The Barbie Honor Queen Camilla Was Given That Diana Rejected
Barbie is one multitalented woman. In the 65 years since she first hit toy store shelves, she's held more than 250 careers, ranging from sports and music to various medical, science, and public service jobs, a judge, a presidential candidate, and a stint in every branch of the military. And while she's proudly all-American, she's been known to venture into the world of Buckingham Palace. Most recently, Queen Camilla was presented with a Barbie in her own image as she hosted an International Women's Day reception. The queen is president of the WOW (Women of the World) festival, and the guest list included representatives from the foundation, plus celebrities and local schoolgirls.
Recycling one of her iconic fashion moments, Camilla wore the same smart blue dress and black cape she donned at King Charles' accession. Her doll doppelgänger had the same ensemble, down to the hairdo. The queen called the Barbie "brilliant," adding, "[T]hey've taken about 50 years off my life" (via Daily Mail).
Camilla isn't the first British royal to have such a doll made in her image. In 2012, Mattel released a limited-edition Barbie set of William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, in their wedding outfits to celebrate their first anniversary.(The dolls are going for $350 to $1,500 on eBay.) The late Queen Elizabeth II also received the Barbie honor in 2022 for her Platinum Jubilee. But don't bother doing a search for a Princess Diana Barbie — there isn't one, and never will be.
Diana refused to get the Barbie treatment
Jerry Oppenheimer, author of the book "Toy Monster: Inside the Big, Bad World of Mattel," recently dished to the New York Post about a little-known untold truth about Barbie. In 1996, hoping to expand the doll's image and reach, then-Mattel CEO Jill Barad sought to produce collectible Barbie editions of Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana. A source told Oppenheimer, "Jill felt it would give her and the company enormous prestige, because neither had ever given their authorization for an exclusive doll in their likeness." There was only one snag: The People's Princess refused to give permission, not wanting her image cheapened by a mass-produced toy.
After Diana's tragic death in 1997, Barad had Mattel's designers put together a prototype of a collectible doll, and approached the Princess Diana Memorial Fund for permission to license it for sale. That proved to be a dead end, since the Fund was already in talks with Hasbro about a similar project. Barad then sent the sample doll to Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, hoping to win her over. Anne Zielinski-Old, the designer of the doll, recalled McCorquodale's reaction: "It's the most beautiful Princess Diana doll, but she was horrified ... shocked that something could be so close to her sister in miniature." That put a permanent end to the Barbie-fication of Diana.
With the Hasbro deal also falling through, there has never been an authorized Diana doll, though the Franklin Mint and other companies have produced unauthorized versions over the years.
Not everyone is on board with the Camilla Barbie
For some royal fans, Queen Camilla has dropped her "villain" label by proving her dedication to both King Charles and to promoting good works. Others, however, still carry a grudge against the queen for carrying on an affair with Charles while he was still married to Princess Diana. The news of Camilla being honored with a special Barbie was met with mixed reactions on Instagram. Some were complimentary — "Couldn't possibly love this more" and "Amazing! Well done Queen Camilla" were among the nicer ones — but other commenters were less kind.
Snark abounded, with remarks such as, "Is this the new villain collection?" and "Does Barbie know where Kate [Middleton] is?" Some writers thought the doll looked nothing like the queen: "[C]amilla would be more than happy if she were this beautiful," said one. Another commenter questioned Camilla's appropriateness for an iconic doll representing girls' aspirations and power: "The woman who didn't work a day in her life until she stole someone else's husband and was forced to take on her responsibilities? How is she a role model for children or other [women]?" There were also a number of calls for a Diana version, presumably from followers who didn't know the whole backstory.
Don't look for a Camilla Barbie in your local Walmart or online; the doll gifted to the queen was a one-of-a-kind creation. Since it's more of a display piece than a toy, it's unlikely we'll see Princess Charlotte playing with it, either.