Diana pushed her wicked stepmother down the stairs and away from sick dad

[sara8150]

How Princess Diana pushed her 'wicked stepmother' Raine Spencer down the STAIRS because she was starved of attention (and how the Countess kept her away from her dying father)
Diana pushed her stepmother Raine Spencer down the stairs | Daily Mail Online
Double post auto-merged: August 11, 2017, 02:59:08 AM

Princess Diana's 'Wicked' Stepmother was a rollicking yarn – review
Princess Diana's 'Wicked' Stepmother was a rollicking yarn ? review

[royalanthropologist]

Poor Rainer. Diana ought to have known better as a 27 year old Princess of Wales.

On a lighter note...that hair reminds of the belles of the south. It really is something :hehe:

[amabel]

what has her being princess of Wales got to do with knowing that its' wrong to shove an elderly woman down stairs?

[royalanthropologist]

I think that a woman in that position of her age ought to have realized that it really was not appropriate behavior. Rainer could have been seriously hurt...and for what. Because she was not offering enough attention to Diana's mum? Even worse still, Diana seemed to have joked about it in her interviews with Settlen.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

Well, it seems the number and severity of stairs seem to expand and contract on the threads, so maybe it wasnt that many LOL.

She did seem quite pleased on the settlen tapes over it, however as she explained it, she was mad at both Raine and her father for their behavior towards Frances. She even said about must it always be so grim when mummy's around, do we always have to bring up the past (of course one could insert some delicious irony here given the way the C&D divorce went @royalanthropologist  :lol:).

I think ( i know, i know) that she was mad at both, but couldnt, or wouldnt do that to her father given his ill health, and it was a case of Raine wasnt blood so it was easier to lash out at her (another irony given Dianas fate at the hands of the RF) as I recall, but would need to rewatch for the exact words but it was all that pentup anger came out, remember Raine could be very cold to the Spencer kids, especially Charles and Diana, and while I think history has shown her correct, at the time they Spencer children felt she sold out their history at bargain prices to redecorate in her some would say retro, some would say garish, taste.

It couldnt have been that bad, they did make up shortly after the tapes were recorded. I think the tapes maybe gave Diana a chance to reflect on the situation and realize where she needed to grow, and im very proud of her for taking that step and thanking Raine for looking after Johnnie.

As for the stairs, whats the saying, love the person, not their choices

Heres something to think about, had Diana lived, I wonder if William or Harry would have repeated history on their weddings had Diana been greeted with the icy reception Frances got? :lol: :lol: :teehee: Sorry, now I cant get the image of one of them pushing Camilla down the stairs on the other brothers wedding day.

[Curryong]

If their mother had been treated as Frances was reputedly treated Harry would probably have reacted physically on William's wedding day. It might not have been a push downstairs but certainly something would have been said. Those boys adored their mother and still do.

[royalanthropologist]

William and Harry (as far as I can tell) are gentlemen. The idea of them reacting physically to Camilla seems far-fetched. Diana would have had a lot more problems than a failing marriage if Rainer had been seriously hurt. Impulsiveness was often her downfall. There is never an excuse for violence unless you are protecting life and limb.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

Yes, Diana was lucky when it came to things like that (remember Charles and the ashtray, its like a game of Clue, Royal Edition, hey maybe that should be a thing!!!.... Princess Diana, in the conservatory, with the ashtray...., although im sure short of Raine dying, all efforts would have been made to paper it over.

It was not one of Diana's red letter moments, that Spencer temper.......

[amabel]

It was pretty offish behaviour and she was lucky that it didn't cuase a real problem.

[michelle0187]

I was shocked when I heard that she shoved raine down the stairs. It's interesting how raine ended up being  good friends with di and francis was ghosted.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

It hit me today WHY the UK is going through this with the whole Raine and the stairs thing.....first I couldnt comprehend in what world the Spencer family thought they could get around this, but then I remembered......while Diana mentioned this in the Settlen tapes, that part was only broadcast in the US special, and not the UK version.

I can understand the papers and networks are worried about the harder libel laws in place in the UK, but geez louise its been an internet connected,hyperspace info world for over 20 years, its very disconcerting to see how divided still the US/UK public are on the info theyre exposed to, and correspondingly, the opinion they have on the royals is sorely affected by that, in the case of the UK, lack of info.

Even here on the forum ive been surprised by some people not accessing certain pieces of info thats been around for awhile.

We need free trade in info for our UK people.....

[TLLK]

It hit me today WHY the UK is going through this with the whole Raine and the stairs thing.....first I couldnt comprehend in what world the Spencer family thought they could get around this, but then I remembered......while Diana mentioned this in the Settlen tapes, that part was only broadcast in the US special, and not the UK version.

:goodpost:

More than likely this incident being told by Diana herself is why Spencer family would not want the tapes broadcast in the U.K.
Double post auto-merged: August 14, 2017, 03:25:07 AM

If their mother had been treated as Frances was reputedly treated Harry would probably have reacted physically on William's wedding day. It might not have been a push downstairs but certainly something would have been said. Those boys adored their mother and still do.

I truly hope that Harry or any other adult would never ever resort to violence against someone unless he was trying to protect himself or others. Saying something to a rude family member would be entirely appropriate IMO. Pushing someone down the stairs...never.

[LouisFerdinand]

In the photos of the Daily Mail I like the beautiful picture of Diana with Lady Frances.

[sandy]

This is old news. It has been out there for years. Raine and Diana made up in 1992 (at the time of John Spencer's funeral). Charles Spencer treated Raine cruelly ousting her from Althorp packing her things in plastic bags and putting them out.

[TLLK]

I dont know why some seem to refuse to believe falling/pushing and stairs connected with Diana's life, but it was confirmed by Diana herself and others who were there.

A fall down the stairs does not equal automatic hospitalization, I saw my mum fall down a whole flight of stairs and just be bruised, as was the case with Raine and Diana when they went down a flight of stairs.@Duch_Luver

Here is the link that you had requested @Duch_Luver_4ever. Raine's personal assistant is named Sue Howe and she explains where the incident took place in the video.

Princess Diana PUSHED her 'wicked' stepmother down the stairs | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV | Express.co.uk

[sandy]

I still don't get why this is beaten to death. What can be done now? Prosecute the dead Diana? Raine forgave her the two were close.

[Trudie]

Is this all you have to make Diana out to be a sinister unstable monster? this story has been rehashed and beaten to death. While I agree it was not appropriate behavior how many others have had an emotional lack of judgment and resorted to doing something you wouldn't normally do?. I don't condone Diana doing this but almost thirty years later what is the point both ladies are now dead and they chose to forgive and forget.
Double post auto-merged: September 23, 2017, 12:17:04 AM

Is this all you have to make Diana out to be a sinister unstable monster? this story has been rehashed and beaten to death. While I agree it was not appropriate behavior how many others have had an emotional lack of judgment and resorted to doing something you wouldn't normally do?. I don't condone Diana doing this but almost thirty years later what is the point both ladies are now dead and they chose to forgive and forget.

[royalanthropologist]

Well we are still discussing the evil things C&C did 30 years ago so what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

I am afraid I can find absolutely no justification for pushing your father's widow down the stairs. None at all and the attempts to minimize that incident speak of the hypocrisy that is inherent within the Diana industry.  This was not an isolated incident. Diana narrated it with a nonchalance that was disturbing. She was not contrite about it. Ditto for when she slapped her own father.

Nobody is trying to make Diana a "sinister unstable monster". All that TLLK did is to provide evidence for some people who once again were trying to pretend that the story did not exist or was somehow made up by Charles' people. Then you have the rather pathetic excuses of it not being a big fall. That was assault plain and simple. It is a testament to Rainer's temperament that she did not press charges.

[TLLK]

I still don't get why this is beaten to death. What can be done now? Prosecute the dead Diana? Raine forgave her the two were close.

@sandy- Please remember that you don't have to read the thread if you don't care for the discussion. :shrug:

[sandy]

I don't get why it's still being discussed. Just curious, what is the purpose? THere was closure. Raine and Diana made up. They are both dead now.
Double post auto-merged: September 23, 2017, 10:21:15 AM

Well we are still discussing the evil things C&C did 30 years ago so what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

I am afraid I can find absolutely no justification for pushing your father's widow down the stairs. None at all and the attempts to minimize that incident speak of the hypocrisy that is inherent within the Diana industry.  This was not an isolated incident. Diana narrated it with a nonchalance that was disturbing. She was not contrite about it. Ditto for when she slapped her own father.

Nobody is trying to make Diana a "sinister unstable monster". All that TLLK did is to provide evidence for some people who once again were trying to pretend that the story did not exist or was somehow made up by Charles' people. Then you have the rather pathetic excuses of it not being a big fall. That was assault plain and simple. It is a testament to Rainer's temperament that she did not press charges.

The reason being that C and C still cooperate with writers that trash a dead woman. It is not 30 years ago. It is just this year.

It is not a 'pathetic' excuse that it was a short fall.  How so? I know someone who fell down a flight of stairs and had to undergo extensive rehab. Big difference between a few steps and down a full flight. Various sources said it was on a Landing that Raine was on not a full flight of stairs.

That tape Diana made was like the Camillagate tape, it was never meant to see the light of day. The things said on the Camillagate tape were given a pass because it was not meant to be made public. LIkewise the Diana tape.

Is this tape designed to gather evidence and go to the police about it?  It's over and done with and both parties involved made up. No lawsuits, no criminal charges no nothing.

Diana's father and his children made up. And at the time he died he and Diana were close.

Raine apparently did not get all judgmental and finger pointing and understood the pressures Diana was under and said so in an interview before her death (see the obituary I posted about Raine that says so).

Charles and Camilla apparently still hold grudges judging by her interview and the two books written. Raine moved on ages ago and she and Diana became friends.

[Trudie]

Well we are still discussing the evil things C&C did 30 years ago so what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

I am afraid I can find absolutely no justification for pushing your father's widow down the stairs. None at all and the attempts to minimize that incident speak of the hypocrisy that is inherent within the Diana industry.  This was not an isolated incident. Diana narrated it with a nonchalance that was disturbing. She was not contrite about it. Ditto for when she slapped her own father.

Nobody is trying to make Diana a "sinister unstable monster". All that TLLK did is to provide evidence for some people who once again were trying to pretend that the story did not exist or was somehow made up by Charles' people. Then you have the rather pathetic excuses of it not being a big fall. That was assault plain and simple. It is a testament to Rainer's temperament that she did not press charges.

I never said the story didn't exist however as you mentioned this was not an isolated incident Just how many other people do you happen to know Diana pushed down the stairs?. 

[TLLK]

I don't get why it's still being discussed. Just curious, what is the purpose? THere was closure. Raine and Diana made up. They are both dead now.

@sandy-This site is a royal discussion forum. Members have discussed the various events in the lives of deceased royals (Tudors, Romanovs, Habsburgs, Windsors etc...) and living ones (ie Denmark's Prince Henrik's behavior, remarks and dementia diagnosis.) That includes events/relationships that had closure with the death of the royal or are still ongoing. IMO it is part of what makes a site attractive to members and encourages ongoing discussion. In my experience,  I've noticed that sites that present only one point of view tend to have little participation.

Again if you don't care for the topic of discussion, you do not need to participate. :shrug:

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

Just have time to dip my toe in before work, but ppl arent trying to make Diana out to be a monster, theyre just discussing a historical royal event. If anyone should have blinders on about her, its me, and I can still love her, faults and all, I dont know why others cant talk about things like this, but we all love roasting C&C's chestnuts over an open fire, so to speak, so if we want to "enjoy" that we have to be able to at least endure talking about some of the less ideal aspects of Diana's life.

[royalanthropologist]

I am glad I am not the only one that thinks it a disservice to Diana to try to make her some sort of paragon of virtue whose every foible must be defended to the last.  Part of her appeal was that she was human and shared her humanity. She was not embarrassed telling people about some of the messes in her life. Some people found that appealing about her. Had she been a miss goody two shoes, she would nowhere be as popular as she became.

@Trudie. I did not mean that she pushed several people down the stairs. I meant it was not an isolated incident of acting irrationally and impulsively then regretting later on.

[TLLK]

but ppl arent trying to make Diana out to be a monster

@Duch_Luver_4ever -Thank you for stating this today. We all know there have been monsters  throughout human history. IMO and also others' opinions at this site, the late Princess of Wales does not fit the profile of a monster due to this impulsive act.

As was pointed out in earlier posts, there was discussion over in what part of the manor house did this incident occur and whether or not  this was an actual staircase or a few steps. One of the witnesses to the event has now shared this information in her interview.