Saturday, November 6, 2010

Oh, Charlene, You Were Doing So Well

Charlene Wittstock, set to become Princess of Monaco next summer, has made some eyebrows go up and made me slap my head in an interview given to the UK’s Tatler. Oh, where to begin? In the first place, I have to wonder what Charlene was thinking giving such an interview to Tatler of all people, but that is a minor issue compared to what she talked about. One would be tempted to ask Charlene if she would like some cheese with her whine. She complained about being “subject to jealousy” since coming to Monaco, which she admitted “comes with the territory” but seems like an odd thing to say. If you knew it came with the territory, why even mention it? Charlene, you are a young Olympian who looks great in a swimsuit who lives in a palace and is about to marry the Prince of Monaco -the last thing anyone wants is to hear you complain. However, she went on.

“The people I mixed with in Monaco didn’t relate to my South African mentality or humor.” Well, again, that is to be expected Charlene, Monaco is a completely different country from South Africa on a completely different continent. You are moving on to their turf and it is your duty to adapt to the Monegasque, not for the Monegasque to adapt to you. She also said, “Although I have met some wonderful people since I’ve been living in Monaco, I regard them all as acquaintances. I only have two people I consider friends here.” And would one of those two select people be the Prince himself? This really blew my mind and I cannot help but wonder how many of those “acquaintances” thought they were friends of Charlene before she said such a thing. She comes off in this as having an attitude that a great many people are not ‘good enough’ for her friendship. Of course, many princesses of Monaco have come to the country and struggled to gain acceptance but talking like this a year before the wedding is certainly not going to help that situation. I also cannot help but point out, after the years she has spent with Albert and the considerable time she has been a common feature in Monaco, well, Charlene, dear, if you have only two friends at this point that might say more about you than it does about them.

Some may think I am being too harsh here, but I cannot help being astounded by this. I have never had anything against Charlene, I have always given her the benefit of the doubt and sincerely hoped that she be given a fair chance and not be constantly judged by the impossible standards set by Princess Grace. However, I cannot imagine any Princess of Monaco saying these sort of things, especially at such a time as this. As I recently pointed out here things were far from easy for Princess Grace when she first arrived in Monaco but she never publicly complained about it or even mentioned it. Charlene also said that, as Princess of Monaco, she wants to modernize the principality and even named names saying she wants to see a Starbucks and a Manolo Blahnik shoe store installed in the country. Again, Charlene dear, I am trying to be as generous as I can but saying you want to “modernize” the country by means of a coffee shop and a shoe store just makes you look shallow.

There was more talk about adjustment problems adapting to high society life but, as you can tell, I was very disappointed by the interview and as someone who wants the best for Charlene who will be the next Princess of Monaco, I don’t think she did herself any favors here. From what I have seen, regardless of her intentions, she seems to come off as critical and a bit condescending; not exactly the ideal for a woman about to marry into the Princely Family of Monaco especially when she has already been a familiar face for several years. I’m sure it will also annoy some people that her first ‘revealing’ interview was given to a British magazine instead of a French-language publication. This really seems to me to make Charlene look bad and I cannot imagine what she could have been thinking going on record in this way.

10 comments:

  1. I also read about this interview and was also very surprised. I have always had my doubts whether she was the right mstch for Albert, but I never dreamed she could be this shallow. I embarressed for him. He has waited so long to marry, has tried so hard to have the people of Monaco accept her and now this. I wonder where he was during the interview. I bet Charlene doesn't get to do another interview alone for awhile.

    Mom

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  2. She should have been more diplomatic.
    From this interview, 2 aspects emerge:
    - her background is really far from the European one;
    - her inner vicissitudes: she has not yet completely adapted and she has still a lot to do for this.
    How will the Prince react reading this interview?

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  3. Oh dear, this is not encouraging. Complaining is in bad taste for people in these positions. And when one thinks, how many princesses/queens in the past, throughout the world, have had much worse problems, but did not whine about them...

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  4. I keep wondering how many people who know Charlene well and associate with her and thought of her as a friend are now feeling very let down if not insulted to be called "acquaintances". Certainly most would not want to hear any moaning from any common girl marrying royalty but even that aside there have been plenty of royal brides who have had to deal with far worse circumstances.

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  5. It is about PR. Better bad PR than no PR!

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  6. Future Princess Charlene was just honest to the interviewer.I think next time talking to the press she must lie and be dishonest about her answers.In fact, i think she must refuse any further interviews.Princess Charlene will be a beloved royal and there are many people believing that she will do better in her role than her late mother-in-law, princess Grace.Please, give this future monarch off Monaco a chance to succeed.

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  7. There's no need to get hysterical about it. Everyone wishes Charlene the best and no one expects her to be dishonest. However, sometimes it is better to say nothing at all if you cannot say anything nice. Being entirely honest is not always the best or most polite policy.

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  8. I am particulary annoyed by the comment of C who said the following 'HER BACKGROUND FAR FROM THE EUROPEAN ONE'.Well, if there's a person that is in the best position to judge it will be the prince himself.European South Africans are one of the greatest nations on earth.They all came from Europe.Germans, British,French and Dutch.It is the mixing off the different genes of the different european nations that made them such a great nation.(the same for the Americans)Although only 4million people,their contribution to mankind is astonishing.The Europeans in South Africa have a higher standard of living than any other European nation in Europe.(the most own their own homes )Some great Europeans in South Africa in recent years were Jan Smuts,Paul Kruger, Gary Player,Chris Barnard just to mention a few and many, many Nobel price winners.So, the future Monarch could not come from a better cultural group.

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  9. As stated, I don't think Charlene did herself any favors with this interview but I think she's doing the best she can and you will certainly hear no criticism on this blog directed at her because of her background. I'm a big fan of Jan Smuts, Paul Kruger and many others myself. As readers of this blog will know there have been a number of Princesses of Monaco in the past who have come from cultures far removed from the south of France; German-Irish American, Jewish American, British and Belgian to name a few.

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  10. Who cares? She does look every inch a princess.

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