Dismantling Kate Middleton

Now that Kate Middleton is engaged to Prince William she has become fair game to criticisms about her appearance. Not that she didn't have her fair share of them beforehand but the criticisms were aimed mainly at her employment status and her daring to wait for a proposal; which earned her the unflattering nickname 'Waity Katie.'

Prior the her engagement, except for a few items of clothing, her personal appearance was less of a focus.  To tear her down would have broken the spell, minimizing the illusion of her as the perfect candidate. A Cinderella in waiting cannot be expected to be perfect if our fantasies doesn't require her to be. It was her ordinariness that made the possibility real to the rest of us.

The engagement announcement changed that. Copies of Kate's engagement dress may sell out, her ring might be in high demand, she may be tall and beautiful, but there is always room for improvement.  Like Diana, Kate will be scrutinized from head to toe, in minute detail. For the rest of her life. It's enough to make less fortunate souls run for the hills. Without her face on the tea-towels we're giving her way out. Shouldn't we be giving Kate second thoughts after the ring is on her finger and there is no escape?

Now the pressure is on Kate to be perfect; lest it shatter the illusion of what a princess is supposed to be. For the rest of her life Kate cannot have PMS, she cannot have a pimple, or a run in her stocking. People will expect her to be well-dressed and smile at all times. Anything less than this raises ire.

But Kate shouldn't be too perfect because then she would be out of reach and we can't relate to that. Because we're not perfect it would no longer be possible for us to become a princess too. Then we would have no choice but to knock her off her pedestal. She should be well-dressed, but not too well-dressed. She should wear new clothes, but not too many new clothes. She should recycle her clothes only when the mood strikes us. Everyday will be a bad hair day when we want her to change it. It's only a matter of time before we get around to her weight and that won't please us either. Is it any wonder that Diana had an eating disorder?

People will deplore the amount of coverage on Kate's appearance yet be oblivious to our contribution to it. As long as she looks good, will it matter to us if she cracks under the pressure?

Somehow I doubt it.

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Is Kate Middleton A Sure Thing?

Prior to April 2007 when the couple reportedly broke up, I would have been willing to believe that it was a nobrainer that Kate, depending on global economic circumstances, would walk down the aisle at St. George's Chapel Windsor, or Westminster Abbey. Or possibly St. Paul's Cathedral should William want to tempt fate. All fodder for royal watchers. Woolworth's had prepared the prototype designs for wedding china. Robert Jobson had written a book called William's Princess which all but put the glass slipper on her foot. Only to look foolish later on. Could they have jinxed it? Let's say they did for want of a better explanation.

I like to think of myself as a realist. I'm not a betting person. I don't like taking risks. Which is why, despite running The Kate Middleton Report I still approach the situation with caution. Like a suitor whose heart has been broken one too many times. Who keeps coming back for more, obviously in need of therapy. This emotional roller coaster has taken it's toll on my ability to come up with original material. Will they breakup? Can William ever make up his mind? Can Kate make herself look consistently useful? All questions which I can only blog and podcast about for so long. However I'm still a royal romance junkie who wants the happy ending if only for the opportunity to buy more books and souvenirs.

Why can't it be like in the movies? Kate and her band of singing rodents who catch the ear and the heart of Prince William, wearing tights, cape flying in the wind, who happens to be riding by on his trusty steed (sold separately). A Prince with a focused determination to go after what he wants, while simultaneously declaring his love in song. A love that endures through 90 predictable minutes. Where the only nemesis is an evil Queen/Step-mother/dragon with control issues. The dragons who are magically slayed with a dagger the equivalent of a letter opener. The Prince who is willing to kiss a complete stranger in a catatonic stupor. I love happy endings.

There are lessons for William to be learn from Disney's Cinderella and Snow White, if only someone would send him a copy in DVD Region 2 encoded PAL format. Maybe then he might get the message to stick with the script we expect him to follow.

Maybe I'm a dreamer after all..

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Changing Face of Royalty

When I was a little girl, my image of what a Princess should be came from Cinderella and Princess Diana. It would be easy to think that Disney's representation of Cinderella is the definitive image, but as I grew up and became more familiar with world royalty I realized that this is not the reality. Times have changed and now we see Princess Tiana, the first black Disney princess, in the upcoming film The Princess and the Frog.

There are many examples of how royalty has changed: Princess Maxima of the Netherlands is from Buenos Aires, Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg is from Cuba, When Lady Rose Windsor, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, married Gary Lewis, he became the first person of Māori descent to marry into the British royal family. Peter Phillips' bride, Autumn Kelly became the first Canadian to do so. Alexandra Manley, born in Hong Kong, became a significant addition to Denmark's ruling family when she married Prince Joachim in 1995. She was the first person of Asian heritage to marry into a sitting European ruling house. They have since divorced and Alexandra is now titled Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. Another example, though lesser known, is Princess Angela of Liechtenstein, currently the only black princess in a reigning European house.

Royalty has come a long way from the times where they could only marry royalty. It was not considered proper for them to marry outside of their class. If they did so, it was usually without permission of the sovereign. Usually they were stripped of title, rank or the like and their marriages were known as morganatic. As the years went by, and many royal houses fell by the wayside, available royal spouses grew scarce. Therefore spouses were chosen from the aristocracy. Despite her pedigree, in 1923 Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon became the first commoner to marry into the royal family in several centuries. In 2001 Prince Haakon of Norway married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, a single mother and former waitress. In 2004, Prince Felipe of Spain married Letizia Ortiz, who had been previously married in a civil ceremony. In 2005, Camilla Parker Bowles married Prince Charles. What once would never have been allowed, let alone considered, now seems to be commonplace. And even a reflection of reality.

The inspiration for this article came from an email I received about Princess Angela of Liechtenstein. That as the first black princess in a European dynasty, she received little media recognition. Indeed, prior to that email I wasn't even aware of her. Unfortunately I couldn't find enough unique information to do a royal profile but I had to wonder, what makes her so special? People may be proud to have their heritage represented in public figures, but marrying into royalty isn't necessarily an accomplishment. It's something few people can aspire to. Some might consider it a step backward. Or even an unrealistic goal better left to the imagination of Holllywood film-makers. The person who emailed wondered whether race was a factor in the lack of media coverage of her. I think this is less about race and more about the low profile of the royal family she married into. In fact, she isn't even mentioned on the official site. Read what you will into that.

I don't necessarily think that any of these women have changed the way people look at royalty. Meaning they haven't made royalty more accessible or promoted any greater understanding of civil marriages, single parenthood, divorce, race, or even their respective nationalites. It was inevitable for royalty to marry commoners but that doesn't make it remarkable. Autumn Kelly, as the first Canadian to marry into the British royal family, doesn't change anything for me. It doesn't fill me with any sense of national pride. Nor should it.

Cinderella and Princess Tiana are characters from a Disney film. Neither reflects reality. Royal women of today are accomplished, poised and multicultural. Regardless of their background, they have become assets to their respective royal dynasties.

Let's hope that never changes.

© Marilyn Braun 2008

Related articles:

A Cinderella Story
Royal Profile - Princess Battenberg