Lorenzo Borghese ’95
JENI FLYNN HATTER
JENI FLYNN HATTER
get to meet a real “prince charming.” But hundreds of members of the Rollins community had that unique opportunity in January during an eagerly anticipated campus visit by Rollins’ own Prince Lorenzo Borghese ’95. Borghese, the son of Prince Francesco and Princess Amanda Borghese, is a prince by birth. And charming he is—an asset that no doubt helped him land the role of the ninth bachelor on ABC’s popular reality TV show The Bachelor. Borghese’s public talk at Rollins was his first since the television show catapulted him to instant stardom last fall. More than 250 people were on hand to hear his reflections on his experience on The Bachelor: Rome, his time at Rollins, and his career as an entrepreneur. It was a jam-packed two days on campus for the prince: in addition to his public appearance, he met with both Arts & Sciences and Crummer students; the Alumni Association hosted a reception in his honor; Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, presented The prince and the the former English major an honprincess: Borghese orary medal; Winter Park Mayor and Cinderella at Walt Disney World David Strong proclaimed Tuesday, January 23, 2007, “Lorenzo Borghese Day” in the City of Winter Park; and 15 lucky Rollins co-eds experienced the night of their dreams, dining with the dashing, yet down-to-earth celebrity as winners of a “dinner with the prince” contest—which students declared a “group date.”
(l-r) Steve Miller ’09, Lara Bueso ’07, Borghese, and Cat McConnell ’07
Borghese’s charisma has also served him well in the business world. After graduating from Rollins in 1995, he worked for American International Group, Inc. (AIG) while earning an MBA from Fordham University. In 2001, he launched Royal Treatment Italian Pet Spa, a company specializing in skin-care products for pets—not surprising for the grandson of Marcella Borghese of Princess Marcella Borghese Cosmetics fame. Borghese explained that his company, owned by MultiMedia Exposure, was born out of his personal desire to help his black Labrador retriever, Belle, who suffered from dry skin and didn’t respond well to other pet products. “She had a problem and I wanted to find a solution,” he said, aptly summarizing his life
40 ROLLINS ALUMNI RECORD
mission. With cosmetics in his blood and a desire to follow in his family’s footsteps, Borghese decided to let his entrepreneurial juices flow and create his own concoctions to help Belle. The outcome has been a highly successful luxury pet-care line that now includes nearly 100 products ranging from shampoos to treats to beds to odor removers—all made from natural ingredients. The pet-pampering products are available online, through the Home Shopping Network (HSN), and at more than 100 boutiques nationwide. Last year, in the midst of his business success, Borghese’s life took an unexpected twist when a friend suggested he try out for The Bachelor series. “I really didn’t think I’d be selected, but I was ready to settle down and saw it as an opportunity for a great new experience,” Borghese said. “Plus, I enjoy meeting new people. So when the role was offered to me, I thought to myself, ‘Why not take this chance?’” The 34-year-old Italian prince, who had not previously watched reality television shows, had a crash course during the six-week experience. “I had no idea what a huge production the show JENI FLYNN HATTER
ROLLINS’ PRINCE CHARMING ■ It’s not every day you
Borghese with some of the lucky winners of “dinner with the prince”
was. We would travel with 50 people to one location, while 50 more people were already waiting for me at another location.” He also learned a lot about Frascati, Italy— the location of the filming, and a town rich in Borghese history. “It was really interesting for me to spend time there and learn more about my heritage,” said Borghese, who was born in Italy but only lived there until he was 5 years old. While he didn’t walk away from The Bachelor with his future bride, Borghese enjoyed this once-in-alifetime experience—although he admits that adjusting to life in the public eye had its challenges. “The more success you have, the more you are going to get battered and people are going to try to pull you down,” he said. “You have to realize that they are acting out of jealousy. Just move on and forget about it. Rely on your family and friends, and do whatever it takes to be happy.” Now it’s back to business for Borghese, whose latest ventures involve creating a private-label line of pet products called Italian Pet Spa, which will launch at PETCO in July, and a community pet Web site called Nuzzleplanet.com, where people can post pictures and bulletin boards of their pooches and other pets. He also stays busy as a spokesperson for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). —Jeni Flynn Hatter