Royal Beauty Contest-The Winner Is....

Queen Rania of Jordan

Royal Beauty Contest-Something Lighter

1: Queen Rania of Jordan

2: Princess Mary of Denmark

3: Princess Caroline of Hanover

4: Princess Letizia of Spain

5: Princess Mathilde of Belgium

6: Princess Maxima of Holland

7: Princess Madeleine of Sweden

8: Princess Beatrice of England

For some lightheartedness. Vote for who you think is the most beautiful Royal of today. The winner will be the one who has the most votes.

Have fun!

Women of Style & Substance-Grace Kelly

There have been many beautiful women in Hollywood from Louise Brooks to Lana Turner to Charlize Theron, what then makes Grace Kelly not only different but who stands out from the crowd?

Yes! Grace was exceptionally beautiful, but what made her special was her humanity and her humour.

Unlike many who climb the ladder to success Grace never dropped her old friends in favour of new more important one's, her friends stayed true to her throughout her short life and she trusted them with her confidances.

Many men fell instantly inlove with Grace, not because she was beautiful but because she encapsulated the very essense of womanhood, ladylike femininity with a touch of her own quirky humour. These men would range from Alec Guiness to Lord Mountbatten even Prince Charles himself, who admitted to having a serious crush on Princess Grace.

Grace Kelly never took herself seriously and loved life and it showed. No wonder Prince Ranier was bowled over by this elegant, composed and very beautiful woman full of joie de vivre.

Upon accepting Prince Raniers marriage proposal it was a wrench for the young Grace Kelly to leave her homeland and embark on unknown territory, but Grace had courage in abundance, and didn't blink at taking on a role she had not been born into.

Becoming a Princess was much different than being an actress, but once again Grace Kelly rose to the occasion, excellence was a part of her character, she refused to fail and she didn't.

Though the people of Monaco were at first suspicious of this 'actress' they soon grew to love her as she worked hard on behalf of Monaco's interests and raised the country in the eyes of the world, she brought class into a shady place.

Grace Kelly did not need Monaco. Monaco needed Grace Kelly.

Princess Grace had an artisitic nature and she bought this gift with her to her new adopted country helping it to become a place of culture that celebrated the Arts once again embracing a spirit of excellence.

The beautiful Princess though was not without tragedy as she longed for a large family and after having both Caroline and Albert she joyfully welcomed Stephanie into the world after having suffered many miscarriages. Her family was complete, but the shadow of tragedy would follow her.

Grace Kelly had a natural sense of nobility an inner luminous quality that radiated to all who were in her proximity. Grace possessed a natural elegance, an almost ethereal quality, like a star that blazes across the skies and as we wonder at it in amazement we acknowledge it's very beauty is because of it's fragility. Here now, gone forever.

The legacy of Grace Kelly is that noone will ever be her, there will never be another Grace. A woman who embodied style so naturally that quintessentially when one thinks of class, Grace Kelly comes to mind...A fleeting life, yet noone can forget her.

In her own words;

"I would like to be remembered as a decent human being and a caring one - "Grace Kelly

Written by Marie

Women of Style & Substance-Princess Mary

I always find it rather mystifying when the press build up a person and then take joy in knocking them down. Why do they do it? Or is it that they think they are catering to the reader or perhaps they are trying to cultivate a need for salacious reporting because they lack originality.

Mary Donaldson came from an ordinary family who lived in Tasmania, Australia. Tragedy struck early when Mary lost her beloved mother in 1997 this tragedy only brought the Donaldson family unit closer. Mary moved to Melbourne and began work in the Public Relations field.

Prince Frederick's own childhood was hampered by the fact that his parents believed that children should be seen and not heard. For instance he and his brother only met their parents for a few minutes a day, they even ate seperately from their parents, Queen Margrethe and Prince Consort Henrik. A fact which led Frederick on a quest to find a woman who could nurture and support him in his role in life.

What happens next sounds like a Hollywood movie, but this is no cleverly written script, but reality. Mary and a group of friends went to visit a local pub the same night that Prince Frederick was there, the two hit it off, it wasn't until later that Mary found out who 'Fred' was, much to her amazement.

The romance led to marriage and it was a touching moment when Prince Frederick wept as his bride walked down the Church aisle towards him and her new future as the Crown Princess of Denmark.

Princess Mary is a great consort, a woman with her feet on the ground, especially now she is the mother of two children, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella.

In Princess Mary, Denmark has a woman who understands decorum, discretion and dignity. You wont see Mary in skirts up to her thighs or wearing clothes that leave little to the imagination. Mary dresses with style and dignity but is also spontaneous to all she meets.

Why then are some elements of the press almost longing for this young woman to fail as a wife, mother and Princess? Surely with so many movie/rock stars willing to bare all and dress immodestly, Mary should be seen as an example of how to live one's life with a set of Principles while she combines her royal duties with motherhood.

I hope that the press rather than try and muddy the waters will accept that Mary is no kiss and tell Princess but a woman of great dignity and courage, who is simply doing the best she can in a lifestyle in which she was not born.

Personally I think she is doing a great job and is a role model for young women and mothers.

Written by Marie

Crown Princess Mary-Australia's Princess

Women of Style & Substance-The Queen Mother

Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon even from a young age was a young lady who had been tempered with a steely personality. This came to the fore during the First World War when her family home Glamis Castle was used to nurse injured soldiers back to health. This is also where Lady Elizabeth learnt to mix with all kinds of people from all levels of society, but with great instinct Lady Elizabeth learnt to listen to others and to give them her entire attention. This would hold her in good stead when it came to her role later in life.

During this time Lady Elizabeth ran errands for these wounded men, she did simple tasks such as rolling their cigarettes for them and writing to their families back home, as well as reading to them. Lady Elizabeth did all this when she was still a young teenager.

With the death of her eldest brother, it was left to this young girl to run Glamis Castle when her mother suffered a nervous breakdown, she did this with her customary common sense and grace. Even when the castle nearly burnt down Lady Elizabeth led the way in saving her family home from destruction.

When this young woman first met Prince Albert, she was not impressed though he fell instantly in love with this vibrant yet steely woman. In fact Lady Elizabeth's heart lay with another, James Stuart but upon learning of the young Princes love James Stuart stepped out of the frame, allowing Prince Albert the chance to win the hand of this fair maiden. He did so after she had refused him twice.

Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon did not love her husband, she placed duty to one's country above her own preferences. Though she did not love The Duke of York she came to love and respect him during their life together.

Personal happiness came to them both with the birth of their daughters Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, they had become 'we happy four.'

But their personal happiness would be disturbed with the arrival of Mrs. Simpson and her friendship with The Prince of Wales. The Prince of Wales would do the exact opposite of the young Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, he put his personal happiness over and above his duty to his country.

The young Duchess of York could not comprehend such selfishness and never forgave them for their dereliction of duty. This exposed her own husband to the glare of the media and Courtiers, some of whom had grave misgivings about the suitability of the Duke of York to become King due to his stutter.

The Duchess of York accompanied her husband to a speech therapist and in every possible way she encouraged and uplifted him, she was in essense his rock, and she would remain so throughout his short life. The Duchess gave her husband the one thing he had always lacked, a stable and loving home environment, where he could leave the troubles of the world behind him and find comfort and support within his family home.

As King and Queen they led the country during the terrible days of the Second World War. The Queen encouraged women into the work force and to keep the home fires burning. But she was also her husbands strongest advocate and supporter. She did not run when the bombs dropped as she famously said when asked about evacuating to Canada, "the children will not leave without me, I will not leave without the King and the King will never leave!"

It was this Queen who began what became known and accepted as the 'Royal walkabout.' The days were grave for England as bombs rained down on the populace and Hitler at that time seemed unstoppable. It did not faze Queen Elizabeth, and she met the challenges that faced her and her husband with steely determination.

The Queen dressed in her finest clothes and pearls when she visited those who had been bombed as she said when questioned about her style of dressing, "if they come to see me they would dress in their finest clothes why would I do less?" During these terrifying years The Queen displayed great grace under pressure and shored up her insecure husband as he carried out his Royal duties.

The Queen though was a woman of great strength of character and it was at her insistance that The Duke and Duchess of Windsor be sent overseas during these dark days for England. It was also at the Queen's insistance that Wallis, The Duchess of Windsor would be deprived of the title H.R.H. throughout her life.

Later in life the Queen Mother was perceived by the media as a rather sugary nature, this portrayal does a disservice to her true personality and hides the strength of her character.

The Queen Mother throughout her long life believed in service and had no time for those who put self above duty. This approach brought her into conflict with the late Princess Diana, neither woman understood the other.

But throughout her life The Queen Mother avoided familial confrontations though she tacitly supported her grandson Prince Charles throughout his affair with Mrs Parker Bowles.

In the Queen Mother we see a woman of quiet steel, of inner strength and of service. A woman who followed her own style which became uniquely her own. A woman with the nice smile which hid the toughness of her character and a woman who always remained true to her country and true to herself.

written by Marie

Princess Diana-Her Troubled Life-Conclusion

What haunted Diana throughout her life was the knowledge that at one time she did stand a chance of winning the heart of her husband. Though Diana gained a Title it was Camilla who kept the Prince's heart and Diana became an inconvenient woman at the centre of this royal ménage a trios! An arrangement which unsettled the young Princess as she tried using all the wrong weapons to win the heart of her husband who in the end had come to resent her.

As Princess Diana gained the love and adulation of the world, she lost the love that mattered most to her, her errant and unfaithful husband.

As we have learnt Princess Diana was no angel, but neither was she a monster, she made her own mistakes within her empty marriage. But though these mistakes harmed her deeply she was not as has been reported, mentally unstable. There are no records of mental disturbance in her youth or her work as a nanny before she married into the Royal family.

The life of Princess Diana proved that though the institution of the Monarchy has lasted hundreds of years, the lifestyle of what was acceptable to the Edwardians, would not be acceptable in the twenty first century. In that modern women including Princesses wanted more than an empty title. They need a fulfilling role in life and a supportive partner. Princess Diana also forgot what the role of the Princess of Wales entailed and that was 'To Serve' the nation and support the Monarchy. Not as the 'star of the show' but as a working member of the Royal family.

None can truly lay all the blame at the Prince's door for the failure in their marriage. He could not guess that Lady Diana was emotionally needy, and highly strung. Or that she would suffer from bulimia/nervosa, both became victims of this insidious illness. Prince Charles had been spoilt by the accruements of Royalty where his every wish was guaranteed to be granted. A wife is not an extension of a coterie of staff, therefore compromise should have been reached between both husband and wife.

Though Charles and Diana entered the marriage with high ideals and expectations of each other, both would find themselves disappointed. For from the beginning of their relationship Lady Diana had led Charles to believe that she loved country pursuits and all that goes with it, hunting, fishing and shooting. And Prince Charles from the beginning had no intention of giving up the real love of his life, which was Camilla Parker Bowles.

So in truth both couples entered the marriage with a lie. Which would then be followed by deceit, betrayal and infidelities on both sides. This would have devastating consequences for their marriage and also the Monarchy.

Princess Diana was a very young 19 when she married her Prince. While Charles was a sophisticated and worldly man of the world who had always kept Camilla as his mistress. This would have brought untold humiliation to the young Princess in that all her inner circle knew about the affair including members of the Royal family who not only encouraged it they openly supported Charles dalliance with Camilla.

It is reasonable to say that Princess Diana felt and was indeed betrayed by many members of the Royal family. And even her own family failed to give her the support she needed, as her brother refused to house Diana on his estate at Althorp, which she would have used as a sanctuary against the ever prying press. A fact that Earl Spencer conveniently forgot as he gave his eulogy at her funeral.

The marriage may have stood a chance if Princess Diana had made some concessions to Prince Charles love of the outdoors and the country scene rather than try and bully him into becoming a 'city slicker'. But Prince Charles also should have made his own sacrifices that of letting go of his long-term relationship with Camilla. But as it is neither side would compromise, this led to their downfall, as their marriage disintegrated into press fodder.

Neither Charles or Diana had the capacity to look beyond the confines of their own internal warfare and recognise the consequences of their behaviour to their boys and to the Nation. Both failed in their duty. A closer look at recent history may have helped them both. When during the darkest pages of English history, King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth with steeliness of heart and soul, strengthened the people of Britain to face their foe, Nazi Germany with fierce courage. The late King and Queen put duty above their own personal needs including their safety. Charles and Diana were unable to follow the lead of the Princes's Grandparents.

After her divorce from Prince Charles, Diana felt that she would be free, but was she? Princess Diana had learnt to manipulate the press without understanding that she was holding the tail of a tiger which would eventually turn and devour her.

Much has been said about Princess Diana and her love life and there has been speculation that Diana had finally met a man who loved her in Dodi Fayed, but did he?

It is a known fact that Dodi Fayed was already engaged when he met Diana at the contrivance of his father Mohammed al Fayed. Dodi very quickly dumped his fiance as he trailed after the Princess at his fathers insistance. During this time Princess Diana was hurting badly over yet another failed romance this time with the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.

There has been much speculation over the romance between Dodi and Diana is their some validity to the rumours of an engagement?

If Princess Diana truly loved Dodi then surely she would have wanted it to remain quiet and private. How many photo's exist of Diana with Hasnat Khan? None!

Princess Diana was not a stupid woman and she would have been well aware of the machinations of Mohammed al Fayed. A man who had been involved in political intrigues in the very seat of British Power The Tory Government. It was the scandal involving various Tory politicians in the 'cash for favours' which opened the door for Tony Blair's, Labour victory. If Henri Paul was a spy for MI6 it was to spy on his boss and not the Princess. Was Dodi the love of Diana's life? By all accounts, no. The man that captured her heart was always her ex-husband The Prince of Wales.

The mercurial, sensitive, loving, volatile, compassionate, contrary and yet luminous woman that was Diana who longed to be loved. Sadly she was not to find this love that she so desperately sought, as her life ended so tragically in the city of love, Paris.

Diana a woman who lived to love and be loved was to die literally of a broken heart.

The Day I Met Princess Diana

This photo was taken on the same day that I met the Princess, though she is wearing a different outfit.

I knew that Princess Diana would be going to the Adelaide Festival Theatre during the tour of the Princes and Princess of Wales in 1988.

Even though I had met Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip, it was unintentional though still exciting. With Princess Diana I was determined to see this Princess for myself, I wanted to see if all the words written about her were true.

I arrived early at the Festival Theatre, we were lucky in that it was a very sunny and pleasant day, so waiting wasn't too taxing. As I waited I began chatting to a young woman near to me, she had an accent so I asked if she were American? She very quickly snapped back that no! She was Canadian, I never made THAT mistake again(lol).

After waiting for over an hour suddenly we all heard the drone of several cars and strained our heads forward to see if it were indeed Princess Diana. We were not disappointed, in front of Diana's car were police cars then the Princesses car drove up and pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to the Theatre.

The Princess got out of the car turned to the crowds and waved at all the people who had waited to see her, on this sunny day in Adelaide.The Princess was wearing a pink dress with a pink flowered blouse and pearls. She then went into the Festival Theatre itself, to meet the officials.

It was while she was in the Theatre that I realised I was in the wrong spot, I very quickly ran accross the footpath so I could be in front of the Theatre. I turned as I ran and motioned for the Canadian lady to follow my lead, she did so. We found ourselves in the right spot, just in front of the theatre, I was standing beside a large tree as we waited patiently for the Princess to come out.

We didnt have to wait long. The Princess came out and began shaking hands with a few Senators and other officials. Princess Diana then turned left of where I was standing and went towards the crowds, a loud chorus of approval was heard with many yelling 'Diana over here, over here', the Princess turned and smiled as she continued to greet the people waiting for her.

Princess Diana was moving closer and closer to where I was waiting, as you can imagine I was thrilled and was busily snapping away with my camera. Suddenly I heard an elderly lady yell at the Princess, 'Diana are you looking after Charles?' The Princess stopped, she looked a little hurt and turned gently to the elderly lady and replied, 'yes, I always do'. The Princess continued to walk closer to where I was standing and once again stopped as a dog stood on it's hind legs and offered her a rose which it was holding in it's mouth. Princess Diana smiled and said to the owner of the dog, 'is this rose for me?'

Suddenly there she was, this beautiful Princess standing right in front of me. I was immediately struck by her blue eyes, they were incredible. A colour distinctive only to the Princess herself a cobalt blue with a touch of Iris. I was also surprised at how small her face was, a heart shape which made her eyes seem even larger. I also noticed her skin which was incredibly perfect not a blemish to be seen.

As I held out my hand to her the Princess graciously took it and as she was shaking my hand I said to her, "dont take any note of that old bat. Is Charles looking after you?" This seemed to tickle the Princess and she began giggling as she replied, 'yes he does.'

Princess Diana then moved on and began shaking the hand of the Canadian lady. It was then, a thought struck me, and I decided to go for it. I put my hand out on the other side of the tree. Princess Diana reached forward to shake my hand and just as she reached me I quickly turned my head around the tree. Princess Diana immediately recognised me and realised that she had already shaken my hand, she paused a bit then once again she giggled and shook my hand again. The expression on her face was one of, 'I Know what you're up to but I'll shake your hand anyway, cheeky!'

As the Princess moved towards her car, I also thanked her Lady in Waiting Anne Beckwith Smith, who seemed surprised that anyone would take note of her presense. Miss Beckwith Smith smiled and said a gracious 'thankyou'.

The Princess turned for a final wave, and I can remember thinking how incredibly thin she was for a woman who was so tall. Princess Diana looked to be an Australian size 8, which is too thin for her height.

I will never forget meeting this beautiful Princess and the impression she left which was one of vulnerability, humour, generosity and a love for people which was palpable... One sunny day in Adelaide.

This is Princess Diana at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide

Remembering Princess Diana

A tribute in pictures and songs. RIP Princess Diana.