princess of Wales is very popular woman and many people still love her very much and she very beautiful but she got more styles clothing and more glamorous after she got divorces from Prince Charles in 1996 but she very famous because she come from wealth you know her dad is wealthy.

But Diana always earning her famous dress since 1981-1996 and she sold her 79 dress at christies auction over by $5 million between New York and London,England.

So Diana cant become Queen of England because she already divorces from Prince Charles but she still as Queen of hearts and she still as People's Princess.

Crown Princess Mary have good styles since her marry to Fred and she have great styles and she have good clothing since she become pregnant with her son include evening dress and lots of more but she is really good clothing in the public.

Crown Princess Maxima more popular since she got married to W-A and she very work hard as mother of two girls and many people love her very much like Princess Diana did that but she collection designer from Natan and Valentino lots of more she been collection of clothing because she is CP she can earning include evening dress also from collection what she needs for occasion as jubliee,banquet,etc.

Crown Princess M-M of Norway more popular when she was single mother before she marry to Haakon she learn her lesson of drugs and lots of more follow her reasons but she did told interview on pre-wedding and she never did that anymore but she looks more looks great when got marry and she collection of daytime dress and evening dress also but she and Haakon been happy together since got marry

Crown Princess Mathilde makes more popular Princess since she marry to Phillipe in December 4th 1999 and she and her hubby still good marry for 6 years but she is mother of 3 current but she always more beauty and she collection styles since her marry to phillipe but she looks great of her pregnancy styles but she looks so FAB!

I agree with you there Britters although I don't think striking necessarily is beautiful.

Mary I thought always had unusual and striking features so she is interesting to look at although I wouldn't call her a beauty. A lot of the top models are striking rather than classical beauties.

Mette-Marit, I thought, was always the most naturally beautiful of the Crown Princesses.

I think its charisma that makes a royal popular not on beauty alone..

Yes, I have to agree on that one. Of course beauty is very important for a royal to become popular, but when you don't have a charismatic personality, there will always be something about you. I don't know exactly how to put this. For instance, I think Maxima is very beautiful, but I think adore her sparkling and bubbly personality even more. When she enters a room she fills it. I think that a quality like that is very important too. :)