Princess Diana beguiles the world 20
years after death
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[August 22, 2017]
By Michael Holden
LONDON (Reuters) - From TV documentaries
and the private memories of her sons to a slew of new "revelations" and
renewed theories about her death, Britain's Princess Diana is once again
front page news 20 years after she died.
Diana was killed at age 36 on Aug. 31, 1997 along with her lover Dodi
al-Fayed when a limousine carrying them crashed in a Paris tunnel as it
sped away from paparazzi giving chase on motorbikes.
The first wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, Diana was the
glittering princess at the center of a royal soap opera played out in
the glare of the media, making her probably the most recognized woman
around the world.
Her passing prompted the biggest public outpouring of grief seen in
Britain in recent times, and few since have captivated the world like
she did.
"There'll never be anyone else like Diana," said Ingrid Seward,
editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of "Diana: The Last
Word".
Previous anniversaries of her death have gone by with little fanfare,
suggesting that the "People's Princess", as she was dubbed by
then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, had perhaps lost some of her
allure and relevance.
But, with her sons Prince William and Harry to the fore, the 20th
anniversary has seen her dominate front pages of newspapers as she did
in her prime as the world's most photographed woman.
"There was a period in the early 2000s where very little was heard of
Diana," commented Ken Wharfe, her ex-royal protection officer. He said
her two sons' desire to continue her work by supporting causes such as
helping Aids sufferers, the homeless and combating landmines, had made
her relevant again.
The princes have also been increasingly willing to speak about the
trauma of her death and its lasting emotional impact.
In broadcasts aired over the last six months, William, 35, said the
shock of losing his mother still lingered while Harry, 32, revealed he
had sought counseling in his late 20s to help deal with the grief.
"She still is our mum," Harry said in an intimate TV documentary
entitled "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy". "Of course, as a son
I would say this, she was the best mum in the world. She smothered us
with love, that's for sure."
Ashley Gething, the documentary's director, told Reuters he was
impressed with Diana's achievements. "What amazed me was what she'd
actually done... All these enormous issues like championing the
homeless, often in the face of criticism of politicians and editors of
national newspapers."
DARK DAYS
Almost 10 million Britons tuned into that documentary, while another TV
program "Diana In Her Own Words", aired earlier this month, was watched
by 3.5 million Britons, giving broadcaster Channel 4 its highest viewing
figures for a year.
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Britain's Princess Diana holds Prince Harry during a morning picture
session at Marivent Palace, where the Prince and Princess of Wales
are holidaying as guests of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, in
Mallorca, Spain August 9, 1988. REUTERS/Hugh Peralta/File Photo
That program featured videoed conversations, never shown before on
British TV, of Diana speaking candidly with her speech therapist
about her sex life with Prince Charles and her sorrow at the
spectacular collapse of her marriage.
Similar shows have been aired or are planned in the United States,
where many have been gripped by Diana's story, from her fairytale
marriage to Charles in 1981 to their subsequent separation and
bitter divorce. More than 33 million Americans tuned in to watch her
funeral in September 1997.
The days after her death were some of the darkest in Queen
Elizabeth's 65-year reign and some monarchists fear the attention
lavished on Diana will rekindle resentment towards the House of
Windsor.
Many Britons were angered at how Diana was ostracized by the royal
family after her 1996 divorce from Charles, with Camilla Parker
Bowles, Charles's lover who later became his wife, a particular
focus of enmity.
With renewed focus on the popular Diana, an ICM poll for the Sun
newspaper this month found that just 22 percent of respondents
wanted Charles, 68, to be the next king while more than half wanted
the next monarch to be his son William.
It also showed that 36 percent of the 2,000 people questioned felt
Camilla, 70, should be Princess Consort and not queen. Only 27
percent backed her having the regal title.
"Anything retrospective can open old wounds and does open old
wounds," Seward said, although she believed the impact would soon
wane. "People forget quickly and I don't think it has any long
lasting effect."
Instead she and other royal commentators say Diana's lasting impact
was a royal family more in touch with the public.
"This program of bringing the royal family into the 21st century is
being continued by her two sons who, for my part, are the future of
the British monarchy," Wharfe said.
(Additional reporting by Alex Fraser; Editing by Alistair Smout and
Mark Heinrich)
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