Welcome to my profile page.

Some remarks about my Princess Diaries stories

I will only use a few characters (owned by Disney and Meg Cabot): the Queen and/or Joseph are always the leads. Charlotte, Mr Motaz and Viscount Mabrey might make their appearance and sometimes Amelia and her mother or even Elsie show up. All other women and men needed to fill Castle and country are made up by me.

My stories don´t necessarily take place in the same multiverse and they can not always be connected (as to the story line) to the films.

Some original characters are based on real people. These characters are fictionalized.

Unless mentioned otherwise, in none of my multiverses will the Queen have to suffer the loss of a son shortly after becoming a widow. When King Rupert died (years earlier than in the film), Parliament made the Queen Consort a Queen Regent, giving prince Philippe time to learn.

Some remarks about my Shakespeare (Hamlet) stories

Although... these lines are more about the plays in general and Hamlet in particular for those readers who are not familiar with Shakespeare.

Reading a play may be a chore if you´ve never seen it performed. Just in case you think that Shakespeare´s language is old fashioned and boring: watch one of his plays on stage, or rent a film. Watching Hamlet on stage seldom doesn´t make me anxious as to what will happen. What will happen? Isn´t that already written down? Of course it is, but like fanfiction writers, directors are at liberty to use characters just as they like (especially non-English speaking directors, who will have to translate the play anyway, having to choose one of many alternatives for ´to be or not to be´ for a start, and who might as well take more liberties).

Films I recommand are: the Zeffirelli version (from 1990) with - among others - Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Helena Bonham Carter and Paul Scofield. All references to politics are unfortunately cut, but it´s an enjoyable movie. Another film that might help you understand the play is the 1996 Branagh production, which should be watched to see Derek Jacobi´s Claudius, if nothing else (there are also good performances from for instance Julie Christie, Kate Winslet and Richard Briers, who makes Polonius the sneakiest councillor I´ve ever seen). And there´s the 1980 BBC version with Patrick Stewart and Claire Bloom making a fine royal couple.

After seeing a film or a stage performance, you will recognise the characters and the heartbeat of the language, which will, or so I think, make it easier to read the text. If you want to read the play, my advice is to use an annotated version, for instance the Arden Shakespeare.