Diana, 7 days and the walk behind the coffin

All this talk about the succession! As has been said, it's not a decision by popular vote, its a done deal and unless he dies or abdicates ( extremely unlikely!!) It will be P.C, thank goodness. The thought of reluctant disloyal P.W, is a bit grim!
Yes I'm sick of the Diana mania being dragged up again, and I find it sad and distasteful that her sons have allowed this to happen, even to the detriment of their own father, which I find shameful! Whatever the problems were, he doesn't deserve public condemnation all over again, which these two knew perfectly well would be the outcome of this 'memorial'; manipulation from the grave?!! I agree she was an extremely foolish young woman not least of all for a) leaving that hotel in the first place, with the paparazzi baying at the door and b) for not wearing a seat belt which was mandatory even in those far off days.

She didn't wear a seat belt because she was watching the photographers through the rear window of her car ,

As for her sons - I wish they were still not being referred to as her boys- they are certaintly following their mother with the let me share my pain with you and I feel your pain

Miep1 I agree with all you say,lets hope this is the last we hear of her,her family SHOULD mourn but in private like the rest of the world mourns losing a mother..not whipping up all this nonsense again

I probably shouldn't have returned to this thread but was drawn by the fact that it was still running with so many posts. Honestly people, those of you posting the nastiest things, venting over matters of which you cannot have more knowledge than that gained through the media, which you have so much disdain for otherwise. You really need to shut yourselves away in a room for an afternoon with a cup of camomile tea and just think why it is that you feel you can pronounce on the lives and behaviour of others. And if, as I imagine many of you live under a Christian umbrella, maybe just ask yourselves 'what would Jesus say' because he wasn't big on condemnation along with most of the world religions. Once upon a time, toleration was an important British value but it seems to have disappeared. Dealing with grief is one of the hardest tasks we face as humans and lashing out at others who do it differently really helps no one, neither does it help you deal with your own pain.

I agree with all your very good balanced posts nigglynellie and I must add, that I don't think the two boys should have had to walk the streets following the gun carriage pulling their Mother's coffin.It would have been enough for them to simply arrive for the ceremony.
I don't think that reviving it all 20 years on has done the Royals any favours.

And you Azie are judging posters who you know nothing of, I suggest a cup of camomile tea for you and a quiet room . Most on this forum have suffered grief , doubt that orcurred to you when you gave your lecture on it

^What paddyann said.^^

I agree Azie09 - and of course, like you I'm sure, have sadly had to suffer grief.

I have no respect for the royal family and never have had,I think the monarchy is an out of date concept for the 21st century and I believe these young men ,Dianas sons are using her death in an effort to gain publicity again and keep them in the positions they have .Lets face it they're not really hard workers or qualified to do much else ..they may protest they dont like the media attention but their mother did the same and yet it was she who often contacted them with details of where and when she 'd be somewhere and who with...speaks volumes .Time we got rid of them all.A president would be elected,and could be got rid of if he didn't do his job well ..he wouldn't have the money thats thrown at the royals ever willing hands or the number of homes etc .There are presidents in countries who are our neighbours Ireland for instance who do a damn good job without all the fawning and idolatry the royals expect

I agree lemongrove that those two, then children, shouldn't have walked behind the coffin but met the cortege at the beginning of the ceremony. But twenty years ago, I don't think anyone thought that there was anything wrong with them doing this, after all, at JFK's funeral, both his very young children attended with John John aged 3 saluting his father's coffin! Now that was a tear jerker! Apparently, neither of these siblings ever spoke of it or how they felt. Probably for the best!!
Yes, I think most of us have suffered chronic grief, some at an early age, which we have all coped with in our own way with, or in my case without camomile tea, and anniversaries can make you feel down decades later, but you just have to keep on top of grief, hard though it is, else grief will get on top of you, and you'll emotionally drown.

Good grief, the Beeb have a play next Monday, something about the effect of her death on four people ,

"The French were upset at the time; they quite liked 'Lady Dee' but after a week or so they moved on to other things."

Not sure that is quite true Miepl. Paris Match over the last weeks has covered the Diana story both inside the magazine and on the front cover. The French are still obsessed with her memory.

She transcended class, race, religion, that is why her appeal was timeless and universal.

can I just ask a question of all you Diana "supporters" IF she had been YOUR daughter would you have been happy and proud of the way she behaved? The manipulation,the loading her problems onto her teenage son,the men ,the courting publicity etc etc..if she's been mine I'd have locked her up until she sorted her head out and behaved like the mother her children SHOULD have had ,not the one she inflicted on them.Then she might still have been around for those gc everyone says she would have been a wonderful granny to.

My daughter has done some far worse things. A mothers love is unconditional, regardless of whether you agree with what they do.
Actually, I don't believe Diana did anything terrible. I would be more ashamed of Charles, if I was his mother.

her affairs with married men is acceptable ?

As acceptable as Charles' affair with Camilla, I would say, which supposedly was with the full blessings of the rest of the royals.

Wow calm down ladies, so much vitriol going on here! So many assumptions being made about the characters of those being discussed. I suggest a lie down in a quiet room listening to the the song by Rag & Boneman called ' We're only humans after all don't put your blame on me' .All of us are an accident of birth how we turn out & what circumstances we deal with is just the luck of the draw. Some make good , some don't , most of us ' wobbly wells' do ok, spare a thought for those in dire circumstances & don't be so judgemental about those who aren't, many of them including the Royals do at least try to help, they can't 'undo' who they are any more than we can !

At least it was only Camilla after that marriage, and they had been 'fond' of each other , and should have been allowed to marry, for many years. Diana did had one affair on top of another, breaking up at least one marriage! If she'd been my daughter, seeing her behave so foolishly would have deeply upset me, worried me to death, and I'd have prayed that she'd eventually find happiness, come to her senses and settle down with a new, and hopefully, permanent love.
If I'd been Charles mother, I think I would have realised that I had actually been at least partly responsible for allowing/encouraging/harangueing (sp?!) him into a marriage that he was clearly reluctant to enter and only did so out of duty.
Oh annie, not more reminiscences?!! I shall be on look out and avoid!!!

Ah, I didn't realise that the immorality aspect was made better by sleeping with just one person whilst married to another..

I think it is particularly having been forced into an arranged marriage, abandoning the love of your life in the interests of duty. At least it's sincere, hopping from bed to bed breaking marriages is anything but.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that point, I'm afraid.
Anyway, once again, whilst I'm no royalist, or a particularly zealous Diana fan, I have enjoyed watching the programmes which have been on recently. That's all.

But Charles didn't go on tv to say -there were seven in the marriage

I make it eight, Annie

Have I missed one ? am counting again, oooooh yes forgot Hewitt

From what I have learned Diana's relationships happened after the marriage breakdown . Charles relationship with park-ya-balls was going on before the marriage, during it and after the breakdown. I can't stand any of the royals.