Most Popular Prince / Princess?

[MARG]

From people I've talked to who is in the UK they say Kate is really just "there" and not really memorable. They like her and her children thats it. I just think it takes a special kind of person to do what Diana did. She transcended the idea of being a princess, same as Grace. It is what it is.

I absolutely disagree that Diana "transcended" anything. She was a lovely young girl and a beautiful woman but while she was incredibly charismatic, she never did anything "princessy" after her fairytale wedding and certainly nothing for the BRF. She became a victim of her own celebrity. She believed her own press.

When it comes to Grace Kelly it's a whole other story. She too had a gracious and privileged upbringing but she was taught to be a lady. She was beautiful and talented and when the studio wheeled her out for publicity she shone. Immaculately and tastefully dressed, with her inimitable cool blond elegance her behavior in public was always gracious and serene.

In short, her roles all projected an almost royal presence which as life imitateing art, culminated in a fairytale wedding which made her a actual Princess. We can argue about what she brought to Monaco, but in a post-war Europe, impecunous royals abounded. Grace brought her kind of Hollywood glamour and helped her husband build a viable state.

But, she was a pragmatic woman who never mistook celebrity for royalty. I would go so far as to say that her behaviour as 'The Princess of Monaco was what cemented her popularity'.

 

[RandyDrx]

Would you declare that part of Grace's popularity originally came from the fact that she had the career of being a movie actress? Some people became fans of her. When she got engaged, some of these same people were interested in paying attention to her in her new career as a princess.

Yes, I think her situation is the complete opposite with Diana's. In Grace's case, she is a well-known woman married into an unknown royal family. In Diana's case, she is an unknown woman married into a well-known royal family.

 

[Mbruno]

If Kate was Princess Catherine of Spain no one would know who she was in the English speaking world.

Probably true, as you said, in the English-speaking world.I would note, however, that, in the Ibero-American world, the Spanish royal family actually gets considerable media coverage. An example of that is the number of countries, not only Spain and Portugal, but also several countries in Latin America, where Felipe and Letizia's wedding was broadcast live back in 2004. I would even go as far as saying that, because of that media exposure in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, the Spanish RF is probably the European RF with the most international visibility after the British RF of course.


The British RF's visibility on the other hand goes beyond the English-speaking world, or the 54 countries of the Commonwealth plus the United States, Hong Kong and the Republic of Ireland. They are also popular or at least famous in East Asia (mainland China, Japan, Korea, etc.), in the Middle East, in Latin America, and in continental Europe. In other words, it is the only royal family with a truly global media reach. Diana was, at her time, the most covered member of the most visible royal family and that helps explain her media profile.

 

[Kitty1224]

I absolutely disagree that Diana "transcended" anything. She was a lovely young girl and a beautiful woman but while she was incredibly charismatic, she never did anything "princessy" after her fairytale wedding and certainly nothing for the BRF. She became a victim of her own celebrity. She believed her own press.

When it comes to Grace Kelly it's a whole other story. She too had a gracious and privileged upbringing but she was taught to be a lady. She was beautiful and talented and when the studio wheeled her out for publicity she shone. Immaculately and tastefully dressed, with her inimitable cool blond elegance her behavior in public was always gracious and serene.

In short, her roles all projected an almost royal presence which as life imitateing art, culminated in a fairytale wedding which made her a actual Princess. We can argue about what she brought to Monaco, but in a post-war Europe, impecunous royals abounded. Grace brought her kind of Hollywood glamour and helped her husband build a viable state.

But, she was a pragmatic woman who never mistook celebrity for royalty. I would go so far as to say that her behaviour as 'The Princess of Monaco was what cemented her popularity'.

"her behaviour as 'The Princess of Monaco was what cemented her popularity'."
- What do you mean?

In my opinion I think Diana did trandscend the role of being a princess.

 

[Denville]

"her behaviour as 'The Princess of Monaco was what cemented her popularity'."
- What do you mean?

In my opinion I think Diana did trandscend the role of being a princess.

Harldy... She didn't have time for one thing. She might have gone on to create a role where she used her fame to good purpose and created a career as a philanthropist.. but in her last year, she was all over the place and certianly not steadily working towards a new career...

 

[Kitty1224]

Harldy... She didn't have time for one thing. She might have gone on to create a role where she used her fame to good purpose and created a career as a philanthropist.. but in her last year, she was all over the place and certianly not steadily working towards a new career...

I'm sorry but who are you talking about?

 

[Denville]

I'm sorry but who are you talking about?

er Diana. Grace was leading her usual normal life, prior to her car accident and death....

 

[Kitty1224]

er Diana. Grace was leading her usual normal life, prior to her car accident and death....

Well in my opinion she carved out a role as a princess never seen before. It was different and still a blueprint outside of the BRF. So yes I believe she transcended it. We can agree to disagree.

 

[Kitty1224]

In short, her roles all projected an almost royal presence which as life imitateing art, culminated in a fairytale wedding which made her a actual Princess. We can argue about what she brought to Monaco, but in a post-war Europe, impecunous royals abounded. Grace brought her kind of Hollywood glamour and helped her husband build a viable state.

But, she was a pragmatic woman who never mistook celebrity for royalty. I would go so far as to say that her behaviour as 'The Princess of Monaco was what cemented her popularity'.

Well she did a fantastic job as Princess of Monaco and brought in a new way of being a Princess. Not imitated since because it only worked for her.

 

[Denville]

In what way did Grace "bring in a new way of being a Princess"? She had heirs, she did charity work, she patronised the arts.. all things that royal ladies traditionally do..

 

[Denville]

Well in my opinion she carved out a role as a princess never seen before. It was different and still a blueprint outside of the BRF. So yes I believe she transcended it. We can agree to disagree.

How? She gave up a lot of her charity work after her divorce and was very on and off with the charities she did keep. Given time perhaps she would have been able to make herself a new role, but her life was very erratic in the last year or so.

 

[Kitty1224]

How? She gave up a lot of her charity work after her divorce and was very on and off with the charities she did keep. Given time perhaps she would have been able to make herself a new role, but her life was very erratic in the last year or so.

I am talking about when she was Princess of Wales. Honestly I sense you may dislike her which is fine but at the end of the day many people loved her and thought she did a great job as a princess and did things her own way which helped those who needed it the most.

 

[Kitty1224]

In what way did Grace "bring in a new way of being a Princess"? She had heirs, she did charity work, she patronised the arts.. all things that royal ladies traditionally do..

Before Grace became a princess, princesses were traditionally a bit stuffy and cold. She added her own sense of flair and style to the role and her charisma certainly did help esp establishing Monaco to a respectable country during her time as a Princess. Not even her children Caroline has the same affection and love that Grace had from the public.

 

[Denville]

I am talking about when she was Princess of Wales. Honestly I sense you may dislike her which is fine but at the end of the day many people loved her and thought she did a great job as a princess and did things her own way which helped those who needed it the most.

When she was Princess of Wales, how was she being a princess in a different way? She was a bit more outgoing than the older members of the RF, but in essence she was doing the usual charity work done by royal women...
and "doing things one's own way" isn't really the best way to handle being a member of a royal family.. . Esp when it gets to the point of talking to the papers and setting up a kind of rival court to the RF.

 

[Kitty1224]

Anyways what do you guys thinks makes a princess memorable throughout many generations?

 

[Denville]

Very few are.. Princess Charlotte of wales was very popular during her short life... but I'd say only dedicated royal watchers know of her now...

 

[Kitty1224]

Very few are.. Princess Charlotte of wales was very popular during her short life... but I'd say only dedicated royal watchers know of her now...

Okay but why are certain princesses known through many different generations? They must have done something different within their roles(like I have stated plenty of times).

 

[Denville]

Okay but why are certain princesses known through many different generations? They must have done something different within their roles(like I have stated plenty of times).

not necessarily. Elisabeth of Austria is still quite popular but she wasn't a very active Empress, spending a lot of her time on private pursuits.. but there are some films about her, very sugary and very fictionalized, which have led to people admiring her. Princess Charlotte was popular in her time, not because of anyting she did but because the rest of the RF at the time were so unpopular...

 

[Kitty1224]

not necessarily. Elisabeth of Austria is still quite popular but she wasn't a very active Empress, spending a lot of her time on private pursuits.. but there are some films about her, very sugary and very fictionalized, which have led to people admiring her. Princess Charlotte was popular in her time, not because of anyting she did but because the rest of the RF at the time were so unpopular...

And Diana and Grace still popular. I just think as humans some just stand out more than others and 9/10 is because they did things differently or their innate quality.

 

[TLLK]

Very few are.. Princess Charlotte of wales was very popular during her short life... but I'd say only dedicated royal watchers know of her now...

Agreed. Also as I've mentioned previously Belgium's Queen Astrid was also very popular during her lifetime as the Duchess of Brabant and later as Queen. She was charming, had a real affection with her adopted nation, loved by her husband and children. Died tragically young.



Like the majority of European princesses who are part of a reigning Astrid did charity work and represented her nation at home and abroad. This has been going on for centuries, it wasn't something just done in the latter part of the 20th century when Grace and Diana were alive.



However as you pointed out, only the dedicated royal watches are aware of Charlotte, Astrid, and many others who have passed on. In time the same will happen with Grace and Diana, it's just inevitable.



The ones that also tend to be remembered today especially by historians were somewhat controversial as well. Empress Theodora, Cleopatra, Catherine the Great, Elizabeth Woodville, etc..

 

[Mbruno]

Okay but why are certain princesses known through many different generations? They must have done something different within their roles(like I have stated plenty of times).

Yes, there are lots of princesses and queens/empresses in European royal history who were known over many different generations, even before mass media existed.

 

[An Ard Ri]

And Diana and Grace still popular.

Though both Grace and Diana were very different they're both iconic Princesses.

 

[Osipi]

Anyways what do you guys thinks makes a princess memorable throughout many generations?

As being a prince or princess serves to denote a close familial relationship with a reigning monarch (or married to the person close to the monarch), it's more or less very similar to a person that holds a title "professor" or "doctor". It denotes something specific about that person.

What makes a person memorable? They do things that make them memorable. A doctor that succeed in his lifetime to create a life saving vaccine. A professor that focused on a certain area of history and brought it to life. A prince that worked to promote climate change. A king that abdicated for the woman he loved. Being memorable has nothing to do with a title but actions and accomplishments. It's the person and not the title that matters.

At least that's how I see it. Being a "princess" doesn't make a person different than any other woman on the planet. It just denotes that somehow, she had a closeness in some way within a royal family.

 

[Kitty1224]

Though both Grace and Diana were very different they're both iconic Princesses.

I agree they were both very iconic but very different women.

I think they were both princess of hearts but for different reasons

 

[Denville]

I agree they were both very iconic but very different women.

I think they were both princess of hearts but for different reasons

But what did they do that was different to other royal women?

 

[Mbruno]

A tragic life or death often helps to make some royals memorable. Queen Astrid of the Belgians; Diana, Princess of Wales, and maybe even Princess Grace being recent examples. A tragic death combined with a life of mistakes that ultimately contributed to their demise generally makes them even more memorable like Marie Antoinette or Tsarina Alexandra, maybe Mary, Queen of Scots too.

If you go further back in the past, some female monarchs or regents who were actual rulers of their countries became iconic simply because they were ruthless like Catherine de Medici, or both ruthless and very successful monarchs like Elizabeth I or Catherine the Great.

I don't know. There are many variables involved in some royals being more notorious than others.

 

[Kitty1224]

A tragic life or death often helps to make some royals memorable. Queen Astrid of the Belgians; Diana, Princess of Wales, and maybe even Princess Grace being recent examples. A tragic death combined with a life of mistakes that ultimately contributed to their demise generally makes them even more memorable like Marie Antoinette or Tsarina Alexandra, maybe Mary, Queen of Scots too.

If you go further back in the past, some female monarchs or regents who were actual rulers of their countries became iconic simply because they were ruthless like Catherine de Medicis, or both ruthless and very successful monarchs like Elizabeth I or Catherine the Great.

I don't know. There are many variables involved in some royals being more notorious than others.

Thank you! Don’t forget Queen Victoria!

 

[An Ard Ri]

I agree they were both very iconic but very different women.

I think they were both princess of hearts but for different reasons

And both of their memories live on and will be remembered for generations to come.

 

[Kitty1224]

And both of their memories live on and will be remembered for generations to come.

Especially their caring hearts

 

[Stefan]

A tragic life or death often helps to make some royals memorable. Queen Astrid of the Belgians; Diana, Princess of Wales, and maybe even Princess Grace being recent examples. A tragic death combined with a life of mistakes that ultimately contributed to their demise generally makes them even more memorable like Marie Antoinette or Tsarina Alexandra, maybe Mary, Queen of Scots too.

If you go further back in the past, some female monarchs or regents who were actual rulers of their countries became iconic simply because they were ruthless like Catherine de Medici, or both ruthless and very successful monarchs like Elizabeth I or Catherine the Great.

I don't know. There are many variables involved in some royals being more notorious than others.

And even Empress Elisabeth of Austria had a tragic death.