Queen Caroline

Your Majesty, never mistress; it will only end in tears. Every British monarch over the past 400 years should have received this single piece of advice, but no one of them would have listened. These kings and princes were the rock stars of their day - women flocked and bowed before them, and they could choose whoever they liked. And as many as they wanted. Admittedly murder, blackmail, grand larceny, and kidnapping were all part of bedding these royal mistresses, but their Majesties never shrank above it.

In the nearly 700 years since Prince of Wales' name was established, there have been only ten princesses of Wales. Some people were promised to their destiny as early as two years old, and only a few people were married for love. Some people saw bloody battles and equally brutal political machinations back home, and for several, tragedy was never far away. They were certainly adornments, but they were also significant figures in their own right. Here, royal historian CHRISTOPHER WILSON assigns a score to the princesses based on their contributions to royal history.

It's ten thousand miles from Sydney to Copenhagen's Amalienborg Palace. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has certainly come a long way since she first met Crown Prince Frederik in a Slip Inn pub when the city staged the 2000 Olympics. Mary will have travelled farther on Sunday, but the queen will be Queen by the time evening falls. Queen Margrethe, an 83-year-old mother-in-law, will step down after 52 years on the throne, an abdication announced in a live television broadcast on New Year's Eve to the delight of the Danish people. Margrethe will be replaced by her eldest son Frederick, with Mary as Queen Consort. Mary is already have all the fashions, stylists, and accessories she could possibly need as Crown Princess. But the Australian-born 'commoner' will get something else this weekend: a treasure chest of exquisite jewels to be worn by the queen. And only the queen!