We knew we wanted to write about the life and times of Mona Baptiste but as we found out more about her life the anecdotes and material piled up. One little story particular caught our attention.
Mona was touring as vocalist with Cab Kaye’s band. As was often the case in those days it could be difficult for black musicians to find accommodation when they were on tour (the difficulty of finding accommodation was not unique to musicians of course). Checking into a hotel in Nottingham, Mona became aware that her needs were being overlooked, black women may sympathise with the feeling of invisibility that Mona must have experienced. She felt the need to give Cab a nudge ‘what about the Princess?’ she asked.
And there we had it, the perfect title for our book!