Two Sides of Caroline

On Wednesday Princess Caroline was at her charitable best, attending the gala dinner of GEMLUC, the Groupement des Entreprises Monegasques dans la Lutte contre le Cancer; an organization founded in 1973 to fight cancer. In such an event we see Caroline's famous combination of high artistic taste, her always high class style combined with her care and concern for the suffering of the world. Princess Caroline has always excelled at finding ways to combine her interests and causes she cares about and as any who have watched her throughout her life can confirm, when it comes to these charitable causes, her concern is real and devotion genuine; something she has passed on to her children it has been so much a part of her and her life. Princess Caroline has not always been happy about the intrusive glare that comes with being a Grimaldi but she has tried to make the best of it in order to benefit the less fortunate.

Keeping that in mind, this last week we also saw the side of Princess Caroline that has always detested the extremes of the intrusive media on her life. Caro has gone to court again to assert her right to privacy; a contest she has both won and lost in the past. On the 13th her lawyer went before the European Court of Human Rights to protest a previous ruling against her in Germany based on the old tired line that Princess Caroline is a person of "legitimate public interest" and thus, basically not entitled to privacy. Look back at almost every interview Princess Caroline has done over the years and you will see how much she has really been bothered by the intrusive media glare she has been subjected to, literally from the day she was born. As stated, some of this she accepts and makes the best of but when it comes to intimate family moments she has not hesitated to take her case to court and fight for her rights. Frankly, I say good for her and I am glad that she fights back rather than simply taking it on the chin like so many others often do.

Many people roll their eyes whenever a "celebrity" complains about a lack of privacy or the media glare. However, with royals, this is a different issue. Unlike actors or pop stars, royals did not seek out attention or a career that would draw focus on themselves. They were born in the spotlight, like it or not. Now, to some extent this is understandable and/or unavoidable but there are certain areas that are, or should be, very clearly off-limits. Just consider all of the traumatic events Caroline has been through in her life. There were tensions as a teen, growing up, the family problems that came with her first marriage, that disaster in and of itself and then a very public divorce. There was the death of her beloved mother, near death of her baby sister and the sudden death of her dear husband, leaving her a widow with three children. Imagine all the heartache on each such occasion and then try to imagine having cameras and microphones stuck in your face at every moment and being pursued with every move you make. Thankfully, Caroline is a strong woman who is not just going to 'take it'.

So, in just the last week we see the kind, compassionate and the strong and determined side of Princess Caroline. She does and always has struck me as a very remarkable woman and, one thing I like best, she has reportedly always taken an interest in the history of the House of Grimaldi. Perhaps that appreciation of her family history has helped make her, in some ways, the woman that she is today. From what I have seen Princess Caroline certainly fits right in amongst the succession of strong, dedicated and resourceful women who have long played key roles in the history of Monaco and her Princely Family. God bless her.