"To be or not to be" Thursday (Two Steps Behind.....)

There are many high ranking Royals by birth or marriage that seem to live in the shadows of the throne. They always walk  two steps behind their more famous counterparts. However these people are far from unimportant and often their role of support would, if removed, cause those they walk behind, to falter. To boot these Royals have the title but not the official government representing work load and as such often have their plates filled with charity work which in most cases is far harder work than the ribbon cutting red carpet commitments of the higher profile Royals. Let's look at these pivotal characters who are always in the back of the photos and are often overlooked amidst the glare of those they serve.

Princess Augusta of the United Empire of Scot-Britania is the aunt of the Crown Prince Imperial and has dedicated her Royal duty to her nephew who is the Emperor-in-Pretence to the world's most famous dissolved monarchy. The Crown Prince Imperial was thought dead after the 96 Revolution and was as such, raised in secret. He only met his aunt at age 21 not even being aware that she was funding and overseeing his life and potential Imperial future. Since the Prince's coming of age ball, which Princess Augusta arranged, she has wholeheartedly supported her nephew, his public ascension and his claim to the throne. 

Above we see Princess Augusta in the background of the Imperial Family photo taken at the 2012 Christmas Ball. Photos like these poignantly and symbolically display her proximity to the Crown Prince Imperial as an almost behind the scenes support, not in the limelight herself but very close to it. 

Probably the most significant "two-steps-behind" role of any Royal is that of the dutiful spouse of a reigning monarch. The public often don't realize that the spouse of a monarch is "a step behind" as they share the limelight but even this subtlety can be terribly isolating as your presence is always required yet you are not the focus and often end up standing around not doing much.

The Prince of Northwold is the husband to the reigning Queen of Normandia. He 

He is sometimes referred to as the Royal stay-at-home dad since the birth of the Normandian Crown Prince last year. When in public, the very macho Prince can always be seen close to his wife the Queen, sometimes chatting to her but has no official function. Even the Queen's ladies-in-waiting have an official "job"to be around the Queen, he just, supports. The Prince has often complained about the insistence on protocol for his attendance at some events and Queen Gloria, has since the time of their son's birth allowed him a freer schedule in order to be a real father to their child.

Above we can see a typical photograph of the pre-eminent monarch and her dutiful husband, the Prince of Northwold, taken in 2012. 

The Baron Bagrazia is the husband of the reigning Princess of Wallachia. He is yet another, spouse of  a reigning female monarch. Fortunately for the Baron, no official requirement rests on the husband of a Wallachian Sovereign Princess. He however has whittled out his "support" of his wife and actually enjoys his self designed role. The Baron is apparently very involved in booking his wife's itinerary, selecting her outfits and jewellery and keeping track of who she meets where and why. He has in essence set himself up as her pseudo private secretary and seemingly enjoys it. 

It is clear from this 2014 State Portrait that the Baron Bagrazia relishes in boosting his regal wife. The Baron was entirely responsible for this photo shoot. 

The Duke of Toledo is the husband of the Queen of Hispania's sister. Now here we have a "step behind, a step behind". However His Grace is far from a nonentity making the most of his title in supporting his wife and the monarchy at public event whilst balancing it with his prosperous businesses and nominal local government obligations. The Duke has even served as Civil Secretary to the Premiere of the Province of Cataljone in 2011. The Duke has been quoted to say that he would love to entirely disappear from the red carpet in order to fulfill the role of a "real" public servant. 

Right in the center of this 2011 photo above we can see the smiling Duke of Toledo nestled between his wife and her illustrious sister. 

The role of the heir to the throne can also be a frustrating one and is another category of walking behind the sovereign. This may be a double frustration for those in elected monarchies where the line of succession is not definite.

Drealle Mormaer is the protege of Lady Arcwhite and most probable heir to the Arcwhite throne. However once a new Lady Arcwhite is elected it may not be her. Regardless of this, Drealle faithfully serves and supports her aunt and sovereign and is often seen at public events doing just that. She at least has an official role as the Lady Arcwhite's "right-hand-man" and even bears the title, Lady of the Silver Cuffs in that capacity but still has to askew the limelight in favour of her sovereign. 

In the back ground we catch a glimpse of Drealle Mormaer in 2013 at a State Visit to the Principality Swann.

We hope this blog post has at least given our "two-steps-behind" Royals some more exposure and also piqued or awareness to look closer at news photos to see those in support of our monarchs the world over.