Princess Theodora von Auersperg

I don’t watch much television. 

It’s not because I’m a snob, but because I am very busy with my company, but every time I have a spare moment to see what’s on, I find myself amazed and gratified and the wonderful, beautiful women who are proving every day that the concept of beauty does not have an alarm clock.

Anjelica Huston, who at age 61 is starring in ABC’s Smash, is the very picture of ageless beauty. Her grace and strength shine through in her every movement and her sex appeal is strong enough to see her character in a romantic storyline. She doesn’t just play a wealthy and powerful woman, but a desirable one, as well. Some might say it would be a risk to cast someone at her age in such a role, but watching her would definitely convince them otherwise. Her eyes glow with the radiance of a woman whose youth is embodied by her outlook and attitude, and not by the calendar.

I also find myself drawn to Helen Mirren, an Academy Award winning actress who at age 65, was cast as a ruthless yet loving former CIA assassin in RED, an acronym that stood for Retired and Extremely Dangerous. As dangerous as she looked behind a sniper rifle is as beautiful as she looked in an evening gown, romancing a Russian spy. When a major studio like Warner Bros. sees a female in such a diverse role, they are sending a message that women can be as exciting in their 60s as they are in their 20s.

And I simply cannot overlook 52-year-old Valerie Bertinelli who came into the public eye as a child star in the 1970s comedy One Day at a Time, and is now starring on another hit show Hot in Cleveland. She still carries the charm she did as a child, while showing the strength of character befitting a mature woman. Attractive and vibrant as she is, however, her dynamic is still overshadowed ever so slightly by her cast mate, 90-year-old Betty White. Her character, a youthful and impulsive free spirit who speaks her mind as sharply as a woman half her age, is more than just comic relief. It is a testament to the fact that a woman need not be a slave to Father Time. Her popularity, and her busy schedule, are not a novelty. Her vibrancy and enthusiasm for life are evident in everything she does on and off the screen.

Women like this inspire me and make me realize how lucky I am to be a woman in a world that can celebrate such ageless beauty.