Dickie Arbiter's Book: on His Time w/Prince Charles, Diana & Other Royals

Started by Limabeany, August 03, 2014, 10:16:49 AM

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amabel

Yes I quite agree. I think that if he ahs accepted large gifts from Gary, he's foolsh.

cinrit

I think if he'd accepted large gifts from Uncle Gary, we'd have heard about it.  The only thing I've ever heard of him/them "accepting" was a stay at Uncle Gary's place.  But does that come under the heading of "gift" (vacation) or "visiting a relative" (which is quite common)?

Cindy
Always be yourself.  Unless you can be a unicorn.  Then always be a unicorn.

In All I Do

I want to be very clear, so that I'm sure that I understand. William should have been very careful and not accepted gifts (namely a vacation at Gary's villa.. in 2006) because Gary was going to be caught in an embarrassing scandal... in 2009.

So, basically, William's biggest sin in this matter is that he's... not actually psychic?

Or perhaps I'm mistaken, and there were vacations after 2009, or GaryGaffes before 2006?

amabel

I don't know because frankly Will does not interest me much. but it sounds like he has accepted stuff form Gary and G is a bit of a black sheep and not someone he should really be seen spending much time with or taking freebies from

Double post auto-merged: September 20, 2014, 07:11:07 PM


Quote from: cinrit on September 20, 2014, 02:11:10 PM
I think if he'd accepted large gifts from Uncle Gary, we'd have heard about it.  The only thing I've ever heard of him/them "accepting" was a stay at Uncle Gary's place.  But does that come under the heading of "gift" (vacation) or "visiting a relative" (which is quite common)?

Cindy
Well holidays are tricky.  Diana's taking  holiday from Moh Al Fayed didn't look good.  Fergie accepting a lot of freebies from rich friends, ditto.  IIRC Charles was criticised for accepting hospitality from people who were maybe not that controversial but just enough to make it look like he should be careful with them.  And while I simply cant' find it very interesting to follow Will's life I'm assuming he DID take holidays from Gary because there has been talk about it?

sandy

The Queen could have vetoed the Fayed cruise but approved it.

Kate probably told Will about the "cool" place her Uncle had and William went there.

TLLK

Quote from: Adrienne on September 20, 2014, 02:38:46 PM
I want to be very clear, so that I'm sure that I understand. William should have been very careful and not accepted gifts (namely a vacation at Gary's villa.. in 2006) because Gary was going to be caught in an embarrassing scandal... in 2009.

So, basically, William's biggest sin in this matter is that he's... not actually psychic?

Or perhaps I'm mistaken, and there were vacations after 2009, or GaryGaffes before 2006?
I'm sure there is more than one public figure who wishes that they were psychic. :wink:

Limabeany

So, Gary was an upstanding citizen when Kate introduced William to him with no shady past? If he was, then the "psychic" bit presented by you two would hold much weight. Otherwise, it doesn't take a psychic to know that William and the Middletons should have known better than to put him in that position.
"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female'." Diana Vreeland.

Limabeany

"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female'." Diana Vreeland.

TLLK

Quote from: Limabeany on September 23, 2014, 12:37:43 AM
So, Gary was an upstanding citizen when Kate introduced William to him with no shady past? If he was, then the "psychic" bit presented by you two would hold much weight. Otherwise, it doesn't take a psychic to know that William and the Middletons should have known better than to put him in that position.
I didn't mention William in my post. I said that there would be more than one public figure that wished they were psychic and that I do believe is true.

Limabeany

It read like William was included in that group. But, back on Le Topic, pliiiiiiz...  :happy15:

"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female'." Diana Vreeland.

TLLK

You are right we do need to steer it back on track. Fasten your seatbelt! I'm going to make a hard right turn.  VVVRRROOOMMM!!!

Limabeany

Meep Meep!  :happy15: :hug:

Latest Installment (2nd): Diana and Charles's ex-press chief reveals advice he gave her on morning kiss-and-tell was published | Daily Mail Online
Quote
I was also deeply saddened by what I saw and heard in the Panorama piece. I knew from my own split from my first wife in 1977 how difficult a crumbling marriage could be. It is something I can't imagine having to endure under a global spotlight.
Granted, Diana delivered a masterful performance, but I also couldn't help but be moved by the authentic vulnerability and pain exhibited throughout the interview.

At the end of the day, the woman who had sat down with Martin Bashir was a devoted young mother who had suffered the prolonged and heartbreaking disintegration of her marriage, and who now seemed to be above all lonely.

I had always had my doubts that Prince Andrew's marriage was going to last, but the breakdown of the Waleses' union upset me greatly. I knew with certainty that at one point there had not only been a strong connection between the two, but genuine love and adoration.

More than once, Diana told me that she had never wanted a divorce. She had, after all, been a child of divorce herself.

Unfortunately, their marriage was insatiable scrutiny from day one.

No doubt this contributed to its very public 'he said/she said' deterioration which sadly forced them to call an end to their marriage once and for all.
"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female'." Diana Vreeland.

cate1949

pretty innocuous - no big revelations - really not bashing Di or Charles.

Must not have been so great working for them under these circumstances

story about the Queen - note he does not reveal the conversations - and it is a nice bit of a story

Limabeany

"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female'." Diana Vreeland.

cate1949

he could not be more discrete - more respectful - he reveals nothing but his own feelings  - a minor story about Edward which reveals that the RF did not quite understand how to respond to all this - while they themselves must have been in shock.  Certainly nothing shocking at all or anything really new. 

I admit that reading it I felt this utter disgust with the media - who clearly hyped and deliberately manipulated the public creating an atmosphere of hysteria - and they still do it - the exaggeration - the manipulation all to boost their earnings.  It is so obnoxious and destructive -

Limabeany

I think you are right, he is quite respectful and considerate in his judgements, however, having witnessed the mood back then, the media was, as it rarely does, reflecting the mood of the people, more than manipulating it.
"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female'." Diana Vreeland.

cate1949

I trust your assessment Limeabeany - I was under the impression that everyone later felt manipulated - so it is interesting to read your comment. Not having been there - I accepted that the reaction against the RF and especially the Queen was a media thing.  But you would say there was an honest unhappiness with the RF's response among the people?

TLLK

Quote from: Limabeany on September 23, 2014, 11:13:51 AM
I think you are right, he is quite respectful and considerate in his judgements, however, having witnessed the mood back then, the media was, as it rarely does, reflecting the mood of the people, more than manipulating it.
Limabeany what do you remember from that time? 

TLLK

Quote from: cate1949 on September 23, 2014, 11:00:41 AM
he could not be more discrete - more respectful - he reveals nothing but his own feelings  - a minor story about Edward which reveals that the RF did not quite understand how to respond to all this - while they themselves must have been in shock.  Certainly nothing shocking at all or anything really new. 

I admit that reading it I felt this utter disgust with the media - who clearly hyped and deliberately manipulated the public creating an atmosphere of hysteria - and they still do it - the exaggeration - the manipulation all to boost their earnings.  It is so obnoxious and destructive -
Regarding his account of those days, I agree that he focuses more on his own reaction. The story with Edward is  interesting as it appears the BRF was unsure of how to proceed with the nation's mood. Prior to Diana's death unless the individual was a very senior royal (monarch/consort) most funeral arrangements would have been more private and low key. Diana was no longer married to Charles so I can see why the BRF was ready to have the Spencer family take care of arrangements.

amabel

It would have been entirely proper for the Spencers to have organised the funeral, as indeed tey wanted to do, but clearly the public mood was such that it was not going to work out, they had to allow Di a public funeral...As for the media, I don't believe at the time of Di's death they were "creating the mood".  People not all but a lot WERE genuinely hyped up and emotional.  The media may have encouraged that, but hardly could be said to create it.

lilibet80

After I recovered from hearing the news about Diana's death, I recall expecting the Spencers, or more particularly Lord Charles, to hold a press conference regarding the funeral arrangements.  I also believed that Diana's family would take control of the proceedings.  I was somewhat amazed at the outpouring of grief from the people of Britian.  I never even entertained the thought that it was not real.  It was real alright.  The whole world was grieving and in the end I think having a public royal funeral was the right thing to do. 

amabel

I think that was what the Spencers wanted, a private funeral but when they saw the reaction to Di's death, they felt it was not fair to deprive the public of the chance to say goodbye to her.. However the grief mood while intense didn't really last....

lilibet80

Seeing to the funeral would have been a normal family response to such a tragedy. I think this was the attitude of the Queen, who viewed Diana as her divorced-daughter-in law and naturally expected the Spencers to take over.  I think she got the shock of her life.

FanDianaFancy

Agreed lillbet.

PD  and the "mode didn't last," well, when QEII dies, there will be  outpouring of  sorrow  from her subjects  in that she   did well as  Qof their country  and  sacrifiice.
It  will not last  ...time YES goes on.

The media did not create the PD sorrow. The people of her country generally felt that. No doubt most people did.


cate1949

I was just about to leave for college (US speak for Uni) when it happened and we were actually packing the trunk when I heard the news - all that excitement in my young life - I barely paid attention to any of it - did not even know she was in Paris did not watch the funeral etc.  So my knowledge is all from watching the video of the funeral and what people write but - many years later - listening to Brit colleagues who seemed to have been a little embarrassed by it all.

I do think that it is interesting to see how public opinion about the RF and HM's behavior in particular has changed from  some anger at the lack of RF presence to an understanding that HM was really where she needed to be - with her grandson's.  I do think that movie - The Queen - really did change public opinion on that.