Issue No.21 - Polo De’Marco Magazine Issue No.21 - SPECIAL EDITON(clone) | Page 136

Q1. You were born in Milan, Italy, the son
of Prince Francesco Borghese and Princess
Amanda Borghese, whose lineage traces back to
1238 when your Italian ancestors were wealthy
bankers. Pope Paul V gave your family official
titles in the 1600’s. What is the most difficult
aspect of being a prince in today’s modern era
that you wish people knew or want them to
understand?
LB: People’s expectations. They feel that you have to act
a certain way and in a way that’s not really human. As
humans, we have many faults, make many errors, and
are far from perfect beings.
Q2. Some of your famous ancestors include:
Pope Paul V, Scipione Borghese, an Italian
Cardinal, and art collector/patron of the arts
for the painter Caravaggio, the artist Bernini,
and Paolina Bonaparte Borghese, Napoleon’s
sister who was married to Camillo Borghese,
6th Prince of Sulmono. You penned a romantic
fiction novel entitled “The Princess of Nowhere”.
Is it safe to say that Paolina Bonaparte Borghese
is your favorite ancestor? What led you to this journey of writing a novel based upon her?
LB: I don’t have a favorite ancestor. All of my ancestors who I’ve met in my lifetime are my favorites. I never
met Paolina (thank God or I’d be ancient by now), but I found her story fascinating. My father would tell
me stories about her and her tragic arranged marriage to Camillo. He actually had love letters that were
exchanged between the two and told me that they were, in fact, in love, but that society and the war made
their marriage impossible. I always wanted to learn more about Paolina, and what better way than to research
her life and write it all down in a book.
Q3. They say a prince is always a gentlemen. What are your top five rules that you follow for
being a gentleman?
LB: I have only one rule. Be yourself. I’m first human. The prince is just a title which means I have an
interesting background.
Q4. Your grandmother, Princess Marcella Borghese of Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland (her
husband, the late Prince Paolo Borghese), founded the iconic Princess Marcella Borghese
cosmetics line. What was it like to be raised as a prince in a family with a cosmetics empire?
LB: I really don’t know how to answer that question. To me, my childhood seemed normal except for my
family constantly moving – from Milano to Roma, to Paris, and then to the United States. My father and
mother never really talked much about my family’s history and that’s mainly because they didn’t want me to
feel different. When I’d visit my grandmother as a little kid, people around her would call her “Princepessa”
or princess, and I just figured it was just an endearing nickname since she would call me “tesoro” or treasure.
I realized when I grew older what it all meant, but by that time I was already me.