can the real princess diana stand up?

the phenomenon of the people's princess

this is the most full-circle-meta-insane post i’m probably ever going to write, but today, july 1, would have been princess diana’s 63rd birthday. it’s also the day that my substack, named after her (in a sense, give me a moment to get there), reached 1,000 subscribers, so there’s definitely some craziness in the air (or just in my mind.) it feels natural that today when i sat down and felt at a complete loss for words or inspiration, my sister looked over at me and told me the answer that seemed too simple: just write about the people’s princess.

when i first heard the term “people’s princess” it was referencing diana, princess of wales, fashion icon, july cancer, and certified icon. my mom explained how inspirational she was, how her kindness, grace, character, beauty, impeccable style, and circumstance blossomed, and how people all across the world loved her. i remember thinking about how insane it must have been to have had such a bright spotlight on you, to be universally loved, to have every element of your life discussed in the tabloids, and i shuddered. it’s a huge pressure to put on someone, a jump to assume someone’s every action must be selfless, perfect, and admirable.

i wasn’t even alive at the same time as her. all of the knowledge i have, the accounts of her kindness, and stories about her humor, are secondhand, thirdhand, so far from my own. it’s movies like spencer, elizabeth debicki and emma corrin’s performances in the crown. it’s articles, documentaries, and excerpts from biographies, but it’s never straight from her. she’s become a mythical figure of sorts, that kind friend of your mom’s that you always hear stories about. i don’t know diana, but i know the people’s princess.

happy birthday princess diana <3

something about the term “people’s princess” stuck with me. i thought it was funny, charming, and the most incredible way to describe someone you find interesting. obviously, if you’re reading this, you can see what my substack is called. i’m not delusional enough to self-declare myself a people’s princess, but i’d like to think i’ve tweaked the meaning.

i am not the center of attention, the perfectly humble, selfless, good-natured figure everyone is meant to aspire to be. most of the time i don’t even know if i want to be me. on the internet, we call our favorite celebrities, characters, etc, people’s princesses. ayo edebiri became a people’s princess when she joked that she played jenny the donkey in the banshees of inesherin. paul mescal became a people’s princess when he was photographed on a walk in the shortest, most attractive shorts man has ever worn. we’ve edited the concept of the people’s princess to reference someone who is in the spotlight but still maintains a sense of personality and humility. we can aspire to be them, revel in their dazzling light, but still relate to their humanity, their problems, even if they’re a bit out of our leagues, can still be simplified to reflect our own.

people’s princesses will come and go, as long as we have media, a way of reporting on the going-ons of people in the spotlight, there are always going to be those who captivate the general public and become the new standard. the term will continue to evolve in order to relate to more individuals. maxine wally wrote an article for w magazine reflecting on this concept, and i think what stuck with me the most was her idea that the term “people’s princess” has replaced the “it girl” label. she outlines how the majority of the public prefers to see their celebrities as genuine and humble instead of the enigmatic, out of touch it girls that occupy the other end of the famous person spectrum. “people’s princess” has a more welcoming, lovable feel than “it girl.” we want to love the people’s princess, we want to be the it girl.

pausing here to say if you’re interested in reading my thoughts on the it girl, check out my essay “not everyone can be an it girl”

<3

when i adopted people’s princess as my internet identity, it came as a reflection of that weird dichotomy between obsessing and enjoying. people’s princess means a balance between immersing yourself in culture —finding niches, individuals, concepts, and media that intrigue you, draw you in, and cultivate a love for— and maintaining that individuality and personality unique in each person. my version of the people’s princess is not aspirational, it is just me trying to find myself amid the intensity of the culture-scape we live in right now.

my hope is that i can continue using people’s princess to become my version of the people’s princess. i’ll write about the topics that interest me, critique culture, write about books i love, share snippets of my life with you, but still stay entirely myself. this place is the closest i’ve come (and that i’ll ever come) to posting my diary on the internet, it’s the most authentic i can be.

one thousand thank you’s for reading people’s princess. i’ll never fully be able to express the gratitude i have for this space. the nerves i feel before i post a new piece are always outweighed by the fact that you are here to read my writing and chat about it. i’m so excited to keep pushing myself to create quality writing for you all. you all are people’s princesses in my eyes!!

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p.s. my weekly favorites

• the met museum’s sleeping beauties exhibit! it was so gorgeous and one of the most incredibly curated exhibit’s i’ve ever seen. please go if you can!

• the entire weekend trip sofia and i took, but very specifically our delicious lunch at ruby’s

• Amanda!
  ’s essay about the weird culture surrounding substack and trying to be “famous”

• once again, star wars the acolyte (last week’s episode slayed, i love star wars)

• new pj set i bought at marshalls

• sleeping with my windows open (even though i wake up soooo congested)

okay, that’s all for now! love you all to pieces & i’ll see you soon!

sarah 💌

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