Thanks, Pixilated. There is so much to say when it comes to comparing Charlotte with Caroline. I tend to agree with moby, that in the end, it is a question of personality and that Charlotte may just be taking after her father's personality. You may give a child all the opportunities in the world in encouraging leadership and charisma, if the child (and later, young woman) has a private personality, it's not going to change things. (Not that there is anything wrong with having a private personality). I was thinking about how Princess Grace insisted on exposing Caroline to all kinds of people and experiences, from politicians, to Hollywood personalities, to underprivileged youth, the yearly summer visits to her relatives and summer camps in America, the 2 years of schooling in England between the ages of 14 and 16, getting her high school degree there before achieving the equivalent French degree (baccalaureat) in Paris, her intensive work with youth in distress, her close ties with her church... We never saw any of that with Charlotte, but would it have made any difference ?
It may be that Charlotte may have seemed more alive with Felix, but certainly never to the extent that Caroline always seemed alive. I think it is also that Caroline dated (and married) a man who was much older than herself, a man about-the-world with as strong a personality as his wife-to-be, who could never have been seen or called "Mr. Caroline". They were the couple of the moment, the perfect couple for the right time, as dashing and energetic one as the other, both of them equally well-dressed (Junot was named best dressed man of the year by Vogue some time in the seventies: can you imagine Alex ever being named best-dressed man of the year ? I think well-dressed here also has the connotation of behaving like an adult), and that's what made them so fascinating for the press, and inspiring for the public, in an era of transition. They were always photographed "doing something", jogging, playing tennis, Caroline watching Philippe play football, attending parties and weddings of the best-known and richest people in the world, while Caroline continued her studies (photographed studying, going to class), had already started appearing and making speeches at UNESCO conferences, and had launched into a writing career, writing articles for magazines. You could feel the vibrations emanating from the two of them, reverberating onto the public. Two very strong personalities bound to clash with each other. But the excitement of the press was that Junot had tamed the untamable Caroline while channeling her energies in a positive, constructive and productive way. I would say that one of the major differences is that Caroline was surrounded by adults, who propelled her into a world of adulthood, whereas Charlotte is surrounded by her peers, who, even if they are slightly older, continue to live the lives of belated, rather spoiled adolescents, who look limp in comparison to Caroline's group.
The dead energy California Dreaming speaks about is also wasted energy. Here, it is not a question of personalities, but of "what are they doing with all their talent" ? It is all very well that Charlotte does not have the responsibilities of a public person, but the endless stream of photographs of her going from beach to beach and party to party (and "black suits her so well because it shows off what an intellectual and artistic person she is"), with one article so far under her belt (as far as I know), is not worthy of the potential we know is there.
Well looks like it necessary to keep the ears to the ground a lot longer!!!
