Here in Palermo I encounter local women of all ages who seem to consider themselves somewhat “worldly” because they’ve spent money on what look like overpriced clothes and have taken a group tour to someplace like Egypt or Thailand. Let’s not dwell on the fact that few can manage a complete sentence, let alone a conversation, in English. Right now, the number of women wearing fur coats in a city where it hardly ever snows is astounding.
Back in December 1994, when I first met Princess Urraca de Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, who in childhood had actually known Queen Maria Sophia (the queen, a sister of Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissi’ of Austria, died when Urraca was 12), I was struck by her simplicity. During the day, instead of fur she wore a simple goose down coat. There was no need to “impress” anybody with false attempts at sophistication. She was the real thing.
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