Diana and Dodi (and Tony Blair)


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Quite the opposite actually. I idolized and adored Diana. I thought she was the perfect princess. She had my sympathy in "the War of the Walses."

However, during the Panorama interview, I got my first feelings that things weren't as they seemed. As I listened to the second part of the interview in particular, she took a different tone. I'm used to being around people who aren't quite "in the real world", people who think that they have superior abilities almost like "superpowers." In Diana's interview, she struck me as being like one of those individuals. There was something in her tone and manner that didn't seem "normal" to me. I can't quote her line by line; I can only tell you my impression at the time.

Her manner made me uncomfortable on an emotional level. It wasn't even necessarily what she said. It was more in her attitude.

It took me by surprise, actually. I certainly had no "prejudice" as you put it.


Which manner of her make you feel she was unsettling? Can you get into details. Without detailed explanation, such blind talk is quite meaningless. It will only make people feel you have prejudice against her.

Here is the definition of prejudice
"preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience."
 
Agreed. He's been discredited in many people's eyes. I wouldn't necessarily believe what he says either.

I am afraid Mr Blair's answers are and always have been disappointing and I would't believe a single word he says, written or otherwise.
 
Quite the opposite actually. I idolized and adored Diana. I thought she was the perfect princess. She had my sympathy in "the War of the Walses."

However, during the Panorama interview, I got my first feelings that things weren't as they seemed. As I listened to the second part of the interview in particular, she took a different tone. I'm used to being around people who aren't quite "in the real world", people who think that they have superior abilities almost like "superpowers." In Diana's interview, she struck me as being like one of those individuals. There was something in her tone and manner that didn't seem "normal" to me. I can't quote her line by line; I can only tell you my impression at the time.

Her manner made me uncomfortable on an emotional level. It wasn't even necessarily what she said. It was more in her attitude.

It took me by surprise, actually. I certainly had no "prejudice" as you put it.

Yeah, that Panorama interview came about during the darkest periods in Diana's life and a very painful time as well. It was an interview that she regretted later on.

There are no perfect princesses and there never was.
 
IMO neither Mr Blair nor the late Princess of Wales EVER deserved the widespread adulation they received.. both developed a nauseating taste and talent for self-publicism and care[d] little for the damage this addiction caused to institutions or individuals.
Unfortunately Mr Blair is still around to wreak further havoc...
 
IMO neither Mr Blair nor the late Princess of Wales EVER deserved the widespread adulation they received.. both developed a nauseating taste and talent for self-publicism and care[d] little for the damage this addiction caused to institutions or individuals.
Unfortunately Mr Blair is still around to wreak further havoc...

Despite her mistakes, I think Diana was a wonderful Princess of Wales and had a real connection with the people. Parts of her private life sucked big time but her official public life and roles were great.
 
Does anyone really believe, Tony Blair would make up a lie, which involved a woman who died 13 years ago (A Journey was published in 2010), only for the purpose of publicism? It is ridiculous. Not to mention how immoral it is to do such thing, just think about what is the possible consequence. He didn't disclosed this story any where else, he disclosed this in his own autobiography, a book which will be used to define his year as the prime minister and to judge him as a person in the history. How could he make up such a unnecessary lie in such an important book, giving people a chance to claim him a lair in the history?

I firmly believe such conversation did exist. He is a former Prime Minister, not a Global magazine writer.

So what was the purpose he would disclose this story right now. I think one of the post here is already very close to the point. “can any one imagine a British Prime Minister, ruled by his demanding agenda, making the time for this sort of futilities as private flings of former royal spouses?”. So either the talk never happened, or it was not only a summer fling but a very serious relationship, so serious that Diana would want to consult with Prime Minister. Why she would consult with him? it was not because the Prime Minister had any responsibility to give advice for an ex-royal spouse, it was because at that time they were in a cooperative relationship. Tony Blair wanted her to be an informal Ambassador, so her image (not in Britain, but in those possible host countries) was important to this role.

Have any one ever wondered why he only disclosed what he had said, but said nothing about what Diana had said?
After Diana died, everyone including her close friends said she was not serious with Dodi, it was just a summer fling, it was her way to make Hasnat Khan jealousy. If what Diana told Blair was the same to this version of story, there is no need to hide the content of conversation, right? I think Tony Blair didn't want to disclose what Diana had said, was because what she had said was different to the most popular story the public was told.


In an interview Tony Blair once talked about one of his purposes for the book,
“You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel both a sense of responsibility and a deep sadness for those who have lost their lives. That responsibility stays with me now, and will stay with me for the rest of my life. “
After Diana died, he might be the only one who knew the truth, and the truth he knew was very different to the story the public were told (Actually I really think the story of making Hasnat Khan jealousy story very ridiculous) . So he felt the responsibility to say something, but couldn't disclose all of them, because Al-Fayed is still alive, and till this day he still believes his son and Diana were murdered because they were to marry. If Tony came out and say something which supports Al-Fayed's marriage claim, then the Diana' law case might start-over again.
 
I have always found it impossible to believe Diana would ever, ever have married a man like Dodi Fayed!

(No matter how much she may have wanted to spite Charles, she was a product of her class and upbringing, and I just can't buy that she ever took that relationship seriously! )
 
I have always found it impossible to believe Diana would ever, ever have married a man like Dodi Fayed!

(No matter how much she may have wanted to spite Charles, she was a product of her class and upbringing, and I just can't buy that she ever took that relationship seriously! )

Why would she never have taken that relationship seriously? Seeing the fact that she holidayed with Dodi, even in the presence of her children, seems an indication for the seriousness of that relationship. Diana also took Hasnat Khan very seriously. And James Hewitt. And Barry Mannakee. And James Gilbey. And Oliver Hoare. All of them have enjoyed the pleasure to be allowed in the most private lifesphere of the (once) future Queen of the United Kingdom.
 
Why would she never have taken that relationship seriously? Seeing the fact that she holidayed with Dodi, even in the presence of her children, seems an indication for the seriousness of that relationship. Diana also took Hasnat Khan very seriously. And James Hewitt. And Barry Mannakee. And James Gilbey. And Oliver Hoare. All of them have enjoyed the pleasure to be allowed in the most private lifesphere of the (once) future Queen of the United Kingdom.

Except for Hasnat and James, the others were just rumors but no hard proof of relationships.
 
Despite her mistakes, I think Diana was a wonderful Princess of Wales and had a real connection with the people. Parts of her private life sucked big time but her official public life and roles were great.

I agree. If you never knew anything at all about her private life she would be considered beyond reproach. From the beginning of her time as Princess of Wales she carried out her public duties with dedication and true compassion.

In that respect, she was amazing.
 
I agree. If you never knew anything at all about her private life she would be considered beyond reproach. [....]

That is exactly why there needs to be a certain distance between the public and the monarchy. That is the so called "shadow of the throne". This distance keeps the magic, the extraordinary, the specialness of the monarchy.

The closer it all comes, not only by exposing all what is private but also making your classmate, your roommate, your fitness club trainer or the lady who daily came into your living room presenting the news "royal", the distance has completely gone. The difference between a"celeb" and a royal has become totally blurred. Diana was -unwanted or wanted- the motor behind destroying this so necessary distance.
 
I agree. If you never knew anything at all about her private life she would be considered beyond reproach. From the beginning of her time as Princess of Wales she carried out her public duties with dedication and true compassion.

In that respect, she was amazing.

I agree and I think her future was bright. I think after those hard and hurtful years of her private life, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly, her life was taken when she was very young, full of energy and purpose. I and so many others miss her dearly, but I know her children and family miss her even more.
 

Thanks for posting the article.

IMO, this article states it was Diana's idea to visit China not Blair's.

She was still attacking Charles just 2 months before she died.
"He was born to the wrong job."

Her only accurate statement about herself.
"I have so much baggage."
 
Here I wanted to present my analysis and understanding of Diana's behavior, motivation and the true nature of her relationship with Dodi. The post is very long, and it has to be very long, because the story is so complicated. But it was still short, compared to the time I spent to reach to this final conclusion (it has been 17 years since her death).

I think Diana got in the relationship with Dodi with the purpose of marriage from the very beginning. But it was not out of real affection or love. I think she got the inspiration from Jacqueline*Kennedy. She talked about Dodi with Tony Blair as early as July 6, when she had not even met him. Could she have any real feeling for Dodi at that time? Definitely not, they were not even seeing each other then. Could it be just a fling? Definitely not, you won't talk about your fling with another man with the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister wouldn't have time to talk about that with you. The fact is not only Tony Blair had spent a substantial time to talk about Dodi with her, but also he included this talk in his own biography.

It was a serious relationship with the purpose for a marriage. However, as far as Diana was concerned, it was not out of real feeling or real affection not to mention love. That explains why the relationship can progress in such a tornado speed – Their first formal date was a dinner in Paris on July 26, then on Aug 2, she kissed him openly, and by Aug 13, she'd already given him her father's cufflinks. Since real feeling, real love were not her main consideration with respect to this relationship, the courtship should be as short as possible. Just like the courtship between she and Charles – Charles had only dated her 13 times before he proposed to her.

August 13, Diana saw Dodi again and gave her father's cufflinks to Dodi. She wrote about the gift: "Darling Dodi, these cufflinks were the very last gift that I received from the man I loved most in the world, my father. They are given to you as I know how much joy it would give him to know they were in such safe and special hands. Fondest love, from Diana." This is a strong indication of a very serious relationship.

However that relationship was not going smooth. On Aug 15, Kelly Fisher, Dodi's (rumor) engaged girlfriend, filed a lawsuit against Dodi Fayed for breaking off their engagement. But at that time Diana was on vacation with Rosa on a small boat (Aug 15-Aug 20), it had a delay for the news to reach her. She still went for another vacation with Dodi on Aug 21st. But obviously Kelly Fisher's incident had changed her plan FOR A WHILE. I think finally she believed that Dodi was two-timing her. From Aug 23 to Aug 29, she had phoned more than 5 friends, telling them “there is nothing between she and Dodi”, “she and Dodi were just friends”, “I need marriage just like a rash on my face”. It seems the relationship was about to be over to this point.

But on Aug 29, the relationship came across a big U-turn. On Aug 29, Diana called Paul Burrel to inform him a change in her trip. Originally, she planned to flight back to London directly from southern France, now suddenly she decided to go with Dodi to Paris on Aug 30 before coming back to London. She informed Paul Burrel the change at such a late moment, it was very likely a last-minute change of plan. Also on Aug 29, according to the Diana's inquiry report, Dodi told his legal adviser “he had 'very exciting news' regarding him and Diana. And as a result of the 'very exciting news' he had a number of things which he would need to discuss with his legal adviser on Sep 1st.” And at the same night, Diana called William, during which according to the Queen's cousin, they had a row.

I think there must be something unexpected happened on the later day of Aug 29, which made Diana change her plan of trip, which was related to the “very exciting news” in Dodi's eyes, which was important enough that Diana had to called William and which William was obviously not very fond of. And I think Dodi wanted to talk to his legal adviser in such a hurry, is because he wanted to settle down Kelly Fisher's law suit as soon as possible.

It is highly likely that the unexpected thing happened on Aug 29 was the hospice plan Diana talked about in a phone call to Richard Kay on Aug 30. The phone call lasted around 30 minutes at around 6:30pm. Diana told Kay she was discussing with Mr Al-Fayed the possibility of setting up a worldwide hospice network, which Al-Fayed would be prepare to financially underwrite. She'd never mentioned such a plan with anyone before Aug 29.

“It was to be a very major announcement. It was something she wanted to do, rather than things that other people wanted her to do. “

“It was such an important development that she was going to stop taking on royal engagement after the end of 1997." “Perhaps my destiny is to go abroad,” she told Kay.

It would be too insensitive to think that the hospice plan, her last-minute change of her trip plan, Dodi's exciting news regarding their relationship, and her phone call to William are independent events. After receiving such a big gift from Al-fayed, could she just turn around and run away from his son? No. The problem is how she was going to return the favor? Al Fayed offered such a generous package at the end of the summer holiday season, his intention was very obvious. That was his last attempt to woe her. The consequence of accepting this hospice plan, obviously, was Dodi's “very exciting news” – a big development in their relationship, and their trip to Paris. And this development in their relationship was important enough that she had to talked to William first. It was not hard to understand why William was not fond of it.

She said the hospice plan was still in discussion, but it seems there was no time for discussing at all. Because a major announcement was going to make, and she was going to stop taking on royal engagement because of that. The decision was already made, in a very short time.

However even though she had accepted that gift, it doesn't mean there would be an announcement of engagement right away, at least not before Kelly Fisher's law suite was settled down. That explains why Dodi was in such a hurry to see his legal adviser. But the intention was strong. If you look at the cctv footage when she and Dodi were waiting for the Mercedes car at the lobby of Ritz Hotel, their movements and demeanor could not come from a couple about to break up next day at all. At one point, Dodi even kissed her ear as he draws her closer. It was not only a proof of love (at least from Dodi to her), but also showed that Dodi'd already treated her as his woman. (Part One End)
 
(Part Two) I know it was an odd decision to a lot of people. But I think it was a natural decision from Diana. At around Aug 21st,1997, right in the middle of her series vacations, she gave her last interview to a French Magazine, Le Monde. At the end of the interviews, she said the following words,

“Nothing gives me greater happiness that trying to help the weakest in this society. It's a goal and, from now on, an essential part of my life. It's a sort of destiny. I will run to anyone who calls to me in distress, wherever it is”.

If put these sentences into the context of a series of decisions she made around that time, they sort of explain what was in her mind behind these decisions in that summer. Generally speaking, it told us how much she was willing to devote herself to her humanitarian work. Since nothing could gives her greater happiness than her work, the underlying meaning is she considered her work more important than her man. However, she used the phase “from now on” here, which means the decision of such devotion was made recently. Therefore, I reckon that the reason she broke up with Hasnat Khan, and got into the relationship with Dodi, was because “from now on” she decided that she should seek her ultimate happiness from her work rather than her man. Because “it's a sort of (her) destiny”. I think at that time she was very disappointed with what had happened in her personal life. When you tried and tried, and still can not see the light, then you would believe it is due to destiny. These disappointments had finally driven her to believe that it was her fate she could only achieve real happiness from her work.

Therefore one of the reason I think she wanted to marry Dodi was to settle down herself and give a period mark to her very disappointing search of personal love. No hope then no disappointment. Without the distraction of her personal life, she could devote to her work with her whole heart and from there she should seek her greatest happiness. That was her plan. Moreover although Dodi was very likely not her true love, he could help her to make films to support her causes, he could provide her enough fund to make her dream of the hospices network come true. According to her own words, Dodi would be the man who could gave her the greatest happiness. With this hindsight, the decision she made at the end of her life was very reasonable and natural. She wanted to marry a man who gave her the greatest happiness, a very fair decision, right? No wonder she would have made the decision to accept the hospices plan in such a short time.

If marry Dodi, she would finally have a chance to move abroad too. This is another fundamental factor. In her last interview (Aug 21st,1997), she implied strongly that she wanted to move abroad. The reason she had not yet done so was because of her sons. I reckon that when she meant her sons, she meant her sons' security problem'. In June, Rosa once asked her why she would accept Al Fayed's invitation for vacation, the reason she gave was because Al Fayed had a big security team to protect her sons, which solved a big headache of hers. In her phone call to Richard Kay on Aug 30 she said “Perhaps my destiny is to move abroad” again, which I think was another strong indication of marriage. (Part Two End)
 
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(Part 3) Here is my conclusion. From the beginning, Diana get in the relationship with Dodi for the purpose of a marriage. But Kelly Fisher's incident changed her mind for a while. However at the end, the hospices plan pulled her back to the relationship. But it was not personal love she was seeking for from this relationship, to the contrary, she wanted to bury it. She wanted to find a man who could give her most help in her work, which she believed would give her the greatest happiness. Moving abroad is another thing she was seeking for from the relationship. (And her last interview also gives me a fairly strong impression that Dodi being a Muslim was another factor she would have picked him.)

This is my analysis of course. But this analysis could explain several things also. It explains why the old Al-Fayed would have been so persistently and stubbornly sticking to the marriage story through the whole span of Diana's law case. No one can be so persistent, if he didn't even believe it himself. Think about how much money and time he had spent on it.

It somehow explains the vague words Tony Blair spoke to Alastair Campbell on the night she died. I think it was because he knew her real motivation to be with Dodi (It makes me more suspicious that Dodi being a Muslim was an important factor. Tony Blair's words sounds like not only she wanted to marry a Muslim, but also to have a child with a Muslim. I hope one day Blair would finally tell us what Diana had talked to him during their meeting)

“He felt that it (the accident) happened as she was fairly close to the height of her appeal. Dodi was probably a step too far for a lot of people. Had she got married, had another child maybe, she'd have started to fall in popularity. But this will confirm her as a real icon.'' – Extract from Alastair Campbell's diary “The Blair's years” on the night Diana died

It also explains why after 13 years Tony Blair still felt the need to mention his talk with Diana about Dodi during the July 6 meeting in his biography, but without giving any substantial details. I think he didn't like the stories the public has been told about Diana and Dodi's relationship, but he couldn't speak it out loud his opinion, because Al Fayed is still alive.
 
Here is an extract of her own words from the last interview she had ever done. It took place on Aug 21st, 1997 in Kensington Palace, and published on Aug 27th 1997 on a French Magazine Le Monde. The following words gives me a very strong impression that Dodi being a Muslim was a factor in her consideration.

"From the first day I jointed that family, nothing could be done naturally any more.

"I feel close to people, whoever they are. We're immediately at the same level, on the same wavelength. That's why I upset certain circles. It's because I'm much closer to the people at the bottom than the people at the top, and the latter won't forgive me for it. I have a real feeling of closeness with the most humble people. My father always taught me to treat everyone as an equal. I've always done so, and I'm sure that Harry and William will follow in my footsteps.

"Being constantly in the public eye gives me a special responsibility, particularly that of using the impact of photographs to transmit a message, to sensitize the world to an important cause, to defend certain values."

She said because she was closer to the people at the bottom, the people from the top won't forgive her for it. Notice that she used a very strong phase “won't forgive” here. I wonder what kind of bottom people she was closing to at that time, to the the extent that the upper people won't forgive her? An very easy guess is she was referring her intimate relationship with Muslim man. Her own mother France Shand called her a “whore” on a phone call in June 1997, when she found out Diana was in a serious relationship with Muslim man. She said she was messing around with f****** Muslim men and she was disgraceful. And meanwhile Hasnat Khan had been receiving unnamed black mail threatening to take his life.

If she was an ordinary woman, I don't think dating a Muslim man would be a big issue. However, due to her status as the mother of the future King, some people especially the people of her heretical class might think of her as a disgrace to the country.

Here is my understanding the what she meant in the first two paragraphs:

From the first day she joined the Royal family, she couldn't do any thing in a natural way, such as dating any man she wanted to be with regardless of religion or background. Some people from the top were unhappy of her choice of man. However her father had always taught her to treat everyone as an equal. This was her own rule of life which she always followed. And she believed that her children would follow the same rule. (Here I think she was implying that she believed her sons would support her on this matter that her partner's religion and background wouldn't be a problem to them. That was most important to her.)

And then she talked about how she would use her photograph to achieve something. Not long before this interview was conducted, she invited a paparazzi herself to take the take the “kiss” picture. Her action was so weird that even the paparazzi himself felt very confused. What was her purpose?

She gave three reasons to use the impact of photographs: transmit a message, to sensitize the world to an important cause, to defend certain values. “Transmit a message” is a general purpose. “Sensitize the world to an important cause” are referring to her photos of touching Aids, leprosy people, or holding a landmine. Then what photo is corresponding to “defend certain values”?

What value was she trying to defend? What value has to be defended? What value was under challenging at that time? From the context of her words and her action around that time, it is most likely that she was talking about the value “everyone as an equal”. It was her typical way to do things. If she wanted to lift the prejudice against some particular group of people in the society, like aids, she would go to “touch” these people herself and show the world, “see, if the Princess of Wales can do it, you can do it too.” This is the way I perceive her motivation behind the “kiss” photo, that is to defend the value that “everyone as an equal”.

Perhaps, Dodi was not happened to be a Muslim, but must be a Muslim. That was her way to defend her value “everyone as an equal”.
 
I know some are still interested, but after 17 years of rehashing the Diana/Dodi relationship, I'm worn out. We will never know. Your interpretation seems far too simplistic, IMO. I even disagree that she would have ever married Dodi...she had too much to lose.
 
I agree KittyAtlanta....on ALL points!
 
On the subject of Diana and Muslim men, I really don't see that there would be really any problems on Diana's side should she have decided to marry someone of the Islam faith. The problem that would arise would have been more so with the family she was marrying into. I believe Diana did go and meet Hasnat Khan's family and IIRC, they weren't overly enthused about her. It was eventually the baggage of fame and publicity that came with Diana that made Dr. Khan think twice.

It would have been quite different I think with Dodi's family. Dodi's father, Mr. Al Fayed had been seeking admittance to the higher echelons of British society for years (even to the point of buying a Scottish castle) and I have suspicions that it was his machinations that pushed Diana and Dodi together. That would have been quite a coup for him.
 
The Khans wanted Hasnat to marry someone of his own tribe.

Like you, I think that it was Dodi's father who was "pulling the strings". He controlled Dodi's finances. It was he who told Dodi to come on the holiday when Diana was with them. It was he who ultimately gave the "okay" to the security arrangements the night of the crash. All his dreams, as well as his son's life, came to an end that tragic night.


It would have been quite different I think with Dodi's family. Dodi's father, Mr. Al Fayed had been seeking admittance to the higher echelons of British society for years (even to the point of buying a Scottish castle) and I have suspicions that it was his machinations that pushed Diana and Dodi together. That would have been quite a coup for him.
 
I've been reading this thread and I think we are reaching here. I really don't think Diana was trying to prove any great points or defend any values by going out with Dodi. She evidently was attracted to men of color: Oliver Hoare had an Egyptian background, Hasant Khan and then Dodi. I think she had some attraction to him and calling the press for the staged kiss photograph accomplished two goals : 1. put a nose up at her ex-husband and 2. to make Hasant Khan, whom she really did love, jealous. Dodi did not have a good reputation ultimately entire relationship was a disaster.

I do agree that society had a problem with her going out with a man of color. I also think the non Christian religion bothered people.

I don't know why Tony Blair is stating anything about any of this in his book other than to increase sales. In the many books and articles that I have been reading for the past ten years about Diana, I never got the impression that he was a great confidant.
 
Essentially Blair is an opportunist, and [like St Diana] a consummate self-publicist...as well as a PROVEN liar. He knew that the mere mention of her name would sell books, and give him kudos...
 
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Essentially Blair is an opportunist, and [like St Diana] a consummate self-publicist...as well as a PROVEN liar. He knew that the mere mention of her name would sell books, and give him kudos...


Agree 100 percent



Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community
 
I know some are still interested, but after 17 years of rehashing the Diana/Dodi relationship, I'm worn out. We will never know. Your interpretation seems far too simplistic, IMO. I even disagree that she would have ever married Dodi...she had too much to lose.

She had too much to lose? What can she lose? reputation? I think she more concerned with her character than her reputation.

"Be more concerned whit your character than your reputation because your character is what really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are!"

That was a memorandum she propped on her desk. And loss of "reputation" was not neccesary a bad thing to her. Less "reputation" less paparazzi.

If marry Dodi, she had much more to gain. Moving abroad. That was her dream for years. She had been talking about this to many people for many years. She couldn't before, because her sons' security problem. With Dodi, it became a possible. And this "abroad" is not necessary very far away. Paris is very close to London. Actually I guess Diana'd already discussed this possibility to Charles. In no way she would have brought the princes to vacation with the Al-Fayed family without consulting Charles. And around the time she accepted the Fayed's invitation, she suddenly started to call him "my husband" again. I think she got a very contenting answer from him. Since the princes spend most time in the boarding school. I don't think Charles would be so cruel to object the princes spent their weekends with their mother in France. He knew how impossible her life was in Britain.

If marry Dodi, she could do the hospices things which would give her most happiness. And Dodi can help her make films to support her causes. She might not be in love with Dodi, but she could get her happiness somewhere else. She said this herself, and did this herself. With words and actions, do we still need more evidence.

"Nothing gives me greater happiness than trying to help the weakest in this society. It's a goal and, from now on, an essential part of my life. It's a sort of destiny." -Aug 21st, 1997

"She told me that she was discussing with Mr Al Fayed the possibility of setting up some sort of worldwide hospice network which she indicated he would be prepared to financially underwrite. It was to be a very major announcement. It was something she wanted to do, rather than things that other people wanted her to do. It was such an important development that she was going to stop taking on royal engagements after the end of 1997"-- Richard Kay's testimony to the jury about their phone call on Aug 30, 1997.

(Obviously the hospices thing -- taking care of the dying was her favorite of favorites, because "it was something she wanted to do, rather than things (charities) that other people wanted her to do. ")

My interpretation was too simplistic? Could you tell me which part of my interpreation is too simplistic or illogic or doesn't make sense. I really like to have a substantial discussion. I can not accept your comment if you don't provide any reason. You said I am rehashing Diana/Dodi relationship. However no one has ever provided a reasonable interpretation of their relationship, based on facts or logic. How can I rehash anything, if there is nothing there to be rehashed at all. No I am not rehashing anything. I am the FIRST one trying to give an interpretation.

Unless you really believe that truely simplistic and stupid interpretation like "making Hasnat Khan jealousy".

Yeah, Diana and Tony Blair together spent a long time discussing how to make Hasnat Khan jealousy, for this they even had an arguement. The argument between them was recorded in Alastair Campbell's diary, not given by Tony Blair himself. Actually a lot of Tony blair's words I quoted are from Alastair Cambell's diary, not from Tony Blair's book. Their diary and book were published in different years.

Yeah, Diana just wanted to use Dodi, but she still gave him her father's cufflinks. Wonder how could she get them back.

Yeah, Diana not only wanted to use Al-Fayed's son, exploit his son's feeling to make Hasnat Khan jealousy, but also wanted to use Al Fayed's money to do her own charity (How shameless she was !!!). And Al Fayed, as smart and successful a business man as he is, would happily agree to be used in this way. Imagine, after the summer, Diana turned around and run away from his son and go back to Hasnat Khan, do you think Al Fayed would still fund her charity cause?

Yeah, in order to make Hasnat Khan she would not only scarify her own reputation, but also make her sons feel embarrassed and ashamed of her. If this was the true motivation of the "kiss" photo, how would her sons think -- "my mother openly flirted with another man in front of the whole world for the purpose to make another man feel jealousy"; how could she explained to her sons the kiss photo. She might not care about how other people think of her, but she definitely cared about how her sons think of her.

Yeah, even with the knowledge that Diana was spending the whole summer flirting with one man in order to make another man jealousy, Tony Blair would still feel she should be called "people's princess". Moreover after many years, when he talked about this again, he still said

"although the phase "people's princess" now seems like something from another age. And corny. And over the top. And all the rest of it. But at the time it felt natural and I thought, particularly, that she would have approved. It was how she saw herself, and it was how she should be remembered."

Yeah, Tony Blair thought it was natural that she should be remembered as the people's princess, because her last period of life were spent on exploiting another man to make her man jealousy. And she still saw herself as people's princess in this way, Tony Blair believed.

If she really wanted to use another man to make Hasnat Khan jealousy, she can do it as privately as possible, just enough to let Hasnat Khan see "it", instead of doing it in front of the whole world, let everybody see it, provide a laughing stock of herself to her enemy. This is so unnecessary. Not to mention that the chance to succeed is close to zero. If she was really really so desperate, a baby would have the job done. She always wanted to have a daughter right?

Even if this is her true motivation, even if she had any chance to succeed. And Hasnat Khan would finally agree to marry her. What would be the consequence? Several months ago, you are flirting with a man in front of the world, so happy, and so in love, and then several months later you get into a marriage with another man. How people would think of her? Would she be so stupid to do that.

I can't believe this interpretation "making Hasnat Khan jealousy" can be accepted by so many people for so many years.

Of course there is an ever simpler interpretation. That is "everybody are telling lies". Diana told lies. Tony Blair told lies. Alastair Campbell told lies. If some new information come out not consistent with the preferred "facts", then just dismiss all of them as "lies". Then the prefer "facts" can be preserved. Job done. Proofs? Evidences? No we dont need them. The preferred "facts" are the most important things.

Don't blame me for rehashing. There is nothing here for me to rehash. Nothing substantial has been ever said about Dodi/Diana's relationship. All of those interpretations out there are just "jokes".
 
Essentially Blair is an opportunist, and [like St Diana] a consummate self-publicist...as well as a PROVEN liar. He knew that the mere mention of her name would sell books, and give him kudos...

Even though his real intention to bring up the story is to sell books, it doesn't mean the story itself is a lie, right? What is his real intention to talk about this story is not the most important thing. The most important thing is whether it is a true story, whether the conversation between him and Diana concerning Dodi actually exist.

I believe it exists. I don't believe he would be so shameless and so reckless to make up a story which involved a famous dead woman in his own biography, merely for the purpose of selling a little more books. He was a former Prime Minister.
 
anbrida,

As a man who lived under the Blair Premiership I can assure you that the fact he was Prime Minister is no guarantee of his integrity, honesty or good will.
It is [convieniently] impossible for the truth of this coversation to be verified. We only have his word for it, and IMHO his word is not to be trusted !
 
Kudos, anbrida!

Congratulations on making a genuinely analytical evaluation of the known facts about this relationship and supplying a well-reasoned explanation of how -and why-the facts fit together. I've not read anything which tied things up so neatly and logically. There is one further bit I would add: IIRC, didn't Dodi's father take out a long-term lease on the house previously occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor? One story had it that Diana had been given a tour of the house on the day that she died. Perhaps that tour was the reason for the unexpected side trip to Paris after the vacation week.

Your mention of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis brought to mind her comment that she knew 'Ari' could provide her and her children with privacy and protection (this was in the immediate aftermath of Bobby Kennedy's assassination).

Thanks for all your research and clear thinking.

Meg

And as for this explanation being simplistic- sometimes the truth is simple.
 
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I can believe that Tony Blair may have cautioned her about getting too close to the Fayed family. Diana didn't know Dodi at the time of the conversation but she had accepted the invitation to take her sons on vacation with the Fayads. I can even believe that Blair had correctly predicted that Mohamed Al-Fayed was going to try and play matchmaker.

That said, I think the several flaws in Anbrida's analysis. First, Diana's closest friends did not think she was serious about Dodi Fayed. The posters on this board (and I include myself) may think that we know the hearts of the royal family, but we really don't. People like Rosa Monckton did and she doesn't think the relationship with serious. Diana had several flings with men she never intended to marry (i.e. Oliver Hoare, Will Carling, James Hewitt). The Fayeds were buying her gifts and she was having fun--at least until the day of the crash. I'm always struck by how strained and unhappy she looked when leaving the hotel--hardly the look of a newly engaged woman. She certainly was not wearing an engagement ring that night.

Second, Diana's commitment to charity work is highly overrated. The interview Anbrida cited is an example of Diana's self promotion. The facts are that Diana voluntarily cut back on charitable appearances before her divorce. After 1993, she made occasional appearances for charitable causes, including two photo opts on behalf of the campaign to ban landmines and she sometimes visited patients in private, but there were no signs she was increasing her charitable work at the time of her death. There were some indications that she was looking for the opportunity to do some high profile appearances, including some on behalf of charities.

Diana wouldn't have needed Dodi Fayed to fund her charitable work. Her own contacts and resources would have enabled her to raise all sorts of money for whatever cause(s) she wanted.

I don't think Diana was a perfect mother but she was a loving one. Diana would have considered William and Harry before she agreed to another marriage. By all accounts, the vacation with the Fayeds was a bust as far as they were concerned. Do you really think she would have decided to remarry without first talking it over with them? Her parents both remarried after their divorce and Diana would have been sensitive to her sons' feelings.

I agree that Diana was beginning to understand that she wasn't going to be able to marry a middle-class man and maintain her lifestyle--which was at least as important to her as her charity work. One of the main reasons Diana married Charles was because of his prestige, so I can believe she would marry another man for his money. I just don't think it would have been Dodi Fayed.

I think she had several reasons to get involved with him. She was using Dodi to try and make Hasnat Khan jealous. I also think she was also trying to goad the royal family. Finally, I think she really liked Dodi, was enjoying the lifestyle and presents, and was having fun.
 
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I'm not sure Diana was in love with Dodi and was going to marry him. I think that idea came from Dodi's father.

I think the man she was really in love with was Charles but she couldn't have him. I thinks she loved that man until the day she died.
 
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