Books, films and television programs about Diana

[sandy]

The Queen and Earl Spencer met at the Fountain dedication and the Memorial Service for Diana and William's wedding. They were civil to one another. The Queen has had her share of issues in her own family and there have been feuds. Even the Queen Mum and Wallis met up a few times decades after the Abdication. The family had probably private moments .  I think Frances Shand Kydd had her own issues with the royals because she was deprived of viewing her daughter's body, she was practically the last one thought of.  There was not so great behavior on both sides. In future, Earl Spencer will duly be invited to Harry's wedding and events involving his nephews and his grandnephew and grandniece. The royals do keep up appearances no matter what.

[Trudie]

If I remember correctly most of the planning for Diana's funeral was done more by the courtiers and a committee to sort it all out. I believe it was the courtiers who most probably insisted the boys walk behind the coffin. The royals themselves it seems as Sarah and Diana revealed work for the courtiers and not the courtiers working for the royals and they are more grand than the royals themselves.

During that entire week I was glued to the TV and what was coming out of London. The Queen was right to keep the boys secluded at Balmoral and allowed to grieve and process their enormous loss. Earl Spencer was still in South Africa until a day or two before the funeral so he could have hardly been able to get to Balmoral anyway. I still remember the bewildered look on William and Harry's faces when they were seen outside of the gates at Balmoral to see the tributes could you have imagined if they had been in London that entire week?. I think the criticism leveled at the Queen was wrong she put duty aside and did what any grandmother would do and that was give the boys a safe harbor to mourn and support them the best way a family could in those circumstances.

[royalanthropologist]

The queen had the perfect response to Earl Spencers histrionics. Apparently when asked what she thought about his speech, she noted that he was entitled to say anything he felt since it was his sister's funeral.

Now, there is a woman that understands dignity and restraint; something that is alien to her godson.

[Trudie]

While a lot of points in the speech were truthful I think Charles Spencer was setting himself up to be able to exploit Diana and the public would buy into it. Which happened. Looking back now he says burying Diana at Althorp was to keep her safe. When he offered the cottage to her which he later withdrew he couldn't keep her safe while she was alive with a bolthole on the estate?. Diana was an inconvenience or a convenience while she was alive and HRH it has enable Charles Spencer opportunity's as a Journalist covering royal stories and other career opportunity's. The Queens response was as expected in dealing with an errant spoiled child. But then again The Queen has had more experience dealing with difficult people and has learned restraint and dignity is always the best in such situations.

[sandy]

I did appreciate that the Diana exhibit came to the US a few years ago. I visited it when it was in Philadelphia. Spencer of course later passed the exhibit materials on to William and Harry so they can also exhibit the items. I was very impressed with how it was set up and the wedding gown was spectacular in person (there was even a matching parasol on hand in case it rained!). I think it important to have exhibits such as this one. I favorably compared it to the Jackie Kennedy Onassis exhibit that was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Both were done extremely well.

[Trudie]

I appreciated the exhibit @sandy as well but, Charles Spencer did exploit Diana and he had to pass the exhibit materials to William and Harry as per the instructions in Diana's will it was all theirs once Harry turned 30. As long as he was able to possess the items it generated him a lot of money not to mention using Diana as a way when she was alive on various career moves. I still think it was pretty low of him to offer her a cottage and then withdraw it claiming it was too much but having no problem when she died to bury her there.

[sandy]

Earl Spencer is backtracking now. No matter who sponsored the exhibit, I did appreciate it. William and Harry are continuing exhibits. I hope they continue the idea of traveling exhibits for those who cannot get to London.

[Trudie]

I hope so too Sandy this is one way of keeping the legacy of Diana alive for those born who never knew Diana to learn about her and all the good she brought. William and Harry are not out to exploit their mother they are honoring her in not only what she was to them but to the people she brought comfort and hope to. Diana's biggest charitable legacies are AIDS and Landmines it was her fearlessness that brought these killers into the mainstream of awareness and look how far the fight against Aids has come it is not the death sentence it once was and Landmines well they have pretty much been banned all thanks to her.

[amabel]

The queen had the perfect response to Earl Spencers histrionics. Apparently when asked what she thought about his speech, she noted that he was entitled to say anything he felt since it was his sister's funeral.

Now, there is a woman that understands dignity and restraint; something that is alien to her godson.

who asked her about this contentious matter??

[royalanthropologist]

@amabel. Charles Spencer spoke about that in his recent press interviews. I think he wanted to ensure that people knew the queen was not devastated by his speech. The queen probably sees him as a godson who was very angry at the senseless way in which his sister died.

Some of the things he said at funeral were quite right and needed to be said. Diana was to an extended hunted and hounded by the press. William said someone in the paparazzi promised to hound her until the day she died and that he would piss on her grave for good measure. That can be unnerving for anybody, no matter how strong and experienced you are. Since Diana was no longer a core member of the royal family, they felt they could get away with anything.

Let me just say this. If my sibling came to me for a haven as she tried to run away from the press pack, I would more than be happy to welcome her. Althorpe Park is a big place. I think that house could have given her a bolthole from the tensions in KP. Why he never allowed her, I will never know.

Then there was a the Spencer tiara fiasco.  I know that it belongs to the spencer family but Diana was also part of the family. I do not see why she could not be allowed to wear it for state occasions like she used to. I am sure Diana did not wear that tiara every day. Charles Spencer was just being a rather selfish person in that respect.  He should have known that the tiara meant something to her, having been publicly rejected by the Windsors. At least it reminded her that she was part of a very old and distinguished family.

[amabel]

charles Spencer says tat he asked the queen what she thought of his speech??
an I know there's no point in saying this, but he didn't "deny her a bolthole".  but I've written about this subject many times.. as for the Tiara it belongs to him as head of the Spencer family.  When he and Diana had a bitter row, he asked for it back. 

[Trudie]

@amabel Charles Spencer offered her a cottage on the estate then withdrew the offer as it would be an intrusion with security and media. However he had no problem with the intrusion of visitors paying to see his exhibits and a glimpse of her grave and selling trinkets after her death. Everyone knew the Spencer Tiara belongs to him as head of the family but again he took it back out of spite knowing how much she wore it and identified her as a Spencer. Interesting to note neither of his subsequent wives had or has worn the tiara when he married them.

[sandy]

I wonder if his each of his daughters will wear the tiara when they get married. Or the respective future  brides of his two sons. I think Diana was annoyed because he made the offer of the cottage then withdrew it. If he had thought it out first before he  made the offer at all it would have been better. If it was not feasible he should not have made her the offer in the first place.

[sara8150]

William and Harry Find Tranquility at Their Mother's Resting Place, Says Diana's Brother: 'It's Their Time There'
Prince William and Prince Harry at Princess Diana's Resting Place

[amabel]

@amabel Charles Spencer offered her a cottage on the estate then withdrew the offer as it would be an intrusion with security and media. However he had no problem with the intrusion of visitors paying

Itwasn't a  a cottage, it wa the garden house.. and he withdrew the offer due to security issues. he then offered her other houses, on the estate but Diana was angry and would not consider other ones.  They ended up rowing and in the course of the Row he asked for the Tiara back

[sandy]

The other ones might not have been adequate.

[amabel]

Oh for goodness sake Sandy.. do you really think that Charles was going to offer her a tiny cottage that "wasn't adequate?"  He impulsively problaby suggested the Garden house which is a beautiful house which Diana raelly wanted..> Then, because of security issues (Her PPOS felt that it was too close to the perimeter and would be a nightmare to police safely) he withdrew the offer.  It was foolish of him, but Charles did offer her other places and she was the one who got in a temper and started a row over it.
Charles tried to defuse it by returning her angry letter unread, but she was not willing to compromise...

[royalanthropologist]

The interviews have had unintended consequences. The whole can of worms is now open with everyone coming out with their version. Perhaps the rededication memorial was the right way to go. The opening up to the media has  awakened old ghosts which might yet haunt Diana's family. I would not be surprised if any moment Burrel releases a statement about the whole thing.

[sandy]

Oh for goodness sake Sandy.. do you really think that Charles was going to offer her a tiny cottage that "wasn't adequate?"  He impulsively problaby suggested the Garden house which is a beautiful house which Diana raelly wanted..> Then, because of security issues (Her PPOS felt that it was too close to the perimeter and would be a nightmare to police safely) he withdrew the offer.  It was foolish of him, but Charles did offer her other places and she was the one who got in a temper and started a row over it.
Charles tried to defuse it by returning her angry letter unread, but she was not willing to compromise...

No way of knowing what those cottages were like, were they all the same?  So why would you think they were all alike? Or the circumstances. Something kept DIana from taking them. What it is, perhaps Spencer will tell us one day. Perhaps not.  It's like people looking for a house or apartment, the dwellings are examined and maybe Diana felt they were not right for her or had fewer rooms and so on. He should never offered her anything until he was absolutely sure. He offered it and then took it off the table.

[amabel]

What Kept Diana form taking them was a fit of temper and the fact that she didn't really IMO want to have a house in the country that badly.

[sandy]

Neither of us were "there" or know all motives.  Diana did crave a more secluded spot a bolthole so to speak. In any case they eventually made up the spat.

[amabel]

if Diana was really keen on the idea of a house in Althorp there were other houses, more secure then the Garden House, and Charles was offering them to her.  He tried to keep the row from escalating by refusing to read her letter.  But He has a temper as she has and It did escalate and he said some unkind things to her.
but I think she wan't that pushed about a country house, except for the boys' sake and for having a place to spend holdiays or weekends away from the press.  But the Garden house was NOT sutiable for this.

[royalanthropologist]

Not strictly on topic but I always felt that the divorce settlement was a bit of a dump squid although Diana tried to put a brave face on it. Had they had an amicable divorce, I think the royal family would not have been averse to either the HRH or even a country house. William and Harry were princes of the royal house and I am certain the queen would want them to stay in accommodation that suited their status. Unfortunately the people who advised Diana tried to go for the Hollywood divorce style which made the palace much less inclined to be generous. A total settlement of $50 million with a leased apartment is really peanuts to a man of Charles' means. He gets through that in a single year.

[amabel]

I doubt it.  he had to borrow form the queen to pay Diana off. And no, I don't believe she would have been allowed to keep the HRH, nad its unlikely they would have bought her a country house.

[sandy]

Indeed, Charles did have to borrow the money. I think Diana got a generous settlement, getting to keep the apartments at KP and a generous monetary amount.