Tamara Czartoryska

Infobox Szlachcic
name=Tamara Laura Czartoryska


caption=Princess Tamara Laura Czartoryska
family=Czartoryski
CoA=Czartoryski
father=Adam Karol Czartoryski
mother=Nora Picciotto
consorts=
children=
born=April 23 1978
born_in=London, England, United Kingdom
death=
died_in=

Princess Tamara Laura Czartoryska, in Polish "Tamara Laura Czartoryska", in Spanish "Tamara Laura Czartoryska y Picciotto", (born April 23, 1978) is a sportswoman and model who occasionally appears on television programmes. She is the daughter of Prince Adam Czartoryski y Borbón, who was born in Spain where he grew up with his first cousin, King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Her mother, Nora Piciotto, was born in Cairo, worked as a public relations consultant in the film industry, and married her father in London. Her father continued with his family's aristocratic tradition of leaving childcare entirely to nannies and seeing the children only at first rising and bedtime. But her parents separated and divorced before she was ten years old. Exposed to her father's playboy lifestyle, she nonetheless remained in awe of him and felt possessive toward him.McFerran, Ann. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article386579.ece Prince Adam and Princess Tamara] , "The Times", May 8, 2005. Accessed July 16, 2008.]

Dyslexic, rebellious and fond of pranks, she did poorly at the Sacred Heart all girls boarding school in Woldingham, except in drama. When she was fifteen she attended a tutorial college in Oxford for A-levels, but went horse-riding more often than she studied. After her father suffered financial reverses when Lloyd's of London crashed, expensive pastimes such as riding stopped. That, and her mother's break-up with a stepfather of whom she was fond, left her confused and without direction, she has said.

In frustration with her behavior, her parents cut off her allowance. Having left home in hopes of a career in show jumping, she found herself, at the age of fifteen, earning her keep by cleaning out horse stables, where she also slept. She credits this period with teaching her about the lives of people who lack wealth.

She enrolled at Emerson College in Boston when she was eighteen to take up news media studies, again finding herself socializing with people who worked hard but earned little. However that did not, by her own account, prompt her to do well at a job as a waitress in a restaurant owned by a relative.

Returning to Europe with a reputation as a "society girl" that she felt obliged to live down, her initial foray into modeling proved challenging. But she was pleased at the opportunity to be represented by a reputable fashion agency.

Paternally, Tamara belongs to the Czartoryski family who, bearing the title of prince and style of "Serene Highness", were powerful nobles in pre-World War I Poland. She descends also from kings of Spain and France of the Houses of Borbon and Orleans through her grandmother, Princess Dolores de Borbón y Orléans, sister of King Juan Carlos's mother, whose dynastic surname she has appended to her own.

As a descendant of British royalty Tamara Laura Czartoryska is nominally in the line of succession to the British throne but not eligible to take it due to Catholicism of her family. She would be listed at 2166th position. [http://www.wargs.com/essays/succession/2001.html Persons eligible to succeed to the British Throne as of 1 Jan 2001] , listed as "2166. Tamara Czartoryska (*1978)"]

Television

Her sporting achievements led to roles as a presenter on a Thai kick boxing show, and appearances on Granada and Celebrity Five Go Dating.

In March 2005, Tamara was one of the contestants on series three of The Games, and won the bronze medal.

In 2006, she appeared on the reality television programmes Australian Princess and American Princess during which she offered advice to the competitors.

In 2007, she was a contestant on Sky One's reality show Cirque de Celebrité.

References