I got so bored living in Paris as exiled royalty that in 1961, at age 23, I eloped to New York with clothing manufacturer Howard Oxenberg, who was 20 years older than I and had been married before. My father disinherited me, and he and my mother never forgave me.

My parents could never adjust to exile, and adamantly continued to live as though they were still ruling royalty. They expected their children to live that way, too, including not going to college, not being allowed to work and not marrying anyone they didn't approve of.