Diana's legacy : What is left or what will be left ?

[COUNTESS]

Sorry, about "you know who's name". Yes, when Willam is king, she will be the king's mother.

[jcbcode99]

Originally Posted by sirhon11234

I don't understand what you mean by not "in your face" all over the place..

It was Charles who treated the Princess like she was his wife when she died. Diana had a semi - state funeral (which isn't even reserved for a Princess of Wales) and a royal standard draped her coffin. IMO her death brought her back into the fsmily she is near to the same level as Mary, Elizabeth and Margaret.

Hi sirhon! I agree, she is near to the same level as Mary, Elizabeth, and Margaret but I also think that she is not quite there because of the divorced status, interviews, books, etc... and I have to say that I do believe Charles was being respectful to the mother of his children when he brought her back. I know it was painful for him regardless of the differences they had with one another.
My "in your face" all over the place comment was pretty much aimed at what happened with the Memorial Service the Princes had planned and invited their stepmother to, and then the media and the "Diana Circle" got involved and made an event which should have been touching and private a big, ole media circus. Her life turned into a media circus and still is to this day. Books come out regularly, articles in papers, the whole trial thing was just over the top, Paul Burrell, etc... I mean, she's just everywhere and not necessarily in a good way. People create controversy about her to this day and I think she needs to rest in peace and that people need to quit cashing in on her photograph and story.

[ghost_night554]

Sorry to drift semi off topic but speaking of her title I just wanted to know when and if William becomes king would her title change in any way cause I remember reading something about when William's king she'd be called something else, I dunno maybe it was just inaccurate information.

[jcbcode99]

Are you talking about Diana? I would imagine she will always be known as Diana, Princess of Wales. Now, had she been living when William was crowned then perhaps he would have given her a different title.

[ghost_night554]

Ya I meant Diana, and thanks for the information.

She would still be Diana, Princess of Wales unless William grants her a title..

Thanks

[Al_bina]

Similar to all of us, late Princess Diana was an amalgam of human strengths and weaknesses. Thus, there are mixed reactions about her legacy. However, a fascination with “People’s Princess” tends to endure. I for one think that all good things late Princess Diana did during her relatively short life are one part of her legacy. Princes William and Harry are another part of the aforementioned legacy.

[sirhon11234]

She would still be Diana, Princess of Wales unless William grants her a title..

[jcbcode99]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

Similar to all of us, late Princess Diana was an amalgam of human strengths and weaknesses. Thus, there are mixed reactions about her legacy. However, a fascination with “People’s Princess” tends to endure. I for one think that all good things late Princess Diana did during her relatively short life are one part of her legacy. Princes William and Harry are another part of the aforementioned legacy.

Al_Bina, I think you said it perfectly and there is really no need for anyone to add anything else.

[scooter]

I would not be in the least surprised if her son reinstated the HRH posthumously. And yes, by 'her' I mean Diana Princess of Wales.

[sirhon11234]

aforementioned

I had to look up what that word meant I have never heard of that word before. lol
Well said Al Bina.

And hi jcbcode99! :)

[Liz]

Originally Posted by scooter

I would not be in the least surprised if her son reinstated the HRH posthumously. And yes, by 'her' I mean Diana Princess of Wales.

I truly hope that he does.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

Similar to all of us, late Princess Diana was an amalgam of human strengths and weaknesses. Thus, there are mixed reactions about her legacy. However, a fascination with “People’s Princess” tends to endure. I for one think that all good things late Princess Diana did during her relatively short life are one part of her legacy. Princes William and Harry are another part of the aforementioned legacy.

Could not have said it better. Well done Al bina.

I think her most enduring legacy is definitely her sons. People are "immortalised" or remembered by those who loved them best and the lives they (William and Harry) choose to live. Titles, statues and "Hospital" names will all fade with time.

[ghost_night554]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

Similar to all of us, late Princess Diana was an amalgam of human strengths and weaknesses. Thus, there are mixed reactions about her legacy. However, a fascination with “People’s Princess” tends to endure. I for one think that all good things late Princess Diana did during her relatively short life are one part of her legacy. Princes William and Harry are another part of the aforementioned legacy.

Exactly, you said it perfectly.

Originally Posted by scooter

I would not be in the least surprised if her son reinstated the HRH posthumously. And yes, by 'her' I mean Diana Princess of Wales.

I hope he does actually, I don't mind her current title but if it's from William that would just be a total "aw" moment in my book.

[Roslyn]

Diana's legacy is her genes; her blood will flow through the veins of all future monarchs of Great Britain as long as the Windsor line rules.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by jcbcode99

Hi sirhon! I agree, she is near to the same level as Mary, Elizabeth, and Margaret but I also think that she is not quite there because of the divorced status, interviews, books, etc... a

That's an important point and argument to what forms my opinion about what her legacy actually is.

She had a self-pitying and vindictive streak in her character which led her to trying to manipulate the public into overthrowing the succession to the throne in favour of her own son. 500 years ago the queen would have had her beheaded for High Treason, just like the First Elizabeth had Mary Stuart tried and found guilty but Mary's son lived to become Elizabeth's successor. But nowadays a beautiful princess gets away with it and even earns a nice divorce settlement.

As for her charities: Princess Anne does work endlessly to support charities and the organizations she is patron of, but because she is not a beautiful but only a dutiful princess she does not have that over-whelming amount of devotees.

So for me the whole thing burns down to the fact that Diana was a beauty from the outside and thus could get away with doing lots and lots of unpleasant things. Reminds me of cruel fairy-tale princesses like Turandot - all of them beautiful, of course- who commit serious crimes but end up loved none-the-less by their princes. Well, obviously in real life there are no such fairy-tales.

For me Diana the icon is the symbol for the vanity, superficiality and moral insensibility of the world she lived in and we unfortunately still live in.

[Skydragon]

Great post Jo.
---------------
Referring back to sirhons post, I overheard a group of school children asking if Victoria and Albert were part of a pop group!
---------------
When someone dies, the living take over, that is what is supposed to happen, Diana will be remembered by many, some for the good, others for the bad, that also is natural and for many, IMO, it is one or the other. I can see no point in reinstating the HRH to Diana, what difference will it make to anyone? In 30-40 years or longer, who will even care?

[Onassis Line]

Fab post Jo, I read it with a wry smile on my face and nodding intensely.

Why should Diana's charity work be feted as some sainted achievement, whilst the sheer hard graft and "knuckle down" attitude of others goes unsung - Princess Anne being a prime example.

From my personal point of view, part of Diana's legacy will always consist of frivolous frocks and media opportunities. There's something unsavoury about airing your dirty linen in public!

Her true legacy however, is that she will always live on through her boys, whenever I look at William or Harry I find myself thinking of her and that is one thing I really don't mind.

[Queen Amina]

Jo, that was a wonderful post.

I was so sure that you were going to be torn to shreds by those who are very favourable to Diana when I first read your post. You make very salient points about how and why she is viewed the way she is by most people i.e. the perennial victim of the cruel Prince Charles and the heartless royal family. When I first became truly aware of Diana it was through the panorama interview. I was ten years old and had no idea about the state of her marriage and the public perception of her treatment by the establishment. I just saw a manipulative woman without the good sense God gave a goose, behaving in an abominable manner and that coloured my view of her forever, ever since then I find it really hard to have much sympathy for a lot of the problems she had when she was alive as I felt she brought them on herself. She invited the press and the public into her private life and burned a lot of bridges with people who could have helped her. It just seems that because she was pretty, wore lovely clothes and affected an air of vulnerability and empathy people seem to through themselves at her feet while many hard working and dutiful members of the royal family anre relegated to being inconsequential or treated in an overly harsh manner like Princess Anne. I guess all you really need to succeed in the public sphere is to be pretty and somewhat famous, no wonder many children want to be famous when they are older and have very little grasp of the concept of hard work

[Warren]

An update...

I've gone through this thread and removed the pointed remarks, the personal attacks and the goading. To ensure the thread returns to a level of civility where we can discuss Diana's legacy in a calm and reasoned manner could members please refrain from making and responding to personal comments.

Thanks for everyone's cooperation.

Warren
for the British Moderating team

[Amelia]

I don't think that Diana will have one clear defined legacy. She is so many different things to people that to say 'this is exactly who and what she was' is next to impossible. Besides AIDS and Landmines most of the other charities that she was involved in have already been forgotten by the general public. All these tell-all books the keep being published and all the in-dept documentaries that they keep making aren't exactly helping things either. Almost 11 years ago when she died she was held up as a saint which was I think was a bad idea. All the stories about her character, her personality started to come out, are still coming out, and it makes people wonder what version is the truth, who was she really and did she just fool us all. I know she wanted to be the Queen of People's Hearts but I think she will have to settle for being the Queen of Some People's Hearts and being something totally different to others.