What is a Princess?

A princess is a female member of a royal family, the daughter or granddaughter of a monarch or king. A princess is often styled “Her Royal Highness” or in an imperial family, “Her Imperial Highness.” Princesses usually carry out duties and responsibilities related to their royal status. These may include representing the monarchy at official events, promoting charitable causes and maintaining diplomatic relationships.

Princesses are often viewed as spoiled or overly demanding, but this depends on the context and the person. The term can also be used to refer to a woman who is accustomed to having other people do things for her, or to one who is haughty and thinks she is above everyone else. Using the word in this way can be hurtful and promote negative stereotypes about women.

In The Crown, the character of Princess Alice is depicted as a reclusive woman who hid a Jewish family in her home during World War II. But the real-life Princess Alice of Battenberg was far from a princess recluse: She regularly visited her daughters and friends, and was a patron of several charities including Centrepoint (homeless charity), English National Ballet and Leprosy Mission. She was also a close friend of the family’s Scottish heir, Lord Mountbatten, and her children would spend summers at Balmoral with the royal family.

In her later years, Princess Alice resigned many of her charitable patronages and relinquished her Service appointments with military units. But she continued to make official overseas tours with her son, Prince Philip, and was a popular figure in Scotland where she was particularly well received.