I know it’s a strange question, but I have to ask, because in my mind they do. When they screw up royally (pun intended) it seems to me that the vast majority of people will do their best to cover up the indecency due to the celebrity and pedestal to which said princess has been raised. Maybe make excuses for it even.
I’m not making any references to a real princess, btw. I’m a fiction writer for heaven’s sake, not a gossip columnist. 😉 I am drawing from my general observance of how people act when someone with fame and standing in society says or does something less than stellar that an ‘ordinary’ person would not be able to do without censure or punishment. Of course, I have also seen the pendulum swing the opposite, making said celeb into either a villain or a martyr.
A very sweet blogger, in giving me feedback on my first book The Beauty Thief, spoke of concerns about one particular princess’s behavior. It seemed like an opportune time to consider character motivation, so here we are. 🙂
See, I’ve got a teenage daughter, and I used to be a teenage girl. I know lots of teenagers, and I’ve seen how one act can change a person without dire consequences to themselves but instead to someone they love. I can’t help but think the whiny princess, the manipulative girl, could also be the broken, shamed one who regrets her actions and doesn’t need to be thrown in the dungeon to pay for her sins. You know?
No one I know is perfect, and we all go through times where we are so blind to anything outside our own happiness that we take that of others for granted. We might whine, we might manipulate, we might make excuses, or do things we wouldn’t normally do. We might then sob and weep over our crimes, repentant and broken. My princess did this and regretted it, just like I have at times in my life. I wish I could say I was a perfect individual, never selfish, never self-serving or desperate.
The question is really, who does she become out of this tragedy of selfish ruin? Is she changed for the better? Does she revert to her old sinful ways?
So, what do you think? Do princesses get special treatment? Are their foibles more likely to be overlooked, especially in light of honest regret?
I think that those with fame, and who have always been seen in a positive light, generally get away with things others wouldn’t. Princesses always seem to be seen as good people, so it’s like they have a head start, if that makes sense.
I do think though, that those in the spotlight have a lot of pressure on them to be what people expect, for Princesses to be good and kind, so sometimes small transgressions can be blown up into huge crimes.
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I think you’ve thought long and hard on this. 🙂 Such a balanced and true comment. Thanks for that, Phoenix.
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I agree with the other comments here. It depends, but it does feel like the “more important people” get away with things often. At least more than if they were an average person. But sometimes being in the spotlight can have it’s drawbacks too. 😉
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Seems to be the basic consensus! 🙂
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I’m in a History Mode today so sorry if this comes out dry.
If a princess is still in ‘child’ status then they will tend to get away with a lot, either because of the close proximity of parents or because they are ignored and on standby to be married off to someone.
It’s when the princess moves into the public domain ie married to another royal, that they become noticed, and then will not be given much ‘slack’ in the public eye (you can go back to the middle ages and see instances of common folk calling princesses all sorts of things in public too).
So I suppose the answer is Yes or No, depending….
I think we saw some of that with Caityn in the Beauty Thief.
Hope that helps
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It’s perfect, Roger. Not even dry. Btw, History Mode is awesome! You are always welcome to share it with me. 🙂
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Thanks Rachael..bit of a history buff.
All the best with the Chronicles..they’re shaping up nicely…
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Thanks, Roger. 🙂
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I consider past history. If sweet talking her way out of a transgression has become a habit, it has to stop. Princess or not. A true mistake can and should be forgiven, but not a repeat of manipulative ones. Too mean? Nope. 😀 😀 😀
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Nope. Not to mean. 😀
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Definitely food for thought!
I think people of status (celebrities, royalty, characters in books, etc) often get off too easy. However, this needs to be taken case by case. There are many factors that need taken into consideration for this. Are there past transgressions? How severe is the transgression?
Age should probably also be taken into consideration. Teenagers are not the best at making good decisions all the time…
You definitely gave me a different perspective to think about.
Wonderful post as usual 😊
One mistake should not be what defines us.
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Awww, thanks Amanda! You make such great points. I love your insight. Being a mom, I’m sure consequences are something you’ve spent some time considering too! 😉
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