Re: Princess Diana - Part 2

[Alixz]

But she also discovered "that there is dignity in silence".

[DNAgenie]

Grace wrote

There is no need for a programme of this type, accident photos or not, on the tenth anniversary of Diana's death.

Could they not, just this one time, honor this lady with a documentary on the achievements of her life as Princess of Wales, without dragging up her problems with Charles, extra-marital affairs, supposed psychological problems and her early and tragic death?

Diana's greatest achievement was how she brought up her sons, not as Royals, but as modern and unspoilt young men.

I've just been watching a documentary on one of William's charities in Africa.  What comes across with great clarity is what a natural and modern young man he is. Not a typical old-fashioned Royal, but someone who cares for those less fortuanate than himself, who likes a joke, likes modern music, who thinks for himself and doesn't always toe the "Royal" Party line.

[Lucien]

Grace wrote

There is no need for a programme of this type, accident photos or not, on the tenth anniversary of Diana's death.

Could they not, just this one time, honor this lady with a documentary on the achievements of her life as Princess of Wales, without dragging up her problems with Charles, extra-marital affairs, supposed psychological problems and her early and tragic death?

Diana's greatest achievement was how she brought up her sons, not as Royals, but as modern and unspoilt young men.

I've just been watching a documentary on one of William's charities in Africa.  What comes across with great clarity is what a natural and modern young man he is. Not a typical old-fashioned Royal, but someone who cares for those less fortuanate than himself, who likes a joke, likes modern music, who thinks for himself and doesn't always toe the "Royal" Party line.

And thanks to his dad!Don't forget,Charles has raised them to what they are now!!They were so young when they lost their mother,yes.The charities,well,yes,so many of them.All she did was to raise awareness,when it so suited her,beyond that she was as superficial and manipulative as a human can be.Nothing special,a loose canon with fancy dresses and jewelry a go go....a dressed-up walking talking doll.
The fascination with her is almost obsceen and must come from lala-land .Tells a lot of the world,or some circles,today that she's almost revered as a saint.Which she certainly wasn't.She was the first real big hype of the day and all went crazy,all felt she was their girlfriend,family member.She wasn't.She was just a shy british girl that got lost and lost it on the way...

[DNAgenie]

I am not one of Diana's admirers in general but I believe in giving credit where credit is due.  William was 15 when his mother died and Harry was a month short of his 13th birthday, so she would have been the most important formative influence in their lives.  Diana had always shown her rapport with children, and her benign influence on the development of her sons may well prove to be her most lasting legacy. I agree that Charles was left to raise them after Diana's death, and he deserves some of the credit, but without Diana's influence they would not have been such grounded individuals.

[Rani]

It is always said that William is like his mother, but the last time I see more and more his fathers character in him.

[Martyn]

It's quite clear that both boys display the influences of both parents in their adult characters.  They are a credit ot both parents, despite some youthful highjinks and indiscretions....

Lucien's rather strong opinions of the late Princess make interesting reading but differ largely from the perceptions of others, and in particular, those who had the chance to meet her.

Still that is the essence of this Group - the opportunity to come together and exchange opinions and information, no matter how diverse....

[Kalafrana]

Lucien is far from alone in his view of Diana, which I largely share, though I might have expressed it a bit differently.

I'm STILL trying to work out what so many people saw in her!

Ann

[ashdean]

Lucien is far from alone in his view of Diana, which I largely share, though I might have expressed it a bit differently.

I'm STILL trying to work out what so many people saw in her!

Ann

I agree with what yr saying...though I think her sad but timely death saved the family especially her sons a great deal of embarassment....the flip side was she died while her charisma was still mainly intact....if she had lived even 3 or 4 years longer the life she was leading would have made much of he adoring public look at her in a less favourable light.

[Grace]

I see the Diana baggers are back in full force.  I should head over now to the Prince of Wales thread and dissect HIS character in the thoroughly relentless fashion Diana's has been here...over and over again. 

Do you people ever see the good in this young woman who became a member of the royal family, a world famous personality, a wife and a mother all before she was 21 years of age and did it admirably?  No one knew what was happening behind the scenes for years...that is a massive achievement in itself as far as I'm concerned.  Today's 19-20 years olds wouldn't cope with half of what this girl took on...nightclubs and drinking is the life for most of them. 

Why don't you give it a break?  This thread doesn't exist just for you to tear Diana's memory down in post after post.  I bet it wouldn't be tolerated on the thread about her ex-husband!   

[Kalafrana]

But what did Diana do? Apart from producing William and Harry.

She looked glamorous, and attached herself to fashionable causes, and causes which became fashionable because people swooned over her.

You may think there is something lacking in ME, but I can't work out what was so remarkable about her.

Ann

[Grace]

And the same may be asked about her former husband whom you all seem to coo over constantly...

[Alixz]

I "coo" over neither, yet I also agree that Diana was heir to that age old benefit of having died young while in the best flower of youth and vitality.

I always think of others like James Dean and JFK and Marilyn Monroe who died young and so are remembered as "forever young" and beautiful.

Just the other day it occurred to me that, had he lived, JFK would now be 94.  An old man and not the young president whose life was taken in 1963.  He would be "old age" ugly and with his "back problems" most likely in a wheelchair with arthritis and age spots.

Hardly the "matinee idol" that so many remember.

I think that Diana, Princess of Wales would have met a similar end had she not died in a car accident at the age of 37, she would now be into her 50s and no longer the youthful "rebel" of the Royal Family.

In fact I wonder if she would have had the sense to back away and let the next generation take over or would she have been jealous of Kate and the ease with which Kate has moved into the role that Diana couldn't handle?

It is obvious that William is quite different from his father in that he is not keeping an old mistress in his head and in his heart while pretending to accept the woman to whom he is married.

Diana would have been wise to have taken Queen Alexandra as her role model.  A different age and different way of life?  Obviously, but while she was married to Charles, Diana actually did nothing more than produce the "heir and the spare".

[Kalafrana]

I don't coo over Charles. I simply think he has done more concrete things than Diana by creating the Prince's Trust.

Ann

[Alixz]

I wonder - did Diana "create" anything or did she just attach her name to already existing charities and concerns?

Many royals give their "support" to charities without actually creating or giving anything except their name and royal recognition.

I do know that Charles created the Prince's Trust thirty five years ago. That would have been in 1976 well before Charles and Diana married.  Charles was 28 in 1976 - a young age to create an organization to help those less fortunate.

While Diana attached herself to the land mines concerns and the Aids concerns, did she actually "create" any charities or organizations to deal with these global problems?  Or were her interests simply "photo ops" to put her in the limelight while trying to make Charles look bad.

[Kalafrana]

Charles started the Prince's Trust in 1977 when he came out of the Navy, using his terminal gratuity to do so.

As I understand it, the Trust specialises is assisting young people who don't get assistance from anywhere else - best known for giving loans and grants to people with business ideas that the banks won't touch. I don't know to what extent he was inspired by the example of his grandfather with the Duke of York's Camps, which seem rather quaint nowadays (all that sitting round camp fires singing 'Underneath the Spreading Chestnut Tree') but were very forward-thinking in their day.

Ann