VANITY FAIR

September 2003

no. 517

THE YOUNG ROYALS

FEATURES

399 TO BE YOUNG AND ROYAL It's not all ribbon cuttings and regalia. In a three-part, 57-page portfolio, Vanity Fair captures the new stars of Europe's monarchies: the future rulers, such as Prince William of Wales, Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (page 401); the heirs to the French, Italian, Yugoslav, and other historical kingdoms (page 424); and a glamorous miscellany of royal scions (page 444). Prince Michael of Greece traces the evolving identity of these proud dynasties (page 400), while a foldout family tree charts their intricate web of marital alliances (page 417). Photographs by Mario Testino, Helmut Newton, Jonathan Becker, Michel Comte, Jonas Karlsson, and others.

460 ROLL OVER, BILBAO! Now that Frank Gehry's global reputation gleams as brightly as his signature building, the Guggenheim Bilbao, it seems astonishing that his perhaps most ambitious project, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, nearly didn't get built. With the new home of the L.A. Philharmonic finally opening its doors this October, Matt Tyrnauer joins the maverick architect on the site of his hard-fought victory. Photographs by Todd Eberle.

FANFAIR

173 30 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF THE CULTURE Special of the DayMatt Tyrnauer on the Lever House restaurant. Bruce Handy reviews Pieces of April and Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation; Coming Attractions—Walter Kirn visits Wonderland. Elissa Schappell's Hot Type. A. M. Homes on photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia's A Storybook Life; Must See philanthropists Richard and Lois Rosenthal in downtown Cincinnati. Lisa Robinson's Hot Tracks. Edward Helmore on The Violet Hour; Henry Alford opens up Chuck Palahniuk's Diary. William Georgiades maps out the hot spots in Mexico City. John Brodie on sneakers; Kevin Sessums on celebrity photographer Pat York. Steve Garbarino gets retro at the new Beat Hotel. Punk-rockers the Distillers separate themselves from the pack; Michael Hogan mixes things up with D.J. Mark Ronson. My Stuff: the Juicy Couture founders spill their secrets; Hot Looks; David Colman follows the scent to Pcnhaligon's.

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COLUMNS

221 THE DIVIDED PRINCE Coping with devastating loss, media scrutiny, palace treachery, and the role of "family peacemaker," Prince William, against all odds, appears to be thriving. But some royal intimates are worried. Christopher Andersen wonders whether the pride of Britain's monarchy can reconcile his mother's heart with his father's sense of duty.

254 STAR OF JORDAN When King Abdullah II and Queen Rania ascended the Jordanian throne four years ago, the young Palestinian wife and mother feared the burden of monarchy. But to her husband's delight, Rania has worn her tiara in cutting-edge fashion, fighting poverty and child abuse and championing women's rights. In Amman, Leslie Bennetts meets a 21st-century queen whose brains, beauty, and commitment have brought her global celebrity— and unprecedented clout. Portraits by David Bailey.

274 HALL OF FAME Sarajane Hoare nominates Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, for bringing a measure of sanity to her native country with her charitable foundation. Portrait by Jonas Karlsson.

276 THE ODDEST COUPLE Edward VIII's decision to abdicate the throne and marry Wallis Simpson was one of the British monarchy's most shocking scandalsnot to mention one of the century's greatest love stories. Assessing recent revelations, James Fox takes another, rather less romantic look at what bound the Duchess of Windsor to her duke.

294 BULGARIA'S ELECTED KING By the time he was 10 years old. King Simeon II of Bulgaria had survived enough trauma for several lifetimes: his father's sudden, mysterious death; his country's invasion by Stalin; his family's house arrest and exile. But now, following his triumphant return and 2001 election as prime minister, the 66-year-old Simeon faces another struggle, Sam Tanenhaus reports: to reconcile his country's—and his own grim past with a future in the new Europe. Portrait by Jonas Karlsson.

310 AT THE DOOR TO THE HERMIT KINGDOM With its leader, Kim Jong II, threatening to amass long-range nuclear weapons, North Korea may be the most dangerous regime in the world. In an excerpt from her memoir, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright recalls her visit to Pyongyang during the last months of the Clinton administration, her meetings with Chairman Kim, and the ray of hope she found there. Portraits by Christian Witkin.

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328 SALE OF THE WILD The Department of the Interior is entrusted with protecting America's wilderness, but its leaders have stealthily opened millions of unspoiled acres for exploration and development. Helped by dismayed insiders, Michael Shnayerson exposes the dark side of Interior Secretary Gale Norton's "partnerships" with industry, the apparent conflicts of interest of her powerful deputy, former energy lobbyist J. Steven Griles, and the irreversible damage being done. Portraits by Ted Wood and Brian Doben.

SPECIAL SECTION

354 MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD STEICHEN To mark the 20th anniversary of its rebirth, Vanity Fair pays homage to the man whose definitive portraits of his era's celebrities gave the magazine's pre-World War II incarnation its extraordinary visual impact. Alongside a portfolio of Steichen classics—Gary Cooper, Greta Garbo, Paul Robeson, et al.—David Friend describes how one lunch in 1923 changed the course of a life and an art.

VANITIES

373 OH, ROMOLA, ROMOLA! Ed Coaster finds his inner self at the Raita Yoga Center. Adam LefT and Richard Rushfield's Intelligence Report: The "It Girls.' George Wayne visits Scarborough fair. Neal Pollack uncovers the making of foreign policy. Henry Alford's sets and subsets.

ET CETERA

108 EDITOR'S LETTER The War at Home 116 CONTRIBUTORS 134 BEHIND THE SCENES 140 LETTERS The Far-Right Stuff 470 CREDITS

472 PLANETARIUM Help is on the way, Virgos

474 PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE Diane Von Furstenberg

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