Zubiaur, queenofthelight, iceflower, Monaco70s, thank you for all the fabulous pictures and the informative commentary that gives them a context and precious information for those interested in the details that provide a historical background to the pictures.
Princess Caroline landed on the social scene like a meteor. Nobody could have expected that we would be blessed with such an unusual presence, and there has never been anyone like her since her coming of age (chronogically, earlier than 18 years old, more like 14, really) until now. I believe she captured the spirit of the age intuitively and became its icon effortlessly. I also believe that it was part of her total wholesomeness, quite American in nature, that made her so unusual and fascinating. European girls did not have that quality. She was unique until about her 18th birthday, when the French social scene started changing her outlook on life and she became the rebellious party girl, a role she put on for a few years. She continued to be the most attractive and elegant princess until about her second husband's death, after which the real spark within her seemed to have died, at least for those who relied on photographs to try to determine her state of feelings and emotions. It is remarkable how present Princess Grace was in her formative years, and the intriguing similarities and contrast they formed when photographed together: Princess Grace always the embodiment of classic beauty and timeless style and grace, Caroline the embodiment of a certain restless energy that was the mark of that era's youth, both a delight to see, "something for everybody", the older generation and the younger one, with no fault to discern in either one.
The accumulation of pictures are a sort of CSI scene, I apologize for a clumsy comparison, it's the only one that comes to mind, in the sense that they provide the evidence to moments of life that serve as clues and bear witness to a reality that can hardly be disproved, unless one believes, in a kind of existentialist worldview, that we always wear a mask. I think Princess Caroline was too instinctive a person to wear a mask 24/7. Too many other photos testify to her intense grief when she felt pain, beginning with her break-up with Philippe Junot.