London. Did Hilary Mantel insult Kate Middleton on purpose? The famous author said about the professional princess in a speech at the British Museum at the beginning of February: “I saw Kate becoming a jointed doll on which certain rags are hung. In those days she was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore. These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions. Once she gets over being sick, the press will find that she is radiant. They will find that this young woman’s life until now was nothing, her only point and purpose being to give birth.”
For three weeks, nobody seemed to notice. Then the “Sun” came out with a battle cry: “Plastic princess slur” was the headline, and the article spoke about the “bizarre rant” of a famous author. Mantel recently reached literary sainthood after winning the prestigious Man Booker Prize twice for her writing.
In two books from her trilogy about the times of Henry VIII – “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up The Bodies” – she uses the perspective of Henry’s secretary Thomas Cromwell to explain 16th century England. Her enormous insight into historical details, paired with very sensitive fiction writing, have brought the genre of “historical novel” from the back benches of literature to its front row.
The subsequent “Mantelpiece” scandal unfolded beautifully. Everyone played their role. Kate showed off her baby bump and her - as Mantel phrased it - “plastic smile” at a centre for addiction called “Hope House”. Prime Minister David Cameron took a short break from his official trip to India to pronounce: “She is bright, engaging and a fantastic ambassador for Britain. We should be proud of her.” Even Red Ed Miliband came out to protect the princess: “She is an important asset to the country.”
And practically no one read the actual speech. In “Royal Bodies”, Mantel does indeed speak about them, the royal bodies. They are one of her favourite subjects. Henry VIII himself was an expert in deposing the corpses (????not sure what you are saying here) of his many wives. Mantel has enormous knowledge about the use of blue-blooded bodies as a demonstration of power and to cement royal roles. It was only a question of time until Mantel compared Kate Middleton to Marie Antoinette. And so she did.
To me, it would be wholly understandable if Hilary Mantel were critical of Kate, whose ideas about her own career seem terribly antiquated. The well-behaved wife of a prince and the bearer of an heir apparent? Too trash-novelish for Mantel for sure. As one of England’s leading intellectuals, Mantel is probably also tired of listening to people judging women on the basis of their physical appearance.
But the author did not reflect on Kate as a person. She spoke about Kate as a concept for the royal marketing team. She puts the body of Kate in the context of an historical process of female royal bodies being modelled to be exploited for the interests of the monarchy and its power players. Mantel does not say Kate is wit
A posting from: www.skinnygossip.co
hout personality; she states that a princess without flaws and temperament of her own, who can breed and smile, is considered a perfect performer.
The pregnant princess should be happy that Mantel did not compare her to Anne Boleyn. Her ambition to become queen led her straight to the throne. But later also to the guillotine. Henry VIII got rid of his second wife when she did not bear him a son.
And Kate’s baby is said to be a girl.
Here is the link to Hilary Mantel’s speech: