Different Facets of Diana

[Aniston_Crazy]

...It's sad that her self worth and validation came through men. Shame she...repeated some sort of weird pattern, usually you dont treat people the way you have been treated, she instead wanted to, maybe to make it seem like someone else feels that pain.
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[sthreats]

I'm not sure where this discussion is going but I feel it going towards the C/D/C negativity again..

They were not suited towards each other in terms of temperament and neediness.

They were good parents. Children are a product of both parents- and kids tend to gravitate towards one parent or another depending on where they are in development. The boys loved their mother and she was attentive. As teens and young men they identify with their father. And the loss of their mother has made them closer to each other and their father.

I don't agree with disparaging Diana as a mother. In terms of what she said during the divorce unfortunately in this day and age parents do a lot of mudslinging during divorces. P. Charles said wrong things about Diana during the divorce.

In terms of affairs, no one here was right. Cheating and being dishonest is not a way to get thru marital problems. But people are human and make mistakes. We have no idea who started cheating first or how many people. Does it really matter at this point? They seemed to be trying to grow up and be civil at the end - that is what is most important.

Diana was very complicated. She was beautiful, charismatic, and generous. She was also immature, self-centered, and ill. I think that's why people's responses to her are so extreme.
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[Osipi]

And there we have it...

And there it is. If anyone, anywhere doing a research paper on what draws the human attention or what sells or even what humans are most curious about, we find the answer to be sex and scandals.

I find it totally amazing that no matter how the conversation starts, when talking about Charles and Diana in any thread anywhere, it almost always, like bees drawn to honey, ends up focusing on affairs that happened well over two decades ago. Its the focal point by which these two people are primarily judged.

Wouldn't it be amazing to find somewhere that they're arguing the point of which of them had charities that were more far reaching or similar?

 

[Queen Camilla]

It is not so much different facets of Diana as a public and a private face.

The public picture of Diana was not the same person as the private Diana. We can see images of the “real Diana” through books written by her private secretary and housekeeper and the private phone calls that were secretly recorded and the videos from private events.

The 'great' mother is a myth. A nanny was always with William and Harry even when Diana was with them.
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[sthreats]

Who doesn't have a public and a private face? I don't speak or do things at work as I do at home as I do with family and friends.
I don't think it's wise to base all of our judgements on disgruntled former staff musings and 'secret recordings'

What is a great mother? What is a perfect mother?
To me a mother is one who loves and tries to raise her kids the best that she can. A mother tries to help their kids reach higher ground than they did. The fact that she had a nanny to help does not take away from that.
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[Zonk]

Sigh.

The purpose of this thread is NOT to rehash that old chestnut, the Diana/Camilla/Charles triangle.


Closed for moderator review

 

[Warren]

Sometimes it's very much the case of one step forward and two steps back.

Until recently this and other Diana and Diana-Charles related threads made interesting and satisfying reading due to the insightful nature of the posts, the calm and reasoned analysis that members provided, and the overall agreeable atmosphere and tone in which the discussion was conducted.

This particular thread is titled "Different facets of Diana". It is not about speculation, paramours, Palace PR or member's attempts at point-scoring. To bring the thread back to some semblance of relevance to the topic quite a few posts have been edited or removed. Unfortunately there's not much that can be done to overlay what remains with any sense of relaxed, considered and good-natured discussion.

As there's little point in continuing with the current round of tit-for-tat arguments, accusations, speculations and irrelevancies, the thread will remain closed for a while.

Warren
British Forums moderator

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I'm not sure if this belongs here, please feel free to move to the appropriate thread if not.

Princess Diana’s former chef Darren McGrady has revealed how she fooled Oprah Winfrey into eating a high calorie meal.
Mr McGrady, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace for 11 years before becoming Diana's personal chef at Kensington Palace for four years, recounts how during a lunch with the TV talk-show host, Her Royal Highness 'pulled a fast one.'
According to the Huffington Post's Rebecca Adams, who interviewed Mr McGrady last month, they were eating the chef's famous tomato mousses when, after a few mouthfuls, Oprah asked: 'Diana, how do you stay so slim eating rich food like this?' The princess replied: 'I just eat small portions and work out.'

Princess Diana's former chef on how she tricked Oprah Winfrey into eating fatty food | Mail Online

 

[roseroyal]

I'm not sure if this belongs here, please feel free to move to the appropriate thread if not.



Princess Diana's former chef on how she tricked Oprah Winfrey into eating fatty food | Mail Online

This made me smile. :
I have Darren's fabulous book on my Kindle- one of my favorites. He tells the story in the book, doesn't name the guest was. I wondered if it was Oprah. Two of my favorite ladies!
Love Princess Diana's sense of humor.
I also love she volunteered to make coffee for herself. So her.

 

[MARG]

Princess Diana's former chef on how she tricked Oprah Winfrey into eating fatty food | Mail Online

Now that is just wrong.

Who does that sort of thing?

Well, obviously Diana did. The ruse she pulled on Oprah was mean spirited, and actually quite vicious. If she has eaten the same thing herself it would have been a bit of a joke, maybe. But, she did not. She just sat there lying and obviously having a damned good laugh at Oprah's expense watching her eat food that she wouldn't have eaten under ordinary circumstances.

Dieting, food management, portion control, call it what you will but those who are struggling to lose or control weight, those who are overweight, find all these things hard going. And here's Diana deliberately sabotaging someone who trusted her.

Now that is one cold, calculating, well planned, vicious prank that took quite some execution. I think it showed an unexpected cruel streak caused by jealousy, because yes, I think the Oprah really was more popular than Diana.

That'ts it. I can't think of a single innocent reason Diana did it.

 

[Roslyn]

I totally agree with you, Marg. A very insensitive and indeed reprehensible act.

I can only wonder at the reasons she was having two versions of the same dish served at the event. How many other guests were there? If it was just Oprah or just a few others, her actions are even worse. Would it not have been better to have the chef design a recipe that was both tasty and low fat so all could eat the same thing?

 

[Ish]

In my mind, it's made even worse given as Oprah's battle with her weight has been so public. It almost makes it seem like her comment - which in itself was a lie - was also a bit Mean Girls-esque of Diana.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Marg - I totally agree.

Anyone who has struggled with their weight will see this for the act it is - a vicious nasty prank and not a joke at all. It says a lot about Diana's character as well and it isn't a nice view of her at all.

 

[roseroyal]

I totally agree with you, Marg. A very insensitive and indeed reprehensible act.

I can only wonder at the reasons she was having two versions of the same dish served at the event. How many other guests were there? If it was just Oprah or just a few others, her actions are even worse. Would it not have been better to have the chef design a recipe that was both tasty and low fat so all could eat the same thing?

It was just Oprah. Wasn't the only time Diana served guests high-fat food while she has low fat. I see no problem with it. Diana wanted to eat low-fat.
What is she supposed to do? Send a note with the invitation saying do you want the high-fat Or the low-fat version?
No one should have to ask permission to eat what they like in their own home. Diana liked lowfat. And if the low-fat version was rather bland, and you weren't sure if the guests would like it, you make two versions. Oprah can have what she likes in Oprah's house.
Diana was no saint, but all this fuss over tomato salad?

 

[Lenora]

This fuss is just stupid and makes no sense.

 

[Dman]

The whole situation was no big deal at all and if you know Oprah, she likes good food and most likely wasn't bothered by any of it.

The reason why people are making a big deal about Diana and the food is because they are trying to make Diana and her memory look bad. She wasn't a saint but Diana had a good soul and wasn't trying to make anyone look or feel bad about their weight.

When Darren tell these stories, he tell them with a great deal of humor and fondness. He's not telling them in the mean way others love to turn it into.

 

[Roslyn]

Diana wanted to eat low-fat.

This is the crux of it. Diana wanted low fat, so Diana made sure she got low fat.

What is she supposed to do? Send a note with the invitation saying do you want the high-fat Or the low-fat version?

What she should have done was have consideration for her guest, who had a well-known problem with her weight. A kind person who had her guest's interests at heart would have had her fancy chef make something tasty and low in calories.

I think that what Diana actually did was quite vile, and her reply: "I just eat small portions and work out", served to both make herself look better and insult her guest, for it implied that she had the will-power and self-control to only eat small portions and to work out and that Oprah did not. And the fact it was a lie, anyway, makes it so much worse.

 

[valentino1012]

The reason why people are making a big deal about Diana and the food is because they are trying to make Diana and her memory look bad. She wasn't a saint but Diana had a good soul and wasn't trying to make anyone look or feel bad about their weight.

THIS! Bless you for this, dear Dman!

 

[Victorian-Dandy]

When you have guests over for dinner you take into consideration their dietary needs or at least that is what I was brought up to do, to totally disregard them is just plain rude.

 

[roseroyal]

When you're a guest in someone else's home, you eat what the hostess serves you.
Diana just couldn't assume Oprah wanted to eat low-fat.
Oprah never asked for low-fat.
@ Roslyn- I want to make sure I understand you correctly- you're saying that Diana should've served them both low-fat, and that her not doing so makes fun of Oprah's weight?
I respect your opinion. I even understand how you might have gotten that impression. But I disagree.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Diana had a mean streak and a dark side like many people, but she wasn't an evil person. I think the point of the article-from the view of the chef-was to demonstrate a mischievous sense of humor.

But I do understand why it falls rather flat and could be perceived as a rather unkind, even catty thing to do.

 

[Victorian-Dandy]

Okay then, what if you are limited in what you can eat due to a special diet be it by choice, medical or even religious grounds.

Going by some of the comments on here, it's tough luck.

If I have Jewish guests, I serve kosher food.

Same if they are vegan

Likewise if they are diabetic or are celiac

To do otherwise is simply bad form.

 

[roseroyal]

If there's a medical besides weight issue, or religious reasons, that's different
. I am never going to discriminate against A persons sacred beliefs. Nor do I want A diabetic going into A coma at my dinner table.
Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against overweight people.
I will be friends with anyone, and treat them with respect, regardless of size.

But weight is a choice. Why should I have to give up what I like, simply to make them comfortable?

Dr. Khan's Family was Muslim. Diana was unaware that they could not eat pork. When she Served them pork, and realized her mistake, she made peanut butter and jelly. Is that the end of the world?
She and Oprah probably had dessert. Was that wrong?
I've never heard of A case where people got sick after eating Diana's food, and she dealt with a lot of people with medical restrictions.
If I was a guest in Diana's home, I would feel so honored, I wouldn't care about the food.

I recall reading ,Oprah went to KP , for two reasons . One to gain publicity for Diana's trip to Chicago to campaign against breast cancer .
And also because Diana wanted to speak to Oprah off the record about her marriage. I cannot say for sure, but the article makes me believe that the second scenario is what happened. That's why I am a bit surprised by the negative response. I could understand it a bit more, if we had proof that the first scenario is what happened. But we never will.
Why can't we focus on the Diana that made her own coffee?

 

[Osipi]

One thing I remember reading about Diana is that when she was scheduled to meet someone, she was given a kind of dossier about the person so she would seem to be familiar with that person. At the beginning of the marriage it was stated that she almost flatly refused to do the reading. It doesn't sound like this was a lunch where Oprah decided to drop by on a whim but a lunch scheduled well in advance and the menu planned well in advance. If Diana did the menu deliberately to get Oprah to eat high fattening food and that was her intention, it was a mean spirited thing to do. If she read the dossier and no food restrictions were listed and she just requested low cal for herself alone, then I don't think there were any hamsters running on the wheel in Diana's brain to pull a fast one on Oprah.

We'll probably never really know what happened but last I heard Oprah is alive and well and healthy so whatever went down, it really doesn't matter.

 

[MARG]

According to the Huffington Post's Rebecca Adams, who interviewed Mr McGrady last month, they were eating the chef's famous tomato mousses when, after a few mouthfuls, Oprah asked: 'Diana, how do you stay so slim eating rich food like this?' The princess replied: 'I just eat small portions and work out.'

Princess Diana's former chef has revealed how during lunch at Kensington Palace, she fooled Oprah Winfrey into thinking that she ate high calorie meals while still keeping her slim figure. That wasn’t quite the truth, though.

Diana, who was focused on eating healthy after overcoming her bulimia, had shifted to a fat-free diet and had asked Mr McGrady to serve her a fat-free version of the mousse, while Oprah was eating the original recipe which includes mayonnaise, sour cream and heavy cream. 'Diana never did tell her the truth,' admitted Mr McGrady.

Read more: Princess Diana's former chef on how she tricked Oprah Winfrey into eating fatty food | Mail OnlineLate-princesss-former-chef-reveals-tricked-Oprah-Winfrey-eating-fatty-food.html#ixzz2vW10sSon
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I think a few people are missing the point here.

1. Diana wouldn't have invited Oprah to her home if she didn't know about her and, to be honest, everyone who ever watched her show knew about her problem with weight. It, and her ongoing battle was one of the things that kept ordinary women watching her show because a lot of them struggled too.

2. Diana was neither stupid nor ignorant.

3. Knowing about her guest's problem Diana served her a rich meal and herself a fat free version, which is pretty nasty in itself and then, when queried, lied her eye teeth about it.

There would be no "Trick" if it had been an honest mistake but it seems it was anything but!

To those who would rather talk about Diana making coffee for someone, I can only remind you that this thread is dedicated to the Different Facets of Diana. And this particular one is pretty ugly.

 

[Mirabel]

Diana could be mean and catty; she could also be warm and generous.
Shw wasn't the saint her admirers like to pretend she was, but she did have good qualities too.

Oh dear...sounds like Diana was a human being...

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Thanks Mirabel. You put it better than I did.

 

[cepe]

Would one meal make a difference? Would Diana care? Would Oprah?
Get it into perspective, folks.
good grief - sound and fury signifying nothing - Shakespeare has a phrase for everything

 

[US Royal Watcher]

I am not a big Diana fan, although I am sympathetic to her struggle with mental illness, but I don't think this was necessarily a mean trick. She didn't tell Oprah that Oprah's food was low fat, or even that Diana could eat anything she wanted. Oprah knew that she was eating high fat food, she just didn't know what Diana was eating.

There are people in the world who can eat anything and not gain weight (I used to be one up until I hit the mid-30s). It didn't hurt Oprah to think Diana was one of them.

It is common for people who suffer from bulimia to pretend they have a high metabolism, it is one of the ways they hide their disease. I wouldn't expect Diana to reveal her problem to the queen of U.S. daytime television. At that time, many people suspected Diana had an eating disorder, but Diana tried to hide it from the general public--and it wasn't our business until she went public.

I agree that some people may be a little hard on Diana here but this story appeared because her chef published a book and is doing a round of interviews. He's talking about his most famous patron.

 

[COUNTESS]

Oprah got her weight by her own eating. Being served one meal would never make a difference. If a guest requests not to be served certain things than you abide. If not you serve what you think is wonderful. You, yourself may not eat some of these things. Those who want Diana to seem heartless try their best to take some nonsense and then build it into something big. The guests problem was, obviously, not put forth, as to please do not serve me.....And, Oprah is a very smart woman, she was not "tricked" into eating anything. Come on this is BS. or PR at its worst.