Princess Ivana Pignatelli is the internationally celebrated beauty behind the “Modern Princess” brand and author of The Modern Princess: A Simple Guide to Pregnancy & Baby's First Year. Along with other royal mothers—Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, and Princess Letizia of Asturias—she has embraced a more cosmopolitan and hands-on approach to majestic motherhood. The tech-savvy businesswoman, whose fairy-tale wedding to an Italian prince—Prince Adriano Pignatelli Aragona Cortes—placed her among the who’s who of the global elite, is now the chic girl’s guide to pregnancy and child rearing. UPG turns to this Modern Princess for some much needed maternal advice.
Ivana is no ordinary princess. If you’re expecting formal pretension, airs and phony solicitude, you’ve got the wrong royal. Yet, her “poise and inimitable distinction” are unmistakable. You quickly recognize you’re in the presence of a woman whom Emily Post would have simply described as “well-bred.” With an intense schedule of running a business, international travel, marriage and motherhood, I am in awe of how calm and at ease she is. I have one small child and I arrive flustered, perspiring and with baby food in my hair. What’s her secret?
“One of my favorite quotes is from C.S. Lewis. ‘The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.’ Of course I change it to: whatever she does, whoever she is. Why are we always rushing? We have to make time each day to recharge. We need to remember we are just as important as our kids. What isn’t done today, will be there tomorrow. Sometimes it’s best to delay your to-do’s and refresh your soul.”
I order another drink—having just survived a six-and-a-half-hour plane ride with a two-year-old boy the day before. I begin to have stress-inducing flashbacks. Now that I have my own child, I am amazed that sane people even fly with children. Traveling first class or private still doesn’t insulate you from hours of baby fun. Ivana travels internationally with hers. Again, I am in awe. So, does a princess ever have those humiliating moments of trying to change a diaper in a turbulent airplane bathroom or cleaning vomit from an Hermès scarf?
“Of course! Traveling with kids is a grand adventure,” she states with a wink. “More accurately, it’s a slapstick, Murphy’s-law, Griswold family type of adventure. There are poorly-timed poops, lost pacifiers, you name it. The key is to plan, plan, and plan some more.” Opting to be truly hands-on in caring for her children, and not traveling with a nanny, further impresses me. It shows a true lack of vanity, something you don’t expect in a princess, the wife of a “Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and heir to a thousand-year lineage that includes kings of Sicily and Spain; Catherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII; along with a pope and a bona fide saint.”
As I use my napkin to scrub off a spot of missed baby food on my sleeve, I survey the always immaculate, yet simply dressed princess. She is wearing a camel-colored cashmere sweater, light-colored Rag & Bone jeans and a classic heel. Her makeup and jewelry are minimal, and her nails are manicured and buffed to a natural shine. Standing next to Ivana, most women look a bit like an overly made-up Real Housewife. She explains her first rule of style, “Be Yourself. Every woman knows what she feels comfortable in, and I don’t mean sweatpants. Most importantly, make any trend your own and remember that fashion is fleeting, but style is forever.”
We get on the topic of children’s education and I’m not surprised when she mentions one of her favorite charities—School on Wheels. She has always been a huge supporter of children’s education, especially children that are disenfranchised. “They provide tutoring to homeless children around the country and have a large presence in Los Angeles. When I was volunteering there, I met an incredible boy named “Joe Joe” who inspired me to get my Masters in Education. It only took one hour with Joe Joe to realize that I wanted to change the course of my life to help others grow through education.”
I’m now curious how one goes about raising royal children in a society that is becoming less and less formal and traditional? I ask what she hopes to instill in her son Alessio and her daughter Sienna. “My son and daughter have not been told they are a prince or princess, however my daughter most certainly will tell you she is a princess. I don’t agree with putting labels on a child and that includes titles. I want them to grow as people. What distinguishes a prince or princess isn’t their title, family tree, or crown. Instead, they are their values, everyday choices and attitude. I want my children to have resilience, hope, imagination and think about what they can do for others. My hopes and inspiration come down to simply raising them to be good people.”
After several hours of good wine, food and conversation, we both need to get home to our kids. It seems a stage coach should be outside awaiting her presence. We walk towards the door. A large, black SUV is parked directly out front. A suited driver hops out to greet her. It's her Uber ride. A Modern Princess indeed.
www.princessivana.com
Photos courtesy of Princess Ivana Pignatelli.
