Power to the princess

London — She is to the glamour born. The arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s second child marks the beginning of a new era of girl power for the British royal family. It has been almost 65 years since the last princess was born into such a prominent position within the House of Windsor.

And while Anne, the Princess Royal, born in 1950 in an age before the Internet, was something of a “Sporty Spice”, going on to compete in the Olympic Games, the new princess is already being viewed as likely to be a more glamorous, more romantic leading lady.

Her every move, her every dress and her every hairstyle is certain to be scrutinised, studied and copied across the globe. Welcome to life as a princess in the 21st century. One retail expert has already estimated that the new princess will be worth in the region of £150 million (S$302 million) a year to the economy — mainly as a benefit to the fashion and beauty industry.

Before she is even 10, she will be worth a billion pounds.

Penny Junor, royal author and biographer of Princes William and Harry, said the arrival of a girl added a “new dimension” to the male-dominated royal family. “She is going to bring so much glamour,” said Junor.

“We have seen boys growing up as princes, but there’s nothing like a little girl. Princesses wear beautiful clothes. They endear themselves in a way boys don’t.”

Junor said the new princess needed to be protected from the media intrusion and inevitable scrutiny that will come with every new outfit and hairstyle.

“The thing that worries me is she will be pulled apart,” Junor said. “Constantly, people will ask what her hair is like, has she put on weight. It will be hard being a teenage princess.”

Citing Princess Margaret, who was born in 1930, as the last great glamorous princess born into the royal family, Christopher Wilson, a royal historian, also believes that it will be much more difficult in some ways for a girl. But he suggested that while royal princes can go into the military, it would not be a career path open to the new princess. Junor disagreed, saying there was no reason the new princess could not enter the military, too.

“In this age of equality, it is perfectly possible she might go into the military,” said Junor. “There are some amazingly beautiful girls who do join the military. It would not be beyond the bounds of possibility.

The fashion industry, doubtless, will hope she opts for a less macho career.

Lisa Armstrong, The Telegraph’s fashion editor, suggested yesterday that the baby princess would act as a model for young mothers looking to dress their children.

“What Kate is very good at is showing how every woman can look very nice in a non-threatening way,” she said. “The way Kate dresses the princess is bound to be very traditional and very demure and that will be really nice to see after years seeing little girls running around in spangly pink halter-neck-type tops.”

All eyes for the next two to three decades will be on the baby and how she is transformed into a young lady.

The baby princess, of course, will not have a clue about what awaits her. But she will grow up to be the most famous princess in the world. And regardless of the outcome, every little girl starts out in life wanting that. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH