|
Neubauer Artists LLC Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
“I don’t bake myself in the sun, and I don’t diet. I weigh 54 kilos and I’m 1.76 meters tall, so that’s fine. I don’t overeat.” With this statement, made in a 1975 interview with The New York Times, a very young Caroline of Monaco clearly expressed a philosophy of life that decades later still seems surprisingly modern. We find ourselves at a point in society where everything revolves around aesthetic excesses, obsessions with thinness, and the media pressure on celebrities, but the philosophy of Grace Kelly’s daughter has remained untouched by the passage of time.
That interview not only revealed an elegant princess, determined by her convictions, but also a cultured, disciplined woman with little interest in making beauty the center of her identity. “Thinking only about beauty is boring, and it’s a flaw I don’t have,” she asserted at the time. A truly surprising revelation for an 18-year-old.
Much more than a beautiful princess the mother of Charlotte Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, and Andrea Casiraghi, Prince Christian of Hanover and aunt of Prince Jorge of Hanover and Spain from a very young age, Caroline of Monaco was destined to live in the media spotlight, as she was the daughter of Prince Rainier III and actress Grace Kelly, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars who left the film industry at the height of her success to become the Princess of Monaco.
Moreover, the actress was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world at the time, so the comparison was inevitable. The press analyzed Caroline’s every gesture and interaction, searching for traits inherited from her mother. However, the princess made it clear from the beginning that she did not want to compete with the legend of Grace Kelly.
“There’s no rivalry between us. We get along very well. I don’t want to compete in my mother’s field. We’re very different. She’s shy, but I’m not,” she explained at the time. “If there’s anything I’m not familiar with and have the least affinity for, it’s film. Perhaps because it was there? I’m not much of a film buff, and my film knowledge ends in 1980: I mostly know old movies,” she added.
The understated elegance that’s back in style Regarding her style, it’s another pillar that has always defined part of her sophisticated and discreet personality. Before concepts like understated luxury dominated current trends, Carolina was already applying this aesthetic to her wardrobe, based on discretion and the absence of excess.
While other public figures opted for more flamboyant looks or fleeting trends, especially in a decade like the 80s, she made refined simplicity her personal brand. Her best allies were pristine white shirts, straight-leg trousers, ballet flats, understated jewelry, and natural hairstyles—a style she still maintains today.
The rejection of extreme diets long before the body positivity movement
Another striking idea from that interview is her rejection of restrictive diets. “I don’t diet. I don’t overeat,” she explained matter-of-factly. It might seem like a simple statement with nothing remarkable about it, but the truth is, it’s something that increasingly surprises people.
Although wellness has become fashionable, it’s true that at that time, thinness was sought at all costs. In today’s context, where more and more nutritionists are warning about the dangers of fad diets and the toxic relationship with food, that perspective seems essential. Because it’s not about becoming obsessed, but simply about eating in moderation and maintaining sustainable habits.
Furthermore, the princess never made her physique the central focus of her public image. Although she was always considered one of the most elegant and beautiful women in Europe, she avoided projecting an image based solely on appearance. A strategy that demonstrates her great intelligence.
Education and culture as a true priority
One of the most interesting aspects of The New York Times’ portrait of Caroline of Monaco is that it showed a young woman deeply interested in her studies and intellectual development. “I don’t go to many parties. It seems that way because I get a lot of pictures taken when I do go to one. I spend a lot of time at school and doing my homework,” she stated.
“My school is very difficult. I’m in my first year of Economics and Finance, International Relations, and Constitutional Law. They say that 20 percent will drop out before the end of the term and that only the remaining 50 percent will pass,” the princess continued.
Perhaps therein lies the true secret of Caroline of Monaco’s magnetism. In an era dominated by constant exhibitionism and overexposure, she has always maintained a quiet elegance, without ostentation or a need to continually draw attention to herself. And perhaps that is the lesson that remains most inspiring decades later.
About The Author
