Henri-Francois de Breteuil in front of his home, Chateau de Breteuil. Photo GLK

I’m fascinated, both personally and professionally, by the way individuals, place, culture, and history fit together and/or play off each other. Sometime this winter I’ll get around to writing about my encounter with Henri-Francois de Breteuil and the rewards of visiting his home, which is open to the public and gives a glimpse into the interplay of historical nobility and contemporary culture. But I’m in the U.S. this month, where aristocracy, past and present, scarcely enters my mind.

Until I was in Philadelphia the other day, that is. Walking through the historical city of the Founding Fathers, by Independence Hall and the Liberty Ball, I was shocked to see posters for an exhibition currently at the adjacent National Constitution Center entitled “Diana: A Celebration.”

The National Constitution Center, is, to quote its mission, “an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents… [and] serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues.”

How Princess Diana serves that purpose is beyond me, and it’s clearly beyond the presidents, former and current, of the National Constitution Center itself since their explanation for the show is strikingly flimsy.

In October, when the show opened, the NCC’s then-President and CEO Linda E. Johnson, expressed the hope that this exhibit would “have broad appeal, which will allow the Center to expand its audience and, in turn, introduce more visitors to the remarkable stories of ‘We the People’ celebrated here every day.” In short, an acknowledgement that Diana has no relation to the Constitution but promises to bring in visitors willing to offer up a $23 entrance fee and fill their shopping carts of Diana trinkets to muscle up NCC’s coffers.

This fall a new NCC president and CEO, David Eisner, took over, and he was apparently equally clueless as to the link between the disturbed and tragic princess and the U.S. Constitution. “This stirring tribute to Princess Diana,” he claimed earlier this month, “is a way of exploring America’s historical relationship and fascination with aristocracy.”

National Constitution Center. Photo GLK

Bullshit! Whatever sympathy or regard or celebrity-awe one feels for Diana, celebrating her in no way explores America’s historical relationship with aristocracy but simply celebrates celebrity.

Back in France, anyone with an ear open to cult and culture of history hears debates about national treasures such as Versailles trying to balance the interests of historians and preservationists, the need to draw paying visitors, and the desire to keep Versailles “alive.” Last year, a wonderful occasion for such a debate was the decision of curators to display kitsch contemporary works by Jeff Koons, including an enormous, pink, balloon-like dog, against the exuberant prima-kitsch of 17th and 18th –century royal apartment. I didn’t care for the dog, and Versailles is less significant today than the U.S. Constitution, but it was a worthy debate.

Yet Diana at the NCC isn’t even debate material let alone a teaching moment or anything else warranting the show here. In fact, the premise of the show (I did not in fact go but read the press kit) makes a mockery of the public that the NCC is intended to serve, telling us: Let’s face it, you’re too stupid to understand anything about the Constitution so come over here where we can show you some teary and feel-good fluff: Diana’s wedding gown; dresses and gowns designed by Versace, Valentino, etc.; Elton John/Bernie Taupin’s song about yet another dead blonde; Diana’s eulogy from her brother; home movies of her childhood; brunch with Diana’s personal chef on Dec. 20; and did we mention that we have gift shop?

The U.S. Constitution in all that? Nada! But she was such a humanitarian, some will cry—or, as a man who had just spend $140 on Diana paraphernalia for his shrine back home said, “You just don’t like her.”

Perhaps, but more to the point I like the idea of discussing, understanding and appreciating Constitution. I’ve got nothing against a Diana show but why here? Call her a humanist rather than a humanitarian and her story may be worthy of debate regarding the Constitution, say that she wanted a ban on bearing arms rather than on landmines and you can get a good argument going, but celebrating Diana’s celebrity offers the public nothing but ignorance about the Constitution.

America’s historical relationship with aristocracy would be more appropriately explored through a show featuring Queen Elisabeth II, the Emperor of Japan, the Shah of Iran, the King of Thailand, or even the Count of Breteuil. We have nothing to learn from Diana regarding the Constitution except how low the NCC will stoop to draw visitors.

Nevertheless, my personal distaste for the premise of this show is on the wrong side of history. I came to that sad conclusion yesterday when reading the syndicated “Today In History” column in a local newspaper in New Jersey. Among the “highlights in history” for Dec. 9 was noted:
“In 1941: China declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy.”
“In 1990: Poles elected Solidarity labor union founder Lech Walesa president in free elections.”
“In 1992: Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Britain announced they were separating but had no plans for divorce.”
“In 2001: The United States disclosed a video in which Osama bin Laden said he was pleasantly surprised by the extent of damage from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvanis.”

If Diana’s separation from Charles with “no plans for divorce” can earn a place in the above list then maybe that Versace dress does have something to do with the Constitution. If anyone can tell me which article I’d much obliged.

Diana: A Celebration at the National Constitution Center, Oct. 2, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010, 525 Arch Street, Independence Mall, Philadelphia, PA. www.constitutioncenter.org.

Tags: constitution, nobility, Philadephia

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 7:37 pm and is filed under American time, Art and Exhibits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.