I am enjoying the continuing media interest on Princess Mary. Today I learned that she not only has a new pup, but that it is suitably child-friendly, is a good reminder for the Princess of farming life in Tasmania (errr… she came from the CAPITAL CITY, not a farm, but I guess that doesn’t give the story enough emotional pull), and also that it is… smart, needs exercising so it doesn’t sit around the palace getting fat, and “needs to be very firmly trained to understand its place in the pecking order of the family” (does it sound like the writer of this article is writing analogously about Mary to you?).
The funniest part of the article though is about the name of the pup:
In Denmark there has been some speculation about the name Ziggy. Most people seem relieved Mary indulged her naming creativity on the dog and not the forthcoming baby.
Of course, if we read this source, ‘According to name experts of the Instituttet for Navneforskning (Institute for Name Research) of Copenhagen University the crown princely couple’s first baby will be a Christian or Margrethe.’ (Though others argue that a girl should be named Ingrid).
And, speaking of names, in this news report from Tasmanian (a few weeks old now), a racehorse owner in Tasmania has named his newest horse Princess Mary, ‘in recognition of his admiration for both the Tasmanian-born princess and his yearling’. Not only that, but very importantly,
“She is intelligent, attractive, gracious and well-bred - qualities which the princess also possesses.”
I do like the Country Road look she’s got going in this picture though. Very nice, casual, and sensible.
Call me a cynic if you will, but I can only see Mary as an oportunistic gold digger. What do you think?
Comment by Chris — May 23, 2005 @ 2:48 am
Well, I wonder about it too. I mean, what sort of woman gives up every aspect of her life and loses her own identity by moulding into somebody else’s version of who she should be. She lost weight, learnt another language, had and continues to have etiquette lessons, was converted to a new religion, gave up any sense of mothering of her future children should she divorce and so on… To become somebody with money, power and mass idolisation, she had to completely surrender herself to the control of others. Maybe she is an enterprising business woman. Maybe she truly loved him. Maybe she is all altruistic and thinks she can make the world a better place from her new position. I want to like her but I just find the transformation of her identity so uncompromisingly brutal. There’s also another secret part of me that thinks her affected private school snobbery would be revelling in the spectacle she has become. But then I think how mean I am and wonder what I would sacrifice if I truly loved somebody and money was no object. So am I allowed such ambivalence? I think that’s why I am particularly interested in following her story - to work out what I think of her!
Comment by Anya — May 23, 2005 @ 3:27 am