In an era when celebrity culture was just taking off, the subjects of these hard-hitting exposés were more often than not European royalty. It turns out they didn’t spend all day sitting on thrones and writing snarky letters. You may have more in common than you think!
They try to start wacky fashion trends.
The Princess of Wales, when she was at the opera last, was noticed to persistently hold her fan up to the side of her face. The fact is, her deafness is increasing, and that fan contains a small ear trumpet that enables her to enjoy the music better.
The device is a rather good one, and no doubt we shall soon have the patent ear-trumpet fan on sale in all the shops, and it will be fashionable to pretend deafness.
Alas, the ear trumpet fan caught on about as well as the knee watch. However, as all the millennials currently walking around in flared jeans know, every fashion comes back into style eventually. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ear trumpet fan becomes spring’s must-have accessory.
1889 photograph of Alexandra of Denmark, Princess of Wales from Wikimedia Commons.
They make unexpected career moves.
One day while he was Crown Prince [future Emperor Frederick III of Germany] was paying his accustomed visit to the school of Bornstedt, and talking to the children, when a telegram was handed to the schoolmaster, informing him of the sudden and severe illness of his mother.
“Go at once,” said the Prince, “and leave the school to me!”
The poor schoolmaster at first hesitated, but was at length persuaded to hurry off, and the Prince continued the instruction of the astonished but delighted scholars until late in the morning, when the clergyman arrived and relieved the Prince from his duties as schoolmaster.
Celebrity substitutes are apparently as old as school itself. My own standby substitute teacher was none other than “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” Sure, he taught through an old TV and VCR, but my classmates and I were just as delighted as if he’d been a crown prince.
1878 photograph of then-Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia from Wikimedia Commons.
They have unusual mannerisms.
About once in every minute and a-half the lid of the [Prince of Wales’] right eye drops completely over the ball. The eye remains closed for the space of about a second, and then suddenly opens again to its fullest extent, no other feature of the face having moved meanwhile. People who see the Prince for the first time are tempted to believe that he is deliberately winking at them. . .
It, however, sometimes has the effect of causing the persons who are either talking to him or listening to his conversation to start off blinking in response, especially when they happen to be people of nervous temperament; and the spectacle of the two gravely winking at one another every minute or two is not without its humorous features.
Princess Stephanie of Austria (Countess Lonyay), who has been golfing at Sheringham, is most enthusiastic about the game, and her play has greatly improved of late.
As tee-dious as it might have been fore her to par-fect her swing with the proto-paparazzi watching, I’m sure she’d have preferred the newspapers write about her golf game rather than her scandalous first husband.
For another dose of celebrity gossip, come back next time to learn about one particularly relatable royal. Well, sort of. I hope agitating for the First World War isn’t an experience you’ve had.
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Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Huh. “Celebrities” from the past have something else in common with those of today: I could see them on a magazine cover in the grocery store checkout and think the same thing: “Who the hell are these people and why do I care?”😉
Elyse
😂 Some things never change! Except now, there are so many more of them to not care about. 😵💫
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
Huh. “Celebrities” from the past have something else in common with those of today: I could see them on a magazine cover in the grocery store checkout and think the same thing: “Who the hell are these people and why do I care?”😉
😂 Some things never change! Except now, there are so many more of them to not care about. 😵💫