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photo by OiMax

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. - Audrey Hepburn

True beauty, the sort of beauty that lasts through the years and does not fade, that is found primarily in the heart but leaves its traces on the eyes, the smile, the manners of a Princess, comes only and purely through loving others and accepting the love you are given.

It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness. - Marie Antoinette

True friends make time for you even when they are weighed down by their own issues and troubles. The compassion shown to you by others is a real treasure, and it is our duty to return it in kind. Go out of your way to make the people in your life feel special and loved, even if you’re having a bad day.

I think the biggest disease the world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved. I know that I can give love for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a month, but I can give. I am very happy to do that, I want to do that. - Princess Diana

We have many needs in life, food, water, shelter, safety and we also need love. There is a sort of poverty in not feeling loved and accepted. Remember that you can never give too much love, your heart will not be used up. The more love you give away freely, may it be so simple as a warm smile, the more love you have to give.

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. - Joan of Arc

Life is so so short and precious. To live a single day pretending to be someone you’re not, without believing in ourselves and eachother is such a waste. Be proud of who you are, stand up for what you believe in even if other people criticise you for it. Better to be true to yourself than to live under the pressure of other people’s opinions and expectations.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. - Anne Frank

We often lament that there is so much wrong with the world, that nothing we could do would make a difference and seem but the tiniest drop in the ocean. That is what the ocean is made up of after all, tiny drops. You can make a difference, just the smallest act of kindness creates countless little ripples that have greater effect than the grandest good intention.

photo by nlamore

Miao Shan was a legendary Chinese Princess who’s is considered an incarnation of the bodhisattva of compassion, Guan Yin. Her tale reminds me of many western fairy tales, she is subjected to harsh conditions and yet holds her head high with dignity and continues to show kindess, generousity, compassion and selflessness despite her unfair treatment.

As the story goes, Miao Shan was born the third daughter of a king. Despite this she lived very simply, wearing plain clothes and eating only one meal a day (not something I’d reccomend!) she had a pure heart and was greatly loved by her people, however the King took displeasure in her ways and decided it was time she got married. Miao Shan agreed to get married on the condition that her marriage would prevent three misfortunes. When asked what these were she said that the first was the suffering people endure as they grow old, the second was the suffering endured when they fell ill and the third is the suffering caused by death.

This made her Father angry and he forced her to work hard in the gardens and reduced her food and water. Miao shan took this calmly however and her Mother and Sisters appealed to the King to allow her to become a nun, the path she wished for. The King agreed but told the other nuns at the monastry to treat her harshly and make her work very hard so she would regret this decision. They did so, and Miao shan worked long in to the night but it is said that the animals took pity on her and came to help her with her chores and that while she was there the vegetables flourished even in winter.

Finally, her cruel Father ordered her execution for she would not obey him. Here there are many variants of the story. Some say she was killed and carried by a tiger to one of the hell like realms, but when she entered that land flowers grew and it became a heaven due to her presence and many souls were saved. Other versions say that the blade of the executioner shattered in to a thousand pieces and the Princess escaped instead to Fragrant Mountain where she lived in peace.

I think there is a beautiful message to this story. Although the behaviour of the king may seem hard to explain, we have to understand that culturally for Miao shan, disobeying her father was a huge deal, and yet she went on to do what she felt was right and follow the path she believed was her destiny. She might seem like a passive Princess, but she worked hard even when the conditions were not fair and it takes a lot of strength and courage to not give in to others and stay true to what you believe in. I think Miao shan is a beautiful example of a Princess.

Many thanks to Lauren for reccomending this legend for a Princess Profile! I’ve really enjoyed learning about Miao shan and I can see why she is one of your role models.

resource 1, resource 2

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII and a major figure in British history. As there has been a lot of interest in her story, and a recent film made regarding her sister (which I have yet to see!) I thought it might be worthwhile to have a little look at this strong willed Queen.

Anne was born around 1501 (the year is debated) to Sir Thomas and Lady Elizabeth Boleyn. She had an interesting upbringing in the courts of Europe, being first a maid of honour to the Archduchess Margaret of Austria whom was fond of her from a young age, and later to Queen Mary and Queen Claude of France. She was fluent in French and learnt a great deal of their culture and etiquette as well as recieving a good sense of fashion and style which would allow her to start trends of her own back home in England.

Anne was not considered a great beauty by the classical standards of the time, her hair was dark and her skin olive, but nonetheless she was greatly admired for her wit and vivacity, grace, style and manners. She was small and delicate, but seemed to know how to make greatest advantage of all her accomplishments. Anne was also complimented for her dancing and voice.

However despite these widely appreciated virtues, she was also very strong willed, brave, intelligent and had a keen understanding of politics. She could be calculating and agressive as easily as sweet ad courteous. I think from all these mixed descriptions of her personality that she must have been a truly fascinating woman.

King Henry VIII was certainly fascinated by her, and persued her even though he had already taken her sister as his mistress. Anne refused to give in to adultery and is quoted to have said “I beseech your highness most earnestly to desist, and to this my answer in good part. I would rather lose my life than my honesty.”

Their wedding only took place after the King anulled his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, a move which was revolutionary at the time and is considered one of the causes of the loss of power of the Roman Church in England. She was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 during which time she gave birth to Elizabeth I, but failed to produce a male heir. It was not a happy marriage however and Anne was displeased with the King’s infidelity. Eventually, after failed pregnancies and rumours of witchcraft she was accused by the king of adultery and treason and sentanced to death. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed on the 19th of May, 1536.

It is a sad tale, during a turbulent time, but I still find Anne Boleyn an intriguing character and she certainly has her place in history.

One of my very favourite fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast. The story has always appealed to me because it breaks out of the traditional roles in that Princess, for once, rescues the Prince. It is believed that one of roots of this tale come from the myth of Cupid and Pysche, and reading both there are definitely similar themes.

The first version of the modern ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was written by Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve for her circle of friends in the French Salons of the mid 1700s. An adaption by Madame Le Prince de Beaumont was published 16 years later and is closer to how we know the tale today, though both are beautiful reads. You can find the Andrew Lang version, a combination of the above two here.

I think what I love about this story, is the mood of the tale and the setting itself. The splendid Palace with it’s invisible servants (which in some ways sounds like Versailles!) the curse under which the Prince is placed, and Beauty’s courage and self sacrifice. I think her struggle reflects a dilemma we often face, that sometimes the illusions of surface beauty are far more attractive than the beast, and seeing what’s underneath, the real inner beauty of a person takes great strength and compassion. I think Beauty is a great role model in this aspect.

Dear Beauty, try not to regret all you have left behind you, for you are destined to a better fate. Only do not let yourself be deceived by appearances.

The princess profile I’m doing today is a little bit different. I have long had an interest in Japanese culture, and there is a legend I find particularly interesting, that of Queen Himiko. I have heard mention of her in everything from Japanese cook books to the Lolita inspired movie Shimotsuma Monogatari. Despite this, very little seems to be known about this ancient Japanese sovreign who ruled the Yamatai province until 248 AD.

What information I have is mostly from the few Chinese sources that mentioned her, so please read this with an understanding that there is not a great deal of information on this period of Japanese history, and part of the beauty and mystery of Himiko is in that her story has become blended with legend.

There were a people known as the Wa, they lived in the beautiful mountainous regions of Japan and divided in to over thirty communities. For a long time the Wa had only had male rulers, and there had been war and strife throughout the people. Tired of this unrest, they selected a woman to be their leader and Queen, her name was Himiko (sometimes written ‘pimiko’) and she succeeded in unifying the different communities, resisting the barbarian invasions in Yame and bringing peace and wealth to the Wa.

Many tales are told of this powerful Queen, that she was guarded by a thousand female servants, yet had one man to cook for her and take care of her wardrobe. That she trusted only her brother to aid her in politics. There is much mystery about her role as a leader, some records list her as a sorceress who enchanted her people, or a priestess or even oracle, but all agree that she had a powerful influence on the Wa who were very devoted to serving her. She lived in a fortress palace with armed guards who kept constant watch and she was rarely seen outside. The Chinese Emperor sent her one hundred bronze mirrors, some of which have since been discover by archaeologists.

On her death they built a burial mound more than a hundred paces across, and it is said that over one hundred attendants followed her to be buried in the grave. After she died, a male ruler was placed on the throne once again which caused much unrest until he was replaced by Himiko’s relative, a young woman named Iyo.

Himiko has been associated with and identified with many other figures in Japanese history, including Empress Consort Jingû, Yamatohime-no-mikoto - the daughter Emperor Suinin and even the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. It is interesting that Himiko’s name may have links to the words for ’sun’ (hi), ‘priestess’ (miko) and ‘princess’ (hime.)

I find her a fascinating character and she reminds me a little of Queen Elizabeth the first, for she also never married although she lived to 80 years of age and had a long reign. It is great to find strong and beautiful women in all eras of history and parts of the world, and Himiko is no exception.

resource 1, resource 2

Eleanor of Aquitane is often given the epitah of the most powerful woman in Medieval Europe, and with good reason. She was charming, beautiful and fiercely intelligent. She married a king of both France and England and had two sons who became Kings aswell!

Eleanor was the oldest of three children born to the Duke and Duchess of Aquitaine. The court of the French province was one of the most cultured and beautiful in the world and the young girl had an extensive education in the arts, languages and classics as well as more active pursuits such as riding and hunting. She was said to be very beautiful, though the colour of her complexion is unknown, and possessed of a strong will and free spirit.

At the age of 15, when her father passed away she became Duchess of Aquitaine and inherited all of his estates. She was left to the care of the king, Louis VI who quickly married her to his son the Prince, so that her lands may be brought under control of the crown. While married to Louis she took part in the Crusades, riding at the head of the vassals of her Duchy, she was much acclaimed for her bravery and compared to an Amazon Queen. However the crusades were not successful for her and her husband who had begun to drift apart in their marriage as well. They divorced shortly afterwards.

Eleanor’s second marriage to Henry II was not an easy one either, but possibly they were closer and certainly respected eachother. They had eight children, one of whom became the famous king Richard the Lionheart. Eventually, disgusted by Henry’s behaviour, Eleanor returned with some of her sons to Aquitaine, from where she encouraged them to stage a revolt against the King. She was captured by Henry and imprisoned in Winchester castle for 15 years. On his death her son Richard became King and she, his Regent. She survived Richard to see her son John become king and arranged his marriage herself.

Eleanor was a powerful Queen who led an incredible life, she had more influence than any other woman of her era and very much typified the ideal of ‘the power behind the throne.’ Her story is so fascinating I could barely brush the surface of it here, so I do suggest reading these resources to learn more about the Lioness Queen.

reference 1, reference 2

Today I created a new header image for Princess Portal, a crowned swan with a golden chain about her neck. I think Swans are the most beautiful birds in the animal kingdom, and they are the symbol of our state as well. The white Swan has always been special to me and so I thought I might also do a Princess Profile on Odette, the Swan princess.

Odette is the heroine of the Ballet ‘Swan Lake’ the musical score for which was written by Pyotr Tchaikozsky and it is one of the most well known ballets to this day, as well as being my personal favourite. Swan Lake is the story of young Prince Siegfried who must chose a wife from the many ladies presented to him, however he wishes to marry for love and one day follows a beautiful swan who turns in to a maiden at the touch of moonlight. He begins to proclaim his love to her, which would break the transformation spell but is interrupted by Count Rothbart, the sorcerer who enchanted her. Later, at a magnificent ball held in the palace Rothbart presents his own daughter, Odile, charmed so that she looks like Odette but is wearing black rather than white. The Prince mistakes her for the princess and proclaims his love to the Sorcerer’s daughter, thus trapping Odette in her Swan form forever. There are several endings to the story, some end happily with the Count defeated by their love and in others it is the Prince and Odette who tragically end their lives after realising the deceit.

I have been doing some research in to the origins of Swan Lake, and although it is often stated as being based off a Germanic Fairy Tale, no such tale seems to exist. Rather it is more likely that Tchaikovsky drew inspiration from a number of legends that feature Swan transformations, including the Seven Wild Swans and a tale about a man who steals a Swan Maiden’s feather cloak to make her his wife. Regardless of its origins, Swan Lake is an enchanting and moving story of both love and tragedy.

The image of a Swan Maiden or princess is quite mysterious itself. Swans are beautiful and powerful birds and they take mates for life, making them a symbol of love. White is also associated with purity, Odile the black swan being Odette’s polar opposite, although I have always had a sympathy for the Count’s daughter, especially after reading Mercedes Lackey’s “The Black Swan.”

If you ever get the chance to see the ballet performed, it is really breathtaking. I’ve also seen the Imperial Ice stars production which was an amazing feat, a complete ballet on a stage covered in ice!

Reference

Many of us are familiar with the tale most often called ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ a traditional fairy tale, adapted so often it has evolved in to quite a simple, sweet story which seems to have very little meaning that we can interpret from a modern perspective. In fact I think poor Briar Rose (as she is named in the Grimm version of the tale) is probably one of the most harshly criticised Fairytale Princesses, for she seems to have no power of her own. The little Princess is born in to a loving family, blessed with all the gifts she could ever wish for by the kindly godmothers; beauty, grace, wit and the ability to dance and sing and play music. When darkness comes in to her life it is through a curse and she herself walks innocently in to the trap, only to be rescued later by her Prince, love at first sight in its purist form. She is not exactly a feminist role model.

To me however, the story of the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood is about hope. It shows that even when the world seems to be against us, and there is no way to escape our destiny there is still a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. The seventh Fairy can not undo the evil, but she can find a way around it. Sleeping Beauty has to wait, not just for her Prince, but for an escape from the trap that is sleep. How many of us feel like we go through life sleeping sometimes? Only for something purely magical, like love, to awaken us from this apathy.

I’m glad that Princesses these days have the power to go after their dreams instead of sitting around passively, but I also believe patience is a lesson we must learn. There are times when you have to wait out the storm, and have just a little faith in the world that things will come right in the end.

There are many versions of the Sleeping Beauty tale, some like the version by Charles Perrault continue after the marriage of the Prince and Princess, and the story gets much darker from there. Others, such as the Grimm Brother’s Briar Rose have a sweeter ending. There have been some excellent modern retellings of the story, including Robin McKinley’s ‘Spindles End’ and Orson Scott Card’s ‘Enchantment.’ If you would like to read more about the history of the tale you may do so here.

Princesse Élisabeth Philippine Marie Hélène of France, commonly known as Madame Élisabeth, was the youngest sister of King Louis XVI and sister-in-law to Marie Antoinette. I find it rather sad that she is often omitted from books and movies on the French Revolution for she was such a beautiful princess, and a great comfort to the King and Queen. I took a special interest in her after reading the historical novel ‘Abundance’ by Sena Jeter Naslund in which, a child herself, she brings a rose to young Marie Antoinette.

Born May 3, 1764, Madame Élisabeth was said to be a willful and haughty child who was tamed only when Madame de Mackau became her governess. She grew, however, in to a sweet natured and gentle young woman who was very pious and even wished to become a Nun, but was refused permission by her brother who felt she was needed at court. The very model of charity, she never married and when she was given a farm called Montreuil for her 25th birthday she created a dairy there to provide milk for poor children.

One could not live at Versailles however, without finding some enjoyment in the amusements there and it is said the Princess loved to dance and was always the last to leave a ball. She had a fondness for music, embroidery and fashion and was equally at home organizing her ladies in charitable causes as picking out a new pair of shoes. In her later years she spent much time with the Queen at the Trianon.

Perhaps the greatest attestment to Élisabeth’s character was her sense of duty towards the monarchy. When other nobles were fleeing the country, despite the danger to herself, she remained with them to the very end, when she comforted Madame Royale after her parent’s death. The last letter penned by Marie Antoinette was to Madame Élisabeth who had since become as a sister to her in their shared tragedy. She died at the guillotine on May 10, 1794. During her execution there were no cheers, the silent crowd even reported that there was a scent of roses in the air.

reference 1, reference 2, Montreuil

Princess Ka’iulani of Hawaii’s story is both inspiring and tragic. She was born in 1875, the daughter of mixed parentage, having a Scottish father and Hawaiian mother. She was beautiful, intelligent and talented and had a great sympathy for her people.

Ka’iulani lived a peaceful childhood among the royalty of Hawai’i and was even a friend of the Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson. At the age of 13 she was sent to England to receive her education for the next four years. The Princess mastered many languages and subjects and expressed a desire to be a painter, at which she showed quite some talent. It was while she was in England that she received the news that her Kingdom, to which she was Crown Princess, had been annexed by the United States and the monarchy deposed.

A strong willed, determined young lady she travelled to America to stand up for the rights of her people against the government. Despite her addresses to the press and congress her plight was ignored and she was never to assume her birthright as Queen of Hawai’i. Her efforts did have the effect, however, of impressing upon the people of the US that the Hawaiians were a civilised, cultured people and far from the barbarians they had been portrayed as. She returned to England where the deaths of several of her close friends greatly added to her tragedy and her health began to deteriorate.

Hoping that a change in climate would help her recover, the Princess returned to Hawai’i in 1897. Unfortunately after many years in Europe she had trouble re-acclimatising to the tropical Hawaiian temperatures and sadly passed away on March 6th, 1899. She was only 23.

I feel a certain small kinship to Princess Ka’iulani, being half Scottish myself. Her story is so tragic, and yet she is an ideal example of a Princess. Intelligent, elegant, noble and with a strong sense of duty to her people. She loved Chinese jasmine and kept many pet Peacocks of whom she was very fond. It is said her peacocks screamed when she died. Whenever I see a peacock I am reminded of her strength and beauty.

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