Issue #16: November 2005
Modern Monarchy: Where Does Britain Stand?
European Monarchies Point The Way.
It seems that the new Crown Princesses of Europe are all the rage. Princesses Letizia, Maxima, Mette-Marit, and Mary are admired by millions. Their fame is spreading all across the Continent, and even overseas. They are charming, elegant, intelligent, and… commoners.
People love a good romance, and when a beautiful girl marries a prince, it is the news of the century. And not only has it happened once, it has happened four times within a couple of years. Now they all have gorgeous babies to further their dynasties, accomplishing the (now) second most important aspect of a royal marriage: heirs. The top priority? Love!
It seems that Europe’s future kings are marrying for love alone and are more than willing to find the right girl outside royal circles. Today’s Crown Princesses of Europe have come from fairly basic backgrounds, but their warm personalities, maturity, and ability to relate to regular people are what seals the deal on their suitability; no title required.
With these things in mind, what do we envision when we think of the future of the British monarchy? In this day and age, it seems that leadership abilities and organizational skills acquired from higher education, along with critical people-skills from a career, is paramount.
The public was pleased when Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones, a public relations strategist. Lately, it’s Kate Middleton who has many people wondering if she will be a royal wife. Will’s university educated and press savvy girlfriend has been seen as a strong contender for the title of Princess, owing much to her fantastic relationship with The Queen.
So it seems that bucking royal tradition happens even in the steadfast United Kingdom. Girls outside the aristocracy are deemed just as suitable as a royal or blueblood. It’s not what title they have, it’s how well they can support the Monarchy and keep the positive ideals of the British royal tradition alive.
Below, we look at the wives of the Princes of Spain, Norway, Holland, and Denmark respectively and analyze their strengths and circumstances. Which of the following types would we choose for William?:
Crown Princess Letizia, Princess of Asturias and wife of Prince Felipe of Spain, obtained a master’s degree in audiovisual journalism. She then became an award-winning journalist and television presenter. Letizia had even been married once already, but she and her husband divorced in 2000. The Roman Catholic Church allowed her to marry Crown Prince Felipe because her previous marriage had been a civil ceremony.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, whose relationship with Prince Haakon had met with some controversy due to her out-of-wedlock child and wild past, nobly claimed responsibility for her actions. After her marriage to the Prince, she attended the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She was also accepted as an intern at NORAD, the Norwegian government’s development organization. At the time of this writing, the Crown Princess is attending lectures at the faculties of arts and social sciences at the University of Oslo.
Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands was a similarly controversial choice for an heir to the throne, though it was no fault of hers. Maxima’s father Jorge had been accused of cooperating with a military junta in Argentina during a bloody dictatorship. Thousands of people had been murdered, and the question of this man being at all attached to the Dutch Royal House brought about many debates. But Dutch parliament allowed the union of Maxima and Willem to take place, and even Queen Beatrix came out in support of her son’s fiance. Maxima’s father, however, could not attend her wedding.
A former investment banker, Maxima graduated in economics from the Universidad Católica Argentina in 1995 before working for companies Argentina, New York and Europe. She speaks Spanish, English, and now Dutch - no easy feat!
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended Hobart Matriculation College for two years. She completed her studies at the University of Tasmania, obtaining Bachelors of Commerce and Laws (BCom.LLB) degrees. She later qualified for professional certificates in advertising and marketing. Prior to her marriage, she worked for DDB Needham in Melbourne, Young and Rubicam in Sydney, and Microsoft Business Solutions in Copenhagen. She also taught Business English at a language school in Paris!
Today’s world demands that the leaders of countries serve the people to the best of their ability, and that they should know how to reign effectively. Everything they do is criticized, scrutinized, and laid bare for public consumption. Not only will a well-educated, worldly consort will do the monarchy a world of good, but so will a well-educated heir and king. Prince William should take time to learn about political science, languages, and business. Art history is a very classical, timeless piece of knowledge to have, but in a highly developed and fast-moving world, the Prince - and the monarchy - needs to be on top of things. Now is the time!
Written by: Mandy
© 2005 MandysRoyalty.org
