As a Vogue editor and German princess related to the Queen, she influences what millions of women will wear every day.
So perhaps style editor Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, 32, was thrilled when her reach appeared to extend to a homeless person on the streets of Paris.
Posting a photo on the picture-sharing site Instagram, where she goes by the name elisabethtnt, she said: “Paris is full of surprises and @voguemagazine readers even in unexpected corners!”
When her post was criticised for being “cruel” and in “poor taste”, she was taken by surprise, replying: “Why cruel? The person to me is as dignified as anyone else!”
The post was removed five hours later and she apologised, writing on Twitter: “I wanted to extend my sincerest apologies for the offense [sic] my post has caused.”
The backlash on Instagram and Twitter ranged from mild astonishment to outright fury.
Scpilkenton wrote: “Really sad to poke fun at homeless people. I didn’t know people like you existed.” mary41647 wrote: “All you have done is proven that you lack a modicum of compassion for your fellow man — and are atrociously vainglorious.”
.@GraphicDesignNY @ElisabethTNT look again. Literally nothing offensive. Person could be down/out pursuing a dream. pic.twitter.com/R7SJC8LOZR— Nick Smith (@novalsi) March 8, 2015
But laumisteriosa wrote: “She’s not making fun of anyone. Be positive. She found beauty in the woman reading Vogue.”
Style news website Fashionista, which broke the story, branded her “disturbingly out of touch”.
“The things she writes, both in Vogue and on social media, often straddle the line between entertaining/aspirational and disturbingly out of touch. On Saturday she crossed that line,” it said.
Born into one of Germany’s wealthiest families, the princess, who has been a style editor-at-large for Vogue since 2012, has spoken of how her ancestry has “opened some doors” but that the expectations of others are “always higher”.
Vogue could not be reached for comment.
