Princess Michael: it's all a question of breeding

Quite a contemporary subject.

Oh, no. I am only writing about the past. I don’t touch the present. It is so interesting to learn about social habits in the Renaissance: people did not wear underwear! Young people today are so uneducated yet history is such a cool subject. I am currently working on my own television show on history.

Do you consider today’s morganatic marriages in royal houses cool? In Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain — no crown prince has married according to their class.

If it makes them happy, they are welcome. The world is changing. But it is indeed odd: the British take the breeding of their horses and dogs more seriously than that of their children. God forbid that their labrador should have a wrong drop of blood. Their children, however, get married all over the place. Arranged marriages are really not the worst thing that can happen.

So was everything better in the old days?

In the old days aristocrats were in charge. And the church. Today other people have the power and the money. In our schools children no longer pray because some pseudo-liberals think that this is not allowed any more. I don’t know whether it is right to embrace every religion. We are no longer Christians. Anyhow, a commitment to God should still be the priority for a European.

Your daughter recently got engaged to an Indian.

It is not true. Gabriella is so young and is not thinking about getting married. She is going first to Africa to write an article about guenons (monkeys) in the Kalahari. Why should she be sitting around in India with babies? I am very fond of her boyfriend. I would not be against a marriage even though I receive letters from many people who do not appreciate multicultural marriages.

What is your most British characteristic?

I do not see myself as an Englishwoman. I am a European.

(The princess presses a bell on the table next to her place setting. Two plates decorated with crowns are brought in.)

You are a passionate hunter. Now Britain has banned foxhunting with horses. With good reason?

I can hardly believe that this old British tradition is going to be banned. The fox must be hunted. It does not have a natural enemy. The first dog kills the fox with one bite — that is only as cruel as when I tear my roast chicken apart. Now foxes are going to be poisoned and gassed. Is that nice?

And what else makes country life enjoyable, if you are no longer allowed to dash through the countryside drinking sherry?

Yes, our country will change. We have to ask ourselves seriously: is the government really concerned about the case itself or is it about class struggles? The next thing they will do is make it illegal to hunt pheasants. One thing is for sure, there will never be a worm lobby. After all, 3m fishermen are 3m voters.

Changing the subject, Prince Harry recently caused a fuss by appearing at a fancy dress party wearing a Nazi armband? How could this happen?

I don’t know. What’s sad is that nobody had said a word, although in the royal family we really cannot complain about a lack of people to give advice. If Harry had been wearing a hammer and a sickle, I believe nobody would have been upset even though (the) hammer and sickle stand for Stalin and the gulag, pogrom and devastation. The press has different sensitivities as a result of the structure of its ownership. I feel sorry for Harry.

Do you read what is written about you in the papers?

I love it that people always imagine us spending the whole day sitting around drinking tea. I have a job! I work. I don’t have time.

Since you don’t receive an allowance from the Queen, you write books and give lectures?

Yes, a member of the royal family is usually not allowed to work. My husband and I are the only members of the immediate royal family who are not paid for public duties.

And this is despite the fact you are in charge of more than 20 charities. As thanks, people talk about “Rent a Kent”. Does that hurt you?

It is simply wrong. My activities are on a voluntary basis — and I enjoy them.

So members of the royal family have to put up with this kind of debate about benefits and incomes?

These days we are especially affected by it. On our wedding, the Queen granted us the right to live in our apartment for a lifetime. But some people in parliament don’t like that. In five years’ time we will have to move out.

Sounds terrible. Homeless at 65. You have just turned 60.

Yes, and I am proud of it! Now I can see films at the cinema for half price and go on buses and trains.

If you weren’t a royal, you could be advertising face cream and earn millions like David Beckham.

Well, in a different life I would rather have become a teacher. But I have no problems with advertising. Those companies can happily contact me.

You certainly have the right skin — even though it had a little extra help. You recently admitted that you have Botox injections.

Yes, and why not? We have shoe trees for our shoes, we iron our tablecloths. I have had Botox injections for five years and I recommend them to everybody beyond the age of 25. Alcohol and cigarettes are taboo. I have girlfriends who smoke like chimneys and look like smoked salmon.

A book about (the royals) will come out in Germany soon which states that the Queen is a brilliant imitator of dialects.

We don’t read these books. But it is true. The whole family is good at imitating dialects. Queen Elizabeth is reserved with people she does not know. With friends and family she can be very funny.

Is the monarchy still up to date?

Quite so. People are looking for role models. We have our Queen as a model. She does not have power but she has influence.

Will Prince Charles be king one day?

Excuse me, but I can comment on that as little as whether Cardinal Ratzinger will be the Pope’s successor. The Queen Mother lived a long time. I hope our Queen will live just as long.

Why is it that the nobility always wears those “colour combos” on public occasions: they turn up in purple or rose?

We always forget to clear it with each other and suddenly we’ll show up in cherry blossom. There isn’t a dress code. But you should wear bright colours so that people can see you. I am not very interested in fashion, I like glamour. A nice scarf or jewels — that is glamour. An outfit needs to have “aplomb”, doesn’t it?

(Sugared berries and Turkish chocolate are brought in.)

Oh, this is good. Don’t be shy. It is not poisoned.

You yourself resist the temptation?

I try to eat healthily. Unfortunately, by the age of 40 one starts to put on weight. For that reason (I eat) low-fat food and in the evening, cooked fruit. And usually no dessert. But I knew that our cook would make one. (Whispers) That way she can eat titbits of it herself.

(Her personal trainer rings bell.)

She has been coming for 25 years, three times a week. She is strict with me. Teases me, shouts at me. I hate it.

(The princess says goodbye and runs to meet her trainer.)

Come on, torture me!

This is a translation of an article that first appeared in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag