David rebuked her, righteously, and God punished her for her remarks.
12-16 It was reported to King David that God had prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household because of the Chest of God. So David thought, “I’ll get that blessing for myself,” and went and brought up the Chest of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, celebrating extravagantly all the way, with frequent sacrifices of choice bulls. David, ceremonially dressed in priest’s linen, danced with great abandon before God. The whole country was with him as he accompanied the Chest of God with shouts and trumpet blasts. But as the Chest of God came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, happened to be looking out a window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before God, her heart filled with scorn.
17-19 They brought the Chest of God and set it in the middle of the tent pavilion that David had pitched for it. Then and there David worshiped, offering burnt offerings and peace offerings. When David had completed the sacrifices of burnt and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies and handed out to each person in the crowd, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then everyone went home.
20-22 David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to greet him: “How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today—exposing himself to the eyes of the servants’ maids like some burlesque street dancer!” David replied to Michal, “In God’s presence I’ll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God’s people, over Israel. Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory—more recklessly even than this. And as far as I’m concerned...I’ll gladly look like a fool...but among these maids you’re so worried about, I’ll be honored no end.”
23 Michal, Saul’s daughter, was barren the rest of her life.
—THE MESSAGE VERSION
Perhaps it’s save to say that . . . the age old question about
do they wear anything under kilts . . . applies . . .
Probably no Jockeys nor Fruit of the Loom.
during all that whirling and leaping.
Depends on the translation as far as I can tell: NIV has Michael saying "disrobing in the sight of his slave girls", NAS has "uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants" and Douay-Rheims has "uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and was naked, as if one of the buffoons should be naked".
Your mileage may vary according to translation.
As far as having royal pretensions, David basically did an in your face! to her by saying (in verse 21) "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel--I will celebrate before the LORD."
What I'm not sure of is whether her barrenness was due to the Lord or to David giving her the cold shoulder: he certainly had enough other women to choose from as time went on. (See also Bathsheba and Nathan's warning to David in 2 Samuel 12; and the fulfillment of verse 16, during Absalom's rebellion, when David's counselor Ahithophel's directed that Abasalom sleep with all of David's concubines.)
Cheers!