Princesses to Watch in 2014

The upcoming year will almost certainly be less exciting than each of the last three have been for royalwatchers. Let's face it, it is hard to top the hoopla of 2011's British and Monagesque weddings, 2012's Danish and British jubilees, and 2013's inauguration of new queens in The Netherlands and Belgium. And, did I mention that there was a baby born in London this past summer? All of this on top of the usual assortment of royal weddings and births around the globe.

So, maybe we could use a little cool down in 2014. Certainly, it is much more difficult at this point to select what will be THE royal event of this year but we have a few things we can already anticipate and a few we can hope to see.

BECAUSE THEY’LL BE MOTHERS:

Gorgeous Princess Madeleine

In February, the King of Sweden will welcome another granddaughter when his youngest child, New York-based Princess Madeleine gives birth to her first child. Madeleine, who maintains an active Facebook page, has shared publicly that she and husband, Chris O'Neill, were quite surprised to find themselves expecting so soon after their June 2013 wedding. A honeymoon baby, indeed. For personal photos and updates about her work, follow Madeleine's Facebook page.

In Britain, Queen Elizabeth is awaiting her fourth great-grandchild, this one from first-time mum and Olympic equestrienne Zara Phillips Tindall. Zara caused quite a stir by continuing to ride early in her pregnancy but withdrew from this activity almost immediately afterward. The exact due date and gender have not been announced but recent photos suggest that we don't have much longer to wait.

Victoria with
baby Estelle

Meanwhile, the tabloids and others have already started baby bump watches on Madeleine's sister Crown Princess Victoria, whose daughter Estelle is nearly two, and on the Duchess of Cambridge. A pregnancy announcement from Victoria sometime in 2014 would be in line with other modern royal mothers, who usually have had a second child within three years of the first. A recent skiing accident suggests, however, that she is not yet in "the family way." As for speculation about the former Kate Middleton, all I can say is: slow your roll. When Kate was photographed wearing a bulky sweater, some people got much too excited. While Kate certainly could have become pregnant within months of giving birth to Prince George, the announcement of her upcoming visit to Australia puts such speculation to rest. The Palace would hardly be planning an arduous overseas tour during her third trimester. Like William and Kate, I suggest we enjoy Prince George a little longer before we start thinking too much about another Baby Cambridge.

Lovely Stephanie

Other royal ladies, however, will also be having their bellies closely monitored by the media. Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg is now 14 months into her marriage in a dynasty not known for small families. This year will likely see her announcing her first pregnancy or facing a lot of pressure to begin producing--hopefully not the same intense pressure faced by her Japanese counterpart, Crown Princess Masako.

In Monaco, the two Casiraghi births in 2013 would be completely eclipsed if Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene were to have a child and an heir for husband Prince Albert II. Heading toward her third anniversary this summer, speculation is likely to hit a fever pitch. More critically, Charlene will be 36 this month, and female fertility typically falls off dramatically as women reach their later thirties. Although beautiful and fit, Charlene has been criticized for her underwhelming fashion choices and discomfort with the French language. She has endured many unfounded and cruel rumors about her marriage. Is she strong enough to endure the ridicule of completing 2014 if no princely child is forthcoming? Let us pray that she need not face this concern, and that if she does, she draws strength from the example of Belgium's Dowager Queen Fabiola, whose marriage was strengthened by such adversity, and who today, at age 85, remains a favorite in the court of her husband's nephew, King Philippe.

[Check out my picks for royal mothers of the millennium in 10 Centuries of Royal Moms.]

BECAUSE THEY’LL BE BRIDES

New mum Charlotte

With no major royal weddings announced yet for 2014, tiaras and trains may seem like a bit of wishful thinking, but at least three royal relationships seem ripe enough for conjecture: new mum Charlotte Casiraghi and Gad Elmaleh, Prince Carl Philipp of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist, and Princess Beatrice of York and Dave Clark. Charlotte and Gad have not been together long but they do have a new son, Raphael, together and so they could decide to “make it legal.”

On the other hand, Carl Philipp and Sofia have been together much longer—nearly four years—with no ring in site. Despite some controversy, they became domestic partners in 2011, a fact that was officially confirmed by the royal palace. As a former reality show contestant and semi-nude model, Sofia has faced much criticism about her suitability as a royal partner. However, in recent years, she has been building up her resume of good works and has been seen prominently at Swedish royal occasions including the weddings of his sisters, the King’s recent jubilee, and the Queen’s birthday—although she always walked in alone. But, before you logon to watch SVT’s live wedding coverage, it is worth noting that Carl Philipp dated his last girl for a decade and never made her a princess.

Beatrice and Dave

Beatrice and Dave have also been together for several years. I even touted her as a potential royal bride in my “13 Princesses to Watch in 2013” post. Speculation did reach a fever pitch during this summer when her mother was invited to join the Queen’s holiday guests. (Of course, I used that occasion to launch an #unfoundedroyalrumor on Twitter that the Duke and Duchess of York were about to remarry. So snarky, I know, but pretty soon, the media were saying the same thing. Hmmmm....) Nevertheless Dave and Bea are seen together constantly and often on holiday like their New Year’s trip to St. Bart’s.

Back in Britain and around the world, the royal highlight of the year could actually be taken by the most eligible royal bachelor, Prince Harry, if he proposes to his latest lady love, Cressida Bonas. Although a longtime friend of the younger Windsors, particularly Princess Eugenie, Cressie’s presence at events that are also attended by Harry’s extended family tend to generate a lot of headlines. I find these occasions unremarkable. After all, if you looked at the guestlists of these various society weddings, birthday celebrations, and miscellaneous charitable and social events, you will find many names appearing over and over again to rub shoulders with the HRH’s—they are part of their social set. If you see Cressida invited to one of The Queen’s holiday homes, that’s when you can truly start to take this seriously. (I just hope that don’t name their baby Troilus—you will only understand that joke if you are as nerdy as I am.)

JUST BECAUSE SHE IS

Kate in her crowning
moment of 2013

The Duchess of Cambridge will undoubtedly continue to dominate royal coverage. With an Australian tour already announced for this spring, she will be the superstar of a royal family which experienced a downturn in its workload in 2013 due to illnesses with two of our favorite ladies, Princess Alexandra and (most unusually) her cousin, The Queen. With more ailments among aging gents The Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent, the younger royals will likely need to step up their game. This means you can also expect to see Camilla The Duchess of Cornwall taking more lead time, too, but her shadow will never subdue the public’s adoration for her husband’s daughter-in-law. Expect many, many more stories about Kate’s hair, teeth, home renovations/décor, mummy skills, clothes, jewelry, family, shoes, dog, and, even, once again, her gynecologist. I can very safely predict that royal coverage in 2014 will be All-Kate-All-the-Time, but most of you will enjoy that very much.

So, cheers to Kate and blessings to all our royal ladies for a happy new year!

When Diana Played with Fire

The beginning and the end of Princess Diana's public life are marked by unforgettable images. From the naive teenager caught unsuspectingly with the sun streaming through her floral skirt to the tired blue eyes staring through black eyeliner as she pushes her way through the backdoor of the Ritz. Both photos capture Diana the way so many people like to think of her: innocent, trapped, surrounded by paparazzi ready to take advantage of her at every turn.

A 2013 interview with photographer Jason Fraser in the Daily Mail, however, sheds some light on Diana-and-the-Media battle. None of it is really news. Like many celebrities: Diana often tipped photographers about where she was going to be, not only when she was "on duty" but when she was off as well. The photos of her with Prince William and Prince Harry at theme parks didn't just happen. Paparazzi don't wait at theme parks hoping someone significant will show up. And, it could not have surprised her to have pics in her workout clothes when she chose to use a London gym rather than palace facilities. (When they hid a camera indoors, that is another matter.)

The truth is that Diana started a fire that she couldn't put out. At first, it was innocent enough. She didn't know that people would become obsessed with her, but she did know her choice of that strapless black taffeta gown on her first night as royal fiancee would spark a thousand flashbulbs. As her public career developed and her private life disintegrated, Diana's relationship with the press grew more complicated. As she grew in confidence, she realized that having photographers trotting after her could help shine a spotlight on causes that she cared deeply about: AIDS, homelessness, and land mines, for instance.

She also discovered that the media could be useful in her increasingly public battle with her husband. It was she who sent everyone home for the day and let the ITN crews in to conduct that damning interview with Martin Bashir, during which she famously quipped that she wanted to be the "Queen of People's Hearts" and that there were three people in her marriage. (Not good at math, I think, if you add in the men with whom she admittedly had extramarital affairs.) During that same interview she said she didn't want a divorce, but it seems almost specifically designed to make sure she got one. And, it was Diana herself who recorded her deepest secrets and thoughts and smuggled them to Andrew Morton so that he could write, Diana: Her True Story, the book that started the path toward divorce.

Of course, there were plenty of instances of an angry princess waving off the media on ski slopes and outside shops and cafes. But, the Jason Fraser interview indicates that there were also times when Diana invited the media to come too close. The Daily Mail piece focuses particularly on a phone call between Diana and Fraser that is depicted in the new, widely panned biopic, Diana, starring Naomi Watts. In this call, Fraser says Diana tipped him where she would be in the Mediterranean on that last holiday and essentially invited him to take a photo of her kissing Dodi Fayed. That was the kiss seen 'round the world and it lit a firestorm that eventually led to hordes of paparazzi chasing the princess through the pre-dawn streets of Paris.

Whatever her goal was in summoning Fraser, the outcome was greater than Diana apparently anticipated even after 16 years of interacting with the media. Perhaps she had not learned from her experiences with the Morton book and the Bashir interview, or perhaps she was happy with those results. Like many affairs, perhaps she thought she could control desire by giving just one kiss, but the media never take no for an answer--that's their job.

Once you turn them on, you cannot turn them off. It is a lesson that Diana never seems to have fully learned.

Young Royal Widows

With the long, slow death of Dutch Prince Johan Friso in 2013, his wife Princess Mabel became the latest in a tragic line of young royal widows. Here are the stories of a few of them.

A widowed Queen Victoria
with youngest child, Beatrice

The most famous royal widow is undoubtedly Queen Victoria. Although we tend to envision her as the ancient old lady she eventually became, she was only 42 when her beloved husband Prince Albert died from typhoid fever in 1861. The youngest of their nine children, Baby Beatrice, was barely six. (Read my post, Darling Baby, about the impact of her father's death on her life.) Victoria was, however, already a grandmother as her eldest daughter was a teen bride and mother--the first grandson, the future Kaiser Wilhelm was already two years old. Victoria's love of Albert is portrayed in the wonderful film "The Young Victoria" and the implications of her deep grief are explored in the even better film "Mrs. Brown." Victoria outlived Albert by nearly 40 years, always dressed in mourning, kept his room as it was when he died, and insisted each of their descendants be named in honor of either Albert or herself; her great-great granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth of York (now Queen Elizabeth II) was the first not to bear at least one of these names.

When Victoria's youngest son, The Prince Leopold The Duke of Albany died, his 23-year-old wife was pregnant with their second child. Princess Helena had been selected by The Queen, who had initially wished to prevent Leopold from marrying. He had inherited hemophilia, which caused Victoria to be overly protective.  He tried to escape by looking for a wife, but his mama didn't like his choices. Shortly before his death, doctors advised him to travel to the better weather of Cannes but Helena's delicate condition meant she had to stay home. When Leopold slipped and fell at his resort, doctors were unable to staunch the bleeding. His young widow became a favorite of the old Queen, who appreciated Helena's friendly spirit and extensive charity work. Helena faced another sad separation when her only son, Charles, inherited the dukedom of Prince Albert's family and was sent to Germany to reign over it at age 16. In World War I, Charles lost his British titles and, with the dissolution of the German monarchy after the war, he also lost his German ones. He later joined the Nazi Party and headed the German Red Cross. Helena's daughter, Princess Alice, married Queen Mary's brother Prince Alexander of Teck, later the Earl of Athlone, who became Viceroy of South Africa. She spent World War II in Canada, where her husband was the Governor General. She remained a beloved member of the British royal family until her death in 1982 at age 97, the oldest British blood royal. Princess Helena suffered a heart attack in 1922 and died while visiting her son in Austria.

Princess Marina, eight years
before she was widowed

When she wed King George V's youngest surviving son, The Prince George The Duke of Kent in 1934, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was the last royal princess to marry into the British royal family. The gorgeous couple had three children: Edward, Alexandra and Michael, each of whom are active assistants to their cousin, Queen Elizabeth II today. In fact, it was probably at their wedding that Marina's cousin, Philip, first met George's niece, Elizabeth--she was an eight-year-old bridesmaid. In turn, 11-year-old Princess Alexandra was a bridesmaid and five-year-old Prince Michael was a page boy at the 1948 wedding of Philip and Elizabeth. But when little Michael was only seven weeks old, The Duke of Kent was killed in an airplane crash in Scotland while on active duty with the Royal Air Force. Marina was 35. She raised her children alone but remained active as the most glamorous British royal until her own death from a brain tumor at the age of 61. Sadly, she did not live long enough to meet all of her grandchildren.

On the continent the last tragically widowed princess is Princess Caroline of Monaco. First child of Prince Rainier and his American wife Princess Grace, Princess Caroline first married a much older playboy, Philippe Junot. Several years after that marriage was annulled and her  mother was killed in a car crash, Caroline started a romance with Italian businessman Stefano Casiraghi. The two married shortly before the first of  their three children was born. Seven years later, in 1990, Stefano's love of speedboat racing cost him his life. He was 30; Caroline was 33. In 1999, she married The Prince of Hanover and their daughter, Princess Alexandra, was born six months later. The couple is now separated and Caroline became a granny earlier this year.

Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau joined the ranks of these royal survivors after a nine-year marriage. Because Friso did not seek parliamentary approval for their marriage, she is not an official member of the Dutch royal house, although she is close to her husband's family. After the wedding, she continued her work for international humanitarian causes. After the avalanche that left Friso with severe brain damage 18 months before his death, she has raised their two daughters on her own in London, while her husband remained comatose in a nearby hospital. Later, he was moved back to one of the royal palaces in The Netherlands. It is reported that she spent her 45th birthday at his bedside on August 11th. He died on the 12th.