Your First Impressions Of Royals

[Monalisa]

Hi all,

It would be intersesting to know what did you think about royals(those who you know),when you first time saw them.

-Which picture or which event was the first one?

-Which impression did you have?

-Do you think the same now, from the first time you saw them and know about them or did you change your mind about,if it's YES,explain why you'de changed your opinion about?


Monalisa

 

[Australian]

Very interesting topic Monalisa!

When i first saw Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, i thought she was too beautiful to be a royal hehe. But from seeing her doing her duties now, i know she is sophisticated and well mannered, i thought because she is beautiful she might be a drama queen or be very demanding, but it didnt turn out this way. (im not saying all beautiful people are drama queens, im not a drama king!)

The first pic i saw of her was of her with Fredrick at an engagement party, or a party. She was wearing a pink dress.

 

[Lena]

Very interesting topic Monalisa!

When i first saw Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, i thought she was too beautiful to be a royal hehe. But from seeing her doing her duties now, i know she is sophisticated and well mannered, i thought because she is beautiful she might be a drama queen or be very demanding, but it didnt turn out this way. (im not saying all beautiful people are drama queens, im not a drama king!)

The first pic i saw of her was of her with Fredrick at an engagement party, or a party. She was wearing a pink dress.

Interesting, Australian. And very interesting question, Monalisa
I must say, my first impression of Mary Donaldsson was a bit different...but it changed pretty soon.
I think it was this picture, which I´ve seen firstly:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/lena1955/maryfirst.jpg

Maybe this was also with them (I think a poster has posted a few in a forum on the net):
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/lena1955/maryfirst2.jpg (one compare it with this of Daniel Westling
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/0206/16/NYHETER-16s07-killen-76_368.jpg The misbelief, that one just has to run fast enough to not to be photographed seems to be quite spread among Royals-to-be. )

And I remember, that I was quite disappointed. I was already familiar with the idea of "princess Bettina" and then this "grumpy" looking woman came along. I remember, that one poster has said, that we should give her a chance, a few unflattering pics don´t always give the real impression...and this turned out to be true.

Letizia...I must say I had an very good impression of her, when I saw the first pic (one of her at work). But I wasn´t sure, what to think after I had seen the press conference. Nowadays I like her. I think she had a hard time to find out, how she should act...dominant, as it was common in the branch of media or more adapted and submissive. I think in the meanwhile she is on the best way to find a happy medium...

Mette Marit...I think I´ve seen her firstly in a clip on TV. She was stirring her coffee in one of these paper cups. Her poise was far away from being regal. And one term came to my mind "wood"...yes, she seemed so wooden.
The first "WOW!"-correction of this picture happened to me at the wedding. She looked wonderfully fragile and regal in her dress...and most of all so much in love and so at ease.
The second correction of my first picture happened after the birth of Ingrid Alexandra. She suddenly seemed so much softer.

Maxima...I simply can´t remember! But I guess I always had the feeling, that she´s a very happy and funny person

Mathilde: This picture hasn´t changed at all. She always seemed sweet and caring to me and she still does. For me she is like Emma Pernald (the girlfriend of prince Carl Philip) one simply just can like them.

With the exception of Mette Marit, I never had my doubts about more controversial Royals. I always liked Camilla and also Ari Behn.

 

[Piewi]

Cool thread!!!
I´ll write about my fav royals. (for example, Lady Di, perhaps, was the first royal i´ve seen, but i don´t remember nothing).
I started to like royalty last year, at the royal wed of Spain. i´ve seen Caroline of Monaco (i´ve heard about her before, but i haven´t seen her before). A pic of that dayhttp://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/Piewi/felipespain2151.jpg.. my mum told my that she has 3 children (wrong, she´s got four) and that the eldest was beautiful. I run inmediatly to my computer to check if that was true: and definitly it was!!! The first pic that i´ve seen of him was this (but not a commplet view):http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/Piewi/horseandy.jpg
I wanted to know his sis, to chek if she was sooo pretty, again it was true. I saw this pichttp://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/Piewi/charmonaco3051.jpg
The first pic that´ve seen of Stefano Casiraghi was this:http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/Piewi/bluecaroste.jpg


And my impression haven´t changed(all of them seem so nice, elegant and beautiful). Just that Stefano seems prettier than last year. or that Andy isn´t so perfect as old articles said.

 

[Smilla]

I was astonished how good Mary looked when I saw her first on Austrian TV in the engagement interview or something. She looked amazing. Whatever one may think of her, she's definitely one attractive lady.
I first saw Mette in that tearful interview she gave, and I was like "You go, girl!" She's an inspiration for all of us single moms out there. I'm still impressed with the way she's handled criticism and her new job.

 

[Amilia]

Mathilde =) I saw her for the first on tv . I was very suprised . She looked very elegant and sweet . I remembered that she said :
" Filip zal me helpen " ( Filip will help me ) . The couple looked so in love .

Maxima =) I saw her for the first in a magazine . There where rumours that she would be the new girlfriend of W-A . In the pic she was smoking , drinking and dancing. It thought she was a wild woman , wtih a lot of temperament . When the engament came closer , there was a picture where she came out of a bulding and she was angry , because there where journalists , and ... then she felt .Then I thought , "she will never be able to handle the media".
But I was wrong She has also changed a lot , and she looks great now !

Mette-Marit =) SHe looked like a shy person , on the first pic I saw of her . And I also thought that there would never be a wedding between her and Haakon . Sometimes I think she's still shy . But she's is a very strong woman , I realised . And not only because of her wedding with a crownprince afhter a wild time . But also the problems with her father , her first difficult year, ... .bravo

Mary =) She looked like a very sweet and strong woman , who would not let the protocol take controll of her life .

Letizia =) At their engament , she looked arrogante , I thought
But she's a very lovely woman


amiliaxxx

 

[Smilla]

When I saw Diana and Charles first I felt that she just looked too young and too shy. What a waste - she was far too young to marry him. She looked like a teenager, and so uncomfortable.
Camilla, on the other hand - there is the very old black-and-white picture when she's leaning on a tree and chatting with Charles. She looks remarkably at ease with him. More than Diana ever did. I never believed that they'd actually marry one day. Well, miracles happen.

 

[The O.C. Fanatic]

The first time I saw Carl Philip was in Vanity Fair. I thought he was the most beautifull man I ever seen in my life.

Carl Philip is still a perfect 10 to me.

 

[bigheadshirmp]

Mathilde: well.....i thought she looks like a real royal...very elegant....suits well to be a crown princess

Mette-Marit:the first time i saw her pic was the ones from her wedding...i thought she looks gorgeous....but...having read some articles abt her...i was kinda shocked that the crown prince is allowed to marry a woman who have a wild past and a son....

Mary: didnt' like her since the first time i saw her...i don't know why....but it just doesn't feel right for me....she looks arrogant!!!!

Letizia: i thinks she is a true beauty when i first see her on the newspaper....looks confident besides the prince and professional in pics from her last job as a newscaster....

Maxima: first time I saw Maxima was also on some magazines....she always have that "BIG" smile on her face....seems to me that she's very friendly to people~

Diana: first time on tv.....she's very shy...but she looks like a royal...very pretty! looks like a cinderella princess!

Camilla:first time was on some magazine where she was photographed with charles in turkey or something...spending a secret holiday (while diana and charles still married) totally dislike her....especially her hair....

 

[sara1981]

Camilla:first time was on some magazine where she was photographed with charles in turkey or something...spending a secret holiday (while diana and charles still married) totally dislike her....especially her hair....

i would agree with you,bigheadshrimp

im really not like her very much! because she is homewrecker since Prince Charles and Diana got married and she went see Charles everyday! but i dont like that! and Diana dont like idea!

Diana: first time on tv.....she's very shy...but she looks like a royal...very pretty! looks like a cinderella princess!

yeah that true! but Diana was mostly glamorous since 1981-1997 before she got married to Prince Charles they later the photographer still follow her for 15 years since 1981 but Diana told paparazzi and media dont follow her or she would leave Country and lived in USA but she still as Princess! but paparazzi been follow her when she got crash! but its too late! many people still like her very much but i do like her!

Sara Boyce

 

[Monalisa]

Salma:

This was the first picture which I saw of her,it was in "Paris Match",announcing her engagement to king Mohammed VI of morocco,I immediatly thought waw,very beautiful and very diifferent style from what we used to see in royals with that curly red long hair.

What I think now,I respect her,she is doing her job of queen consort with a very dignified way,some balme her to be not in the spot for social works,but i respect that on her,since she doesn't try to figure as the maker of social works which are done very well by others behind ,and by people who are really fighting for that,and this is the differnce between her an other first ladies,especially middle eastern,who try to be in the spot,pretending doing the job which is done by others behind !

 

[La la]

Interesting, Australian. And very interesting question, Monalisa
I must say, my first impression of Mary Donaldsson was a bit different...but it changed pretty soon.
I think it was this picture, which I´ve seen firstly:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/lena1955/maryfirst.jpg

Maybe this was also with them (I think a poster has posted a few in a forum on the net):
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/lena1955/maryfirst2.jpg (one compare it with this of Daniel Westling
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/0206/16/NYHETER-16s07-killen-76_368.jpg

I loved all the pictures you included.

 

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

Hmm...the first time I really noticed Prince Harry was in some random magazine. They showed one of his 16th birthday photos and I thought he was quite attractive.
The only other royal I can remember seeing for the first time is Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg. I was flipping through another magazine (I still have it from September 2003!) with a large section on royals. I was actually trying to find a page with Prince Harry on it. But I stopped before finding that page because I saw a photo of a really attractive guy that I had never seen before. And it turned out to be Guillaume.

 

[carlota]

maxima: a good friend of my family had the honour to work with her in new york. she told us really good things and how nice and down to earth she was, so since the very first moment i liked her a lot. then i started following her more closely and she did not dissapoint me. now i think she is doing a great job for the netherlands.

mette marit: i must admit i did not like at all that thing of the wild past everyone was mentioning. i found it too much for a future queen. then i saw a tv clip of this show she went to find a couple and saw her kissing this little guy. i liked her even less. i came here to trf and still had the same idea of her as a gold digger who would destroy the traditionalist view of a royal family and all the strong values involved. i came here to trf and still had the same idea. however, since i have been hee i have discovered she is really in love with haakon and that she loved him a lot since the very beggining. i also noticed how hard it must have been for her (even more than for other cpss to start her role as a princess with a bunch of people critisising you) and also saw what a lovely mum she was to marius. i still believe that she wasnt the right one but i guess my opinion of her has changed a lot from the very beginning.

mary: i must say i wasnt really interested in mary. the first photos i saw where the ones of her engagement and did not pay much attention to her. i thought she was a nice girl and that her engagement outfit was lovely. the only thing that dissapointed me a bit were all those photographs and interviews she did for various magazines (vogue, danks, the mercury, sunday telegraph, australian womens weekly...). as someone said, mary is the patron of danks... but the fact that mary wants to promote it doesn't mean she needs to pose like a model to do it.


letizia: when i first read in the newspapers the name of the future queen of spain i came into the internet and saw her as i didn't recognize her by the name. i was like... "that girl of the tv!". i was quite surprised but i thought it was a wise decision as she was a professional and seemed a clever girl and she was popular because of doing a decent job. moreover, she was beautiful. however, i started reading some articles about her and my opinion changed slightly for bad... but now i don't know how to judge her. i guess when i read something good i say "she was the right one" but then i read or see something not so nice and say "mmm... maybe she isn't that good"... i guess i need more time to say whether i like her or not, but i agree she is taking her role seriously and that's good.

salma: at first i was scared when i saw her. it was a photograph where she was really pale (i think it was make up) and more make up in her eyes and lips. i liked her a lot at first. i think she is a natural beauty as well. then my opinion changed a little bit for bad when i read a liable article about her in the palace and some behaviour i didnt really like. moreover, all the times i saw her she was wearing international designs when the majority of the population there can't afford one of those she wears even if they worked all life. however, i think she is a lovely person. i also read some good articles about her and her "downtoeathness", so i didn't really make my opinion about her.

rania: i really can't remeber when i saw rania for first time. i used to see her as a quite shallow and superficial person. however, it wasn't long ago that i heard her talking in a conference and i was really surprised about how clever she was and noticed how my opinion about her was totally incorrect. now rania is an admirable person for me, a really elegant one and a really beautiful one.

victoria: i don't remember when i saw her for first time either but my opinion her hasn't really changed. she has always been lovely to my eye, a beautiful person both inside and outside.

camilla: again this time with camilla i thought she was just wrong and a really bad choice. i thought she only ruined a lovely marriage and didnt really like her at first. however, my opinion after the wedding changed drastically about her. what another woman if she is not a courageous one can mantain a relationship with such an important person as the prince for so long and being all the time "the lover" or "the officially second one"? i felt she really loved charles and that she was willing to be where she is now, not because of anything else than charles and i found that totally lovely. she is such a down to earth person and i think she will to really well in the british family as they sometimes need it.

 

[bad_barbarella]

The first time i saw Prince felix i didnt know he was a prince... he looked really familiar...

 

[Princess Maxima]

Maxima: the first time i saw her was in the newspaper, i was shock, i couldn't believe because she was argentinian like me.I like her since the first time, always smiling.
And with her, i started being interested in royals.
Mary:the firts time i saw her was on a picture on her engagement.I lo ve the way she dresses and she seems so sympathetic and charming, i think that she and maxima are great.But sometimes i ask mysef, is she a model or princess?.
Mette-Marit:i didn't like at all her past but now she is doing a hard work and as she one said "don't judge me of my past, judge me in my present actions"
Letizia:the first time i saw her was in a magazine.at first i didin't like her, she wasn't following the protocol, she was divorced.i like her but i still think she doesn't love felipe.

 

[elenaris]

I felt exactly the same when I first saw her. She semed really arrogant to be. I always had the feeling that she had her chin really up.
Now it changed a bit, but it is still true on some pics!

Mathilde: well.....i thought she looks like a real royal...very elegant....suits well to be a crown princess

Mette-Marit:the first time i saw her pic was the ones from her wedding...i thought she looks gorgeous....but...having read some articles abt her...i was kinda shocked that the crown prince is allowed to marry a woman who have a wild past and a son....

Mary: didnt' like her since the first time i saw her...i don't know why....but it just doesn't feel right for me....she looks arrogant!!!!

Letizia: i thinks she is a true beauty when i first see her on the newspaper....looks confident besides the prince and professional in pics from her last job as a newscaster....

Maxima: first time I saw Maxima was also on some magazines....she always have that "BIG" smile on her face....seems to me that she's very friendly to people~

Diana: first time on tv.....she's very shy...but she looks like a royal...very pretty! looks like a cinderella princess!

Camilla:first time was on some magazine where she was photographed with charles in turkey or something...spending a secret holiday (while diana and charles still married) totally dislike her....especially her hair....

 

[elenaris]

I'm talking about Mary!!!!!!!!

I felt exactly the same when I first saw her. She semed really arrogant to be. I always had the feeling that she had her chin really up.
Now it changed a bit, but it is still true on some pics!

 

[Nad25]

Queen Rania, I was in Jordan with my father when back then Princess Rania got married, I watched her wedding and thought she looked quite young and sweet! I think shes a hard working Queen and shes doing a fab job!

Princess Mary, my fav Princess when i first saw her i thought she looked verry pretty and so stylish. She makes a charming couple with her Prince

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, I saw his pictures on a royal magazine and I thought hes drop dead gorgeous , lool

 

[carlota]

I felt exactly the same when I first saw her. She semed really arrogant to be. I always had the feeling that she had her chin really up.
Now it changed a bit, but it is still true on some pics!

many people had that sensation, me included. i guess it had to do a bit with all the expresivity she showed, maybe because of being nervous at the moment or because she didnt know as much protocol as she knows now and couldnt tell whether moving a lot as she did or interrupting felipe was good or not.

 

[bigheadshirmp]

many people had that sensation, me included. i guess it had to do a bit with all the expresivity she showed, maybe because of being nervous at the moment or because she didnt know as much protocol as she knows now and couldnt tell whether moving a lot as she did or interrupting felipe was good or not.

she's not talking about Letizia....she's talking about MARY!

MARY having her chin up thing....i thought someone mention it b4 that she learned that from the "princess classes" she took before the engagement/ wedding.....

 

[galuhcandrakirana]

I have interested to Royal family when Prince Charles wed Diana they looked as great couple, then shortly after I didn't have much attention to royalty anymore until the wedding of Denmark crown prince Frederik, It was because of my Australian friend speaks a lot about Frederik’s Australian fiancée. I didn't found the crown princess to be as an impressived woman (but she seems to improve quiet well after). When I followed their wedding ceremony another princess from this royal family draw much my attention, she is Princess Alexandra.... I don't know why I interest a lot with this petite woman at the first time I saw her picture, then I start trying to find more about her....more I know about her more she impressed me a lot with her manner and work-prestation as a princess.... Since then I'm trying to have a look if I can find other princess including in other kingdom who can impressed me like what Alex did. Some of princesses have a good manner and work-prestation as a princess but none of them impressed me a lot. When the first time I know about Letizia, she impressed me with her beauty, independent and her successful career before she married her prince. Princess Mathilde impressed me with her elegance and her simplicity for me she is the most regal and classic crown princess in Europe at this time. Mette Marit had a quiet “grey” life in her past but she seems to be honnest with it, apologize for what she has done and trying to be better, I give her a good point for it.

 

[sm1939]

I first saw Mette marit on her wedding day , and I thought you go girl,
I thought why cant she marry into the royal family , ok so she's had a wild past , ( Just like princess Margaret!! )who was a really party girl ( ok Margaret may not of used drugs ) but she did do other things, so I never understood why people got so upset about the whole thing really , so mette marit impressed me from the start and also the Norwegian royal family did too, how they handled it. ( by the way Im not putting princess Margaret in this conversation)

 

[sara1981]

when i going store and i saw Princess Diana covers when she died they im still collectors of her for 7 years but i like her she really glamorous Princess.

they later i saw Prince William with Princess Diana together magazine but im still collectors of him but he really handsome Prince

Sara Boyce

 

[Smilla]

I first saw Mette marit on her wedding day , and I thought you go girl,
I thought why cant she marry into the royal family , ok so she's had a wild past , ( Just like princess Margaret!! )who was a really party girl ( ok Margaret may not of used drugs ) but she did do other things, so I never understood why people got so upset about the whole thing really , so mette marit impressed me from the start and also the Norwegian royal family did too, how they handled it.

I absolutely agree!

 

[Josefine]

Crown Princess Mary i never thought frederik would merry her i saw her as quite plain but a sweet heart

 

[sebastian]

Princess Stephanie : I met her on the beach 15 years ago ( I was 8 years old), she fixed my sandcastle and I shot water on her through my huge watergun . She ran after me and when she caught me she dumped into the water with me

Later the evening my mother told us about who she is and stuff ...

 

[ysbel]

When I first saw Mary on the Danish Royal House website I thought she was very unusual looking, but for a future queen that could work. Since then I've seen more pictures of her and she's not quite so unusual looking but was amazed to find the passionate dislike many have for her. She is described as arrogant, I don't see it but even if she were I wouldn't consider that a bad trait for a future queen.

Mette-Marit and Haakon I first saw on their website and was impressed with how expressive and personable their faces seemed. This seemed like a couple who would be fun to get to know. But now after reading about their history, I still think they must be very friendly but also I have to say a bit irresponsible. I feel sorry for her son.

When I first saw Marthe-Louise on the Norwegian Royal website in that awful hat, I thought she was terribly frou-frou. Boy was I wrong. She's turned out to be the most interesting and intelligent royal I've come across lately.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re:

Mette-Marit : I thought she looked mean and a little bit lanky. She still seems a little out of place to me but I'm slowly warming to her

Beatrix : Hair and Hats - I just thought she was just a jolly, laughing, happy woman.

Margrethe : She came across as a little severe and not very regal at all, but as I learned more about her, I realised she isn't as severe and is very regal indeed!

Josephine-Charlotte : It was the 'Uncle Goggi' story on 'A Royal Family' and I howled with laughter. Thought she was fabulous and miss her greatly.

Silvia : Someone's had a little nip and tuck

Lilian : How adorable!

Andrea Casiraghi : Come up and see me sometime

Pierre Casiraghi : Wait until you're brother's gone and then come up and see me

 

[Marengo]

Maxima: after the first blurry pictures the dutch audience (and me) could finally have a good look at her because she was filmed at a friends wedding, a few years before, and apparently somebody sold that to dutch television. On the footage you saw Maxima doing what people do at weddings: having fun, dancing, drinking..and smoking & she looked a bit tacky. I think the entire coutry was seated with their mouth opened in front of the television and alsmost fell of their chairs that hour, including me. But during her engagement statem,ent and press coinference I got a better look at the real Maxima, stylish, cheerfull, charming and witty.

My first encounter with princess Mabel was her voice on the radio, which caused an immediate dislike. A dislike which has not been altered ever since.

Princess Laurentien I first saw on a picture in the magazine 'Vorsten'when she attended a noble wedding in Germany with Constantijn. My first impression was: those eyebrows!!! Luckily she altered them quickly after her engagement.

Mathilde was a big but pleasant surprise, the engagement came unexpected and she seemed very fresh, but still very elegant and ladylike. I though she was 'perfect' from the start.

The first pictures of Claire I saw was when she accompanied Laurent to Amsterdam for the wedding of the crownprince (just to the hotel, not to the official ceremony), she seemed unaffected and down-to-earth, an opinion I still have.

When I saw Letizia after a pleasanmt saturday I had a big shock as I always thought/ hoped Felipe would marry a noble/royal girl (Marie-Caroline of Parma for example), after the initial shock I liked her instantly, she seems modest and elegant. I also liked that she, like Maxima, had a carreer of her own when she married.

The first impression of Mary was of her engagemment and that she seemed calculating and arrogant, her choise of interests shortly affter her marriage (which is pointed out by other posters here as well) did not alter that impression, but now I am warming up to her as well.

As for Mette-Marit, that was a surprise as well but I remember her honesty at the press conference when they announced the engagement and I thought it took a lot of courage to do that & I liked her because of it (although I still thought her highly unsuitable as future queen at that moment).

As far as Kate Middleton and Chelsey ? go: Kate seems a boring english countrygirl who hasn't seen anything of the world and Chelsey seems utterly vulgar, more suitable for joining a girlband then the royal family.