Beyond billionaires: The enduring influence of aristocratic taste

Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon, the current disputed head of the Imperial House of France and heir of Napoleon Bonaparte, standing aside the mausoleum of Napoleon Bonaparte in Les Invalides, Paris.

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Chapter I: The Tome of Taste

The story of aristocratic taste is not a fleeting Instagram post-it is a weighty leather-bound tome, embroidered with the insignia of old bloodlines and punctuated with codes of conduct, dress, and decorum. To illustrate, allow me to introduce Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon-descendant of the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte I himself. His bearing? Suave, measured, aristocratically aloof. Educated MBA at Harvard Business School and the Sorbonne, he does not merely wear a suit-he inherits it. Tailored in Paris, with lapels that recall the cavalry charge at Austerlitz, he is a walking reminder that elegance has always been an imperial strategy.

Jean-Christophe Napoleon Bonaparte, wed Countess Olympia, the great-great-great niece of the French Emperor's wife in Paris in October 2019. 

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When Jean-Christophe married Countess Olympia von Arco-Zinneberg, it was not a celebrity-fuelled spectacle but rather a symphony of dynastic harmony. The guest list read like a chapter from Debrett’s. There were no brand logos on display, only crests and signets. No one needed to know what watch he wore - because that watch had likely ticked its way through three generations.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice at Wimbledon 2022.

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Chapter II: Bloodline vs Bottom Line

The difference between the aristocrat and the billionaire is not merely one of net worth-it is one of instinct. Where the nouveau riche are taught, the dynastic are born. Consider Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the dashing husband of Princess Beatrice. Edo, as he is known among discreet circles, is not a social climber. He is a man born of Italian nobility, a descendant of Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, whose estate once surveyed Lake Como like a crowned eagle.

When Edo dresses, it is with the precision of one who has never known the panic of trying too hard. Double-breasted navy blazers, Turnbull & Asser shirting, suede loafers so understated they could pass for inheritance. You won’t find Edo on TikTok, because TikTok isn’t where legacies are built. He is at once a gentleman of the future and a mirror of the past.

HRH Prince Abdul Mateen.

@tmski/Instagram

Chapter III: The Heir and the Sultan’s Son

Now, shift your gaze eastward to the sun-drenched sovereignty of Brunei, where one HRH Prince Abdul Mateen upholds both Malay nobility and military dignity. His taste? Impeccable. His grooming? Flawless. Yet it is his bearing-grounded, gallant, and profoundly humble-that makes him a study in dynastic power. Whether clad in ceremonial uniform or a sharply cut Neapolitan jacket, Prince Mateen understands that one's wardrobe is an extension of one’s code.

During the Coronation of King Charles III, it was not merely Mateen's regalia that drew attention-it was his manner. He stood not as a guest, but as a sovereign soul among peers. His presence spoke of royal academies, not PR firms. Of tradition, not trend.

And while some may be quick to label him a ‘royal heartthrob,’ we at GC see in him something far more enduring: the weight of bloodline expressed with modern restraint. In the age of flash, he remains faithful to form.

HH Maharaja Padmanabh Singh.

Instagram

Chapter IV: Jaipur’s Young Maharaja

Let us now turn to Jaipur-where the storied Pink City yields a prince as photogenic as he is principled: His Highness Padmanabh Singh. Educated at Mayo College and Millfield, His Highness (or "Pacho" to those close enough to know better) not only embodies heritage-he gallops with it.

A competitive polo player, he has graced both the Cartier Polo Cup and the covers of fashion glossies-not because he sought it, but because style seeks him. Whether in a Bandhgala or Tom Ford tuxedo, Pacho's elegance is never performative. He is, after all, heir to one of India’s most respected royal houses. The halls of the Rambagh Palace echo not with ambition, but expectation.

One recalls the time he was spotted at a gala in Florence: not in garish designer excess, but in an ensemble echoing his Rajasthani roots-ivory silk kurta, vintage cufflinks, and jodhpurs worn with the nonchalance of a man who grew up knowing silver cutlery by its weight, not its price.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, and a son of the late US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

The New Yorker.

Chapter V: The Weight of a Good Name

A good name, dear reader, cannot be purchased. It must be curated over generations. It is polished like heirloom silver and protected like crown jewels. While billionaires purchase luxury cars and yachts, dynasts steward estates-both literal and metaphorical. They are caretakers of values, not consumers of culture.

Consider, if you will, the concept of the family crest. It is not branding-it is burden. A Blackwell crest hangs above my fireplace at our ancestral home in the Cotswolds, and with it, a Latin motto that translates roughly to: "Excellence is assumed." This is not arrogance; it is obligation.

And that, dear reader, is the crux. The aristocratic man dresses not to impress, but to express-a commitment to continuity, a reverence for restraint. The double cuffs, the silk ties, the quiet timepieces-they are not statements, but signatures.

His Excellency Count Nikolai of Monpezat, member of the Danish royal family.

Instagram.

Chapter VI: Lineage Dressing and the Codes of Silence

What we call "lineage dressing" is not a fashion trend-it is a philosophy. It resists the temptations of the moment and instead echoes the tastes of one's forebears. To dress like an heir is to understand that true elegance exists beyond the scope of visibility.

No monograms. No flex. Only finesse.

And while billionaires may throw galas to assert status, the dynastic man hosts suppers. Quiet, candlelit affairs where the seating arrangement carries more power than a headline. He speaks five languages, but never raises his voice. He may own a Rolls-Royce, but prefers his father’s Bentley.

In his wardrobe? A blue blazer that saw him through Eton, Sandhurst, and two coronations. A watch gifted by a godfather who once shared a foxhunt with King Olav of Norway. And shoes that have seen more history than most entire start-ups.

Final Reflection: A Conservatory Contemplation

As I pen this column from the conservatory of my family estate-flanked by climbing roses, with my Irish setter asleep at my feet-I consider the truth that lingers long after trends fade: the aristocratic taste is not extinct. It is, in fact, essential.

Jean-Christophe, Edo, Mateen, and Pacho, Bobby Kennedy, Nikolai are not anomalies; they are reminders. Reminders that taste is not stitched in factories, but passed through blood. That tradition is not a prison, but a privilege. And that legacy, properly lived, is the most exquisite taste of all.

So the next time you consider what it means to be truly tasteful, ask not what brand you wear, but what story you continue.

Yours in impeccable taste and timeless tradition,

Harrison Montgomery Blackwell III
Style Writer, Gentleman's Code Magazine