It's a right royal pain: reality TV and dreams of enchantment

And for all the superficial differences between the outwardly poised princesses and the synthetic sexuality of the Paris Hilton clan, it's worth noting that not even Hilton and Jessica Simpson, dubbed by Cosmopolitan's editor-in-chief, Mia Freedman, as the "poster girls of raunch culture", are immune to the lure of princessdom.

Hilton, who has described herself as "American royalty", allegedly wrote to Prince Charles earlier this year to request permission to marry her former fiancé, Paris Latsis, at St Paul's Cathedral or Westminster Abbey - venues traditionally reserved for British royals or heads of state.

Simpson, meanwhile, is renowned for her "princess"-like behaviour. Twenty-year-old Zena Alliu, one of the most enthusiastic Australian Princess contestants, describes her ideal Prince Charming as "just like [Simpson's husband] Nick Lachey - he puts up with anything".

Unlike Mary, Paris or Jessica however, the upside of reality television is that we also get to see the wannabe Australian princesses when they're off duty, doing shots at the same bar where Mary met Fred that night during the 2000 Olympics, making snide remarks at the snobby advisers, or chatting among themselves in their bedrooms.

And, funnily enough, that's when they seem truly worth knowing - not when they're pouring those perfect cups of tea.