Sunday Times (UK)
Princess Michael of Kent has claimed her children are best-educated royals
Daphne interviewed Princess Michael of Kent in Athens Greece (Oct.'06). Click above photo for Video
News-of-the-World
Princess Michael takes a pop at princes
Daphne liked the outspoken princess, and managed to figure out why she is always in the headlines. She just makes them... Simple as that.
Click here for video.
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Daphne Barak
Daphne Barak
 
The Sunday Times October 15, 2006

Princess boasts her children are brightest royals
Jack Grimston

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PRINCESS Michael of Kent has claimed that nobody in the royal family is as well educated as her own children.
The princess, whose husband is the Queen’s first cousin, says that her son Lord Frederick Windsor and her daughter Lady Gabriella are “more educated than their cousins”. She added: “No children in the family have got as good degrees as they’ve got.”

Speaking to Daphne Barak, the American broadcaster, in an interview to be broadcast shortly, the princess cites her children’s level of education and careers to defend them against negative stories that have appeared.

Frederick, for example, known as Freddie, has been reported as taking cocaine and photographed apparently intoxicated at parties.

The princess points out that her son, 27 — who graduated from Oxford with a 2:1 in classics — now works for an investment bank.

Her daughter, 25, gained her degree at Brown University in Rhode Island, America, and writes for British newspapers under the name “Ella Windsor”.

Freddie and Ella’s most famous cousins are less academic. Prince William gained a 2:1, but in a lower-ranked course — geography — at the well-regarded St Andrews. Prince Harry went straight from Eton to Sandhurst.

Royal observers are surprised at the breach of both protocol and politeness in making these pejorative comments in public.

Robert Lacey, a biographer of the Queen, said he thought that the princess’s comments would “not make her very popular”. He added: “It is most unroyal to be highly educated and most unroyal for one’s mother to brag about it.” 
SKY News
Princess Pushy brags about offspring
Last updated at 22:00pm on 15th October 2006

Every proud parent loves to boast of their children's great abilities in life.

But when you happen to be part of the Royal Family, a greater degree of politeness and discretion is expected when publicly proclaiming the virtues of your offspring.

That is precisley what Princess Michael of Kent failed to do in the latest in a long line of gaffes and unwise comments.

Speaking to US TV, she bragged that her children are brighter than their more famous cousins - Princes William and Harry.

The Princess told American journalist Daphne Barak in a yet to be broadcast interview, that her son Lord Frederick Windsor and her daughter Lady Gabriella are 'more educated than their cousins'.

The royal, nicknamed Princess Pushy for her high-handed manner, added: 'No children in the family have got as good degrees as they've got.'

Her son Freddie graduated from Oxford with a 2:1 in Classics, while her daughter, 25, studied literature at prestigious Brown University in Rhode Island, America, and now works as a freelance journalist.

In contrast, Prince Harry joined the army straight out of Eton, while William gained a 2:1 studying geography at St Andrews before attending Sandhurst.

Freddie, 27, now an investment banker, has earned himself a reputation as one of the hardest partying royals and is no stranger to controversy after well-publicised brushes with binge-drinking and cocaine.

He first toyed with being a Hollywood screenwriter and worked briefly selling memberships for Quintessentially, the concierge company run by the Duchess of Cornwall's nephew Ben Elliott.

There were also stints working for magazines, reviewing rock music and writing a party diary from the Cannes Film Festival.

Younger sister Ella also raised eyebrows after deciding to go backpacking around the world with her boyfriend, Bombay-born journalist Aatish Taseer. It was the first time a member of the Royal family travelled without a minder, and in quite such a rugged and independent fashion.

The latest controversial statement by the Czech-born Princess Michael is far from an exception. In 2005, the outspoken princess was forced to apologise to the Queen after making a series of unflattering remarks about senior royals to an undercover reporter.

In a secretly-taped conversation, she accused Prince Charles of using Diana as a 'convenient womb' to produce an heir.

She also described Diana as 'bitter', 'nasty' and 'strange', and talked freely about the love lives of Princes William and Harry.

Earlier that year, she caused fresh controversy after claiming the English are more concerned about the breeding of their dogs than their children.

In 2004, the princess was embroiled in an astonishing race row while abroad after allegedly telling a group of black Americans to 'go back to the colonies'.