Was a blue suit Dianas fav suit for Charles to wear?

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

I saw on tumblr a possible answer to a question I always had, someone said, and I've always held this opinion that it was disrespectful of Charles to wear a blue suit walking behind Dianas casket, but someone said that it was her fav color suit of his, I wondered if that was true or not? I know she liked him to dress smartly and expressed a lot of input that was not always taken up.

[michelle0187]

it could be true. the sources of charles doing this and that after her death reeked of desperation. that blue suit story sounds like the one where he refused to have her go with just one wearing one earring. not sure if this is true either.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

It could be, I know its just a tumblr blogger so who knows if it was accurate or not. He certainly was desperate to turn his fortunes around from the scathing he took from the public during that time. While I think most of that was deserved, and richly so, maybe its my age, but im also grateful,whatever his motives were, for his efforts in Diana getting the funeral she did. It was important for the world that she be sent off in a better manner than some ordinary funeral out of sight, etc. We all wanted to say goodbye to her and for her to go in a style according to her station in life. If Diana could thank Raine for her looking after Johnny post-stroke, I should be able to thank him for that.

So the suit was always a question for me, I remember on the day it made me angry that he didnt wear black, it may not have been his intention but it made him seem he didnt care as much as the others. Youd think with all the grief he had, hed try to not upset ppl needlessly like that. The govt diaries that have been released after the fact show they got the kids to walk behind otherwise the PoW wouldnt walk behind, his safety was feared for that much. Im told much verbal abuse was heaped on him on the walk down, it was probably an eye opener for one so used to people fawning over him.

[sandy]

At some point he was trying to act as "grieving" widower when he was not a widower but the divorced husband. I never bought into it. It was obvious it was fake when the arsenal of Diana bashing came out from Penny Junor (Jephson said Charles got a copy of the manuscript) less than a year after she died. And since then there has been more Diana bashing. Plus William was used in 1998 to try to promote Camilla Parker BOwles. I read that when Charles and Diana's sisters came to France to bring back Diana's body to the UK, a woman bystander thought Sarah was Mrs Parker Bowles and screamed 'have you no shame'.  I think it was too little and too late re: Charles being "compassionate" about Diana.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

Well true he did use the occasion to help his position and one can question his concern over her personally vs, having the boys see him as doing right by her. But im curious if the rumor of Diana preferring him in his blue suit is true or not or did he wear it for some other reason? Poor Sarah, getting confused for Camilla, given Sarahs biting temper and tongue id love to know what she said to her LOL.

[Trudie]

I had read that as well Diana liked Charles in a blue suit. True or not Charles did go out of his way it seems to turn public opinion of him into positives such as going to France to retrieve her and bringing a royal standard to cover her casket. Wearing a Blue suit as a tribute to her I'm not sure but I really don't believe he mourned her either as it was revealed his first thoughts were " They will blame me" blue was a safe alternative color and that spin to placate the public.

[sandy]

Charles went into overdrive with the Camilla campaign about "Diana's sons" accepting Camilla., less than a year after their mother died. Junor wrote Charles Victim or VIllain and Charles got a copy of the MS before it was published, Jephson reported. I think Charles was a great big phony and worried about himself. I always wondered 'what's he doing there' when he came to claim Diana's body.

[Trudie]

IMO once Diana was declared deceased as I have said Charles first thought is they will blame me. Charles went into overdrive during that emotional weak trying to show he cared for his ex wife after years of indifference, humiliating her and hoped people would forget his words to Dimbleby he never loved her. I remember he was terrified of his first engagement after the funeral and how he would be received it was top news and it was then he was called her widower which he was not he was and always will be her ex husband. In less then a year he had introduced his grieving children to the mistress who made their mother's life a total misery.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

 :goodpost: thanks for the posts, im guessing in one of the books theres prob a passing mention of her pref for him in blue suits, dont have the time to check it out, but its plausible for sure. I'm surprised though that the press secretaries wouldnt have jumped on it and made sure the TV and radio mentioned it, as im sure im not the only one to have thought that. With the uphill battle he had for improving his image, he needed all the help he could get.

The issue of Charles and the grieving is a complex one. I think @Trudie  is spot on, he probably didnt grieve terribly about her, (he liked the DM article about him sobbing alone at balmoral, withdrawing the complaint against it, as it was brought by someone to the PCC as an example of the medias bad behavior). But im sure because of the boys and his image he wanted to be seen properly, although things like that widower foolishness was trotted out by the Bolland backed press.

During the week between her death and burial, the police told the PoW he would be jeered at or worse, and that he should not appear in London during that time. There was real and grave concerns for his safety, although given the comical way Britons seem to just play at attacking their leaders (blanks shot at the queen, sneaking into BP but not doing anything, etc.) they probably worried for nothing, but Charles had written letters to the boys in case the worst happened. IMO it was only the boys that kept him safe from harm, as what monster would want to make the boys see that on the day theyre walking their mum to WA? I doubt even the blackest heart in the deepest jail wouldnt think of that.

While I doubt his motives, I am still grateful for having her sent off in the fashion she was. I rewatched it on the 31st, and while very difficult, it was very moving and healing, but it did remind me of the suit question.