In a book I’m reading, I came across this photo of British royal photographer Cecil Beaton and his friends Tilly Losch, Adele Astaire, Tallulah Bankhead, and Princess Polny.
Tallulah, many people know – a famous actress. Tilly Losch and Adele Astaire (Fred’s sister) were also dancers and actresses; Tilly also happened later to become the Countess of Carnarvon, and Adele was the daughter-in-law of the Duke of Devonshire.
But who was this Princess Polny? There are only four Google hits on her name, and all of them lead to the photo. At some point someone knew her and captioned it, but other than that reference, she seems to be lost to history. Or at least, the Internet does not record her history. Perhaps she’s in Burke’s Peerage or something, does anyone know?
My guess is “Princess” is a stage name or a nickname or is actually her given name. I’d think if she was the princess of something, the internet would contain more than a single reference to her.
Pardon my use of AI, but this is what I pulled from it:
*She is Polleen Wheatland Peabody, an American socialite known by the nickname “Polly.” *
“Princess Polny” does not correspond to any officially recognized royal title. The moniker may have been a playful or affectionate nickname, possibly a misinterpretation or variation of “Polly,” used within social circles of the time."
Perhaps this can help lead to more authoritative answers?