Memories of Diana

[Kitty1224]

I don't know. I think that the RF are back to moderately popular and don't want any more dazzlers who end up in a disaster. Diana's charm and pulling power was a plus, at first. But then she began to use it against her husband and the RF.. and it all ended in scandal and tragedy. I think that it is problaby better not to have someone with so much of that special quality.. as it can end in disaster. Will and Harry have a reasonable popularity, but they do their jobs and then retreat to their home life.. and if they are not mega popular, they are less likely to crash and burn...

Why do you keep foresting that her "family" didn't treat her well too? Charles and the monarchy.

 

[Denville]

Why do you keep foresting that her "family" didn't treat her well too? Charles and the monarchy.

I don't know what you mean by foresting? Which family do you mean? the RF or her Spencer family? If you mean the RF, she was at odds with them....

 

[Kitty1224]

I don't know what you mean by foresting? Which family do you mean? the RF or her Spencer family?

Sorry that was a typo. I meant forgetting. I know the RF have fixed their mistakes and now lets both Kate and Meghan take their time compared to Diana who was on her own, and then Charles not loving her. What a toxic environment.
My original comment was I hope to see the royals esp the younger royals have warmth and connect with people.

 

[Pranter]

I don't think Diana was well treated, at least at times, by her family. Certainly there were situations where they didn't have her best interest at heart I don't think.



LaRae

 

[Denville]

Sorry that was a typo. I meant forgetting. I know the RF have fixed their mistakes and now lets both Kate and Meghan take their time compared to Diana who was on her own, and then Charles not loving her. What a toxic environment.
My original comment was I hope to see the royals esp the younger royals have warmth and connect with people.

I think they have a reasonable degree of warmth.. and people seem to like them.. (ie Will and harry). Im not overly enthused about them... but they are OK

 

[Kitty1224]

I think they have a reasonable degree of warmth.. and people seem to like them.. (ie Will and harry). Im not overly enthused about them... but they are OK

I just want them to have a balance with their whole privacy and public life. I just get sick and tired of hearing them saying I want privacy privacy privacy when in fact they do!!! I personally think they lack warmth in my opinion. But, this is about Diana.

 

[Queen Claude]

Diana may have been a global superstar but she was not a happy person. To me some of the hankering for a Diana 2.0 seems to be a selfish desire to have someone to gawk at and be fascinated by. Of course give credit where credit is due and admire Diana for her warmth and empathy, but you can play that same tune with other royals, "why can't X be as dutiful as the Queen?" "Why cant the X, Y and Z be as hardworking as Charles and Anne?" and so forth. I think that there are different ways for royals to show that they are caring people and want to do good besides and beyond radiating warmth in person and through the camera lens.

 

[Denville]

I just want them to have a balance with their whole privacy and public life. I just get sick and tired of hearing them saying I want privacy privacy privacy when in fact they do!!! I personally think they lack warmth in my opinion. But, this is about Diana.

but Diana was always saying that she had no privacy, and that the meida made her life hell.. and wishing that she could retreat into private life.. but she flrited with the Media and gave them stories.. and unfortunately the whole thing ended in tragedy. Will and Harry because of this are IMO even more determined to ensure that their private lives are kept safe and that that is the important thing for them. THey do their job.. but they are determined to keep the press out of their lives as much as possible.

 

[Elan]

To me some of the hankering for a Diana 2.0 seems to be a selfish desire to have someone to gawk at and be fascinated by. Of course give credit where credit is due and admire Diana for her warmth and empathy...

I think that there are different ways for royals to show that they are caring people and want to do good besides and beyond radiating warmth in person and through the camera lens.

I don't see how Diana 2.0 would have occurred. Otoh, a daughter, marginally close in traits to Diana, was possible. I doubt media attention or from the general public would've been over the top. Unless the resemblance was incredibly close..very unlikely.

 

[Denville]

No I don't think that there's anyone with that fascination factor around at present. And I think that after the debacle of Diana, royal families are more wary now of someone with charm and fascination coming along.

Diana may have been a global superstar but she was not a happy person. To me some of the hankering for a Diana 2.0 seems to be a selfish desire to have someone to gawk at and be fascinated by. Of course give credit where credit is due and admire Diana for her warmth and empathy, but you can play that same tune with other royals, "why can't X be as dutiful as the Queen?" "Why cant the X, Y and Z be as hardworking as Charles and Anne?" and so forth. I think that there are different ways for royals to show that they are caring people and want to do good besides and beyond radiating warmth in person and through the camera lens.

That's true. I was a Diana fan and I miss her.. but I can't deny that in the last yaers she was a bit out of control and her life was getting messy. I think she had a warm heart and did do good with her fame, but I think she had grown a bit burnt out in the last few years and instead of a steady commitemetn to her charity work, she was on and off and was still flrirting with the meda..

Sorry that was a typo. I meant forgetting. I know the RF have fixed their mistakes and now lets both Kate and Meghan take their time compared to Diana who was on her own, and then Charles not loving her. What a toxic environment.
My original comment was I hope to see the royals esp the younger royals have warmth and connect with people.

I agree that perhaps Diana was thrown into royal work a bit too soon.

 

[Queen Claude]

I don't see how Diana 2.0 would have occurred. Otoh, a daughter, marginally close in traits to Diana, was possible. I doubt media attention or from the general public would've been over the top. Unless the resemblance was incredibly close..very unlikely.

There will not be an exact Diana 2.0 because the media landscape is different. IMO Diana 2.0 need not be a blood relative nor have a physical resemblance to Diana. While I personally am not enthralled with The Duchess of Sussex, the obsession that the media and her "fan base" have with her is what I consider the 21st century version of Di-mania. What remains to be seen is will the interest in her endure like it did with Diana.

Just to be clear and as many others have mentioned, I don't think that the British Royal Family needs or wants another Diana. To me the reporters and public who clamor for another Diana seem to be more motivated by how having another Diana benefits them. And going by the life of Diana, and I'll throw in Marilyn Monroe, being the object of enduring public fascination tends not to add to one's well-being.

 

[Denville]

Of course Diana was a wondrful figure for the media because she fascinated the public, she was beautiful and photographed well and she was in some ways good iwht the media.. though she lost her touch a bit. But even with that, I got vibes that by th end of her life, the public were losing interest a bit.. and the Press were getting rather cool on her. there were negative stories, more than positive ones.. and Di's behaviour was beginning to seem erratic and to put off many people. So its possible that in another few years the press might have gone form cool and negative to indifferent if they felt that the public weren't that bothered abuot her any more..

 

[Curryong]

In a poll conducted by the BBC in 2002, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Year, to find the nation's greatest Britons, the only females chosen by the 40,000 correspondents were Queen Elizabeth I and Diana, Princess of Wales.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/02/jubilee.monarchy1

What the public thought of the monarchy and individual members of the Royal family in the wake of Diana's death, reflected in polling.

https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/power-public-opinion-princess-diana-1961-1997#imppolls

 

[Elan]

Just to be clear and as many others have mentioned, I don't think that the British Royal Family needs or wants another Diana. To me the reporters and public who clamor for another Diana seem to be more motivated by how having another Diana benefits them. And going by the life of Diana, and I'll throw in Marilyn Monroe, being the object of enduring public fascination tends not to add to one's well-being.

Health and security are important. There's a lot to be said for them but my guess is that the Royal family prefers to be associated with quite a strong appeal, and magnetic quality. That underneath, this is valued by them, as well as the public.

Also, while their fame levels were similar, Diana did not experience the range of early traumas Marilyn did. Like attempting, not meeting a father..orphanage and foster homes..mother in an asylum as a young adult. These items went miles past Diana's adversity.

 

[Denville]

I think that if the RF felt at first that diana's magnetism and her pulling power was a good thing, they were soon disillusioned. Yes it attracted a lot of press attention but the Press attention began to eat away at the RF. and when Diana deliberately used her charm to attract the press and against Charles, It was almost a complete disaster. ANd of course the press chasing after Diana, building her up and then at times becoming hostile to her.. all ended in tragedy.

I think that they have now become wary of "too much charm" in a royal partner and it is made clear to a new wife that she must not overshadow her husband..

 

[Queen Claude]

Health and security are important. There's a lot to be said for them but my guess is that the Royal family prefers to be associated with quite a strong appeal, and magnetic quality. That underneath, this is valued by them, as well as the public.

Also, while their fame levels were similar, Diana did not experience the range of early traumas Marilyn did. Like attempting, not meeting a father..orphanage and foster homes..mother in an asylum as a young adult. These items went miles past Diana's adversity.

The BRF wants to have strong appeal and they've been able to have that appeal before and after Diana, but Diana's fame and appeal went above and beyond to the point where she became a commodity.


While the argument can be made that Marilyn's early traumas were worse than Diana's, Diana for sure was damaged by her childhood experiences.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

I like the fact that Princess Diana participated in the school sports of Prince William and Prince Harry. I like how she took part in and won the mothers' race.

 

[Kitty1224]

The BRF wants to have strong appeal and they've been able to have that appeal before and after Diana, but Diana's fame and appeal went above and beyond to the point where she became a commodity.


While the argument can be made that Marilyn's early traumas were worse than Diana's, Diana for sure was damaged by her childhood experiences.

She was like the jewel to the crown at the time.

 

[Osipi]

She was like the jewel to the crown at the time.

The British Royal Family, themselves, didn't think so.

 

[Kitty1224]

The British Royal Family, themselves, didn't think so.

I know but the people of the UK and all over the world did. I know it became bad when it went over her head that she was the one people wanted and it was the Diana show but face it, it’s the people’s opinion in my opinion that matters more than how the British Royal Family function.

 

[Osipi]

We'll definitely have to agree to disagree on this point, m'friend. ?

 

[Lee-Z]

I know but the people of the UK and all over the world did. I know it became bad when it went over her head that she was the one people wanted and it was the Diana show but face it, it’s the people’s opinion in my opinion that matters more than how the British Royal Family function.

Unlike some political systems a monarchy is not a popularity contest

(imo ofcourse)

 

[Denville]

I know but the people of the UK and all over the world did. I know it became bad when it went over her head that she was the one people wanted and it was the Diana show but face it, it’s the people’s opinion in my opinion that matters more than how the British Royal Family function.

Not really. Diana's title and status came from being married to Charles. When they were divorced she was no longer a member of the RF. And popularity can be very fickle.. She was not a royal any more, she was mixing with the celebrity jet set and its possible that in time, as she grew a little older, that the popularity would fade

 

[Osipi]

You're right Denville. For example, lets look at Michael Jackson. Immensely popular the world over and now his reputation has taken such a hit that radio stations globally are refusing to play his music due to the impact of "Leaving Neverland". Even Jackson's daughter, Paris, says "its not my job to defend my father".

Fame and celebrity are fickle beasts and so is popular opinion.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Not really. Diana's title and status came from being married to Charles. When they were divorced she was no longer a member of the RF. And popularity can be very fickle.. She was not a royal any more, she was mixing with the celebrity jet set and its possible that in time, as she grew a little older, that the popularity would fade

Charles was the focal point. He was a Prince of the Blood. Without marriage to him, Diana would have remained Lady Diana Frances Spencer until her marriage to a different gentleman.

 

[Denville]

You're right Denville. For example, lets look at Michael Jackson. Immensely popular the world over and now his reputation has taken such a hit that radio stations globally are refusing to play his music due to the impact of "Leaving Neverland". Even Jackson's daughter, Paris, says "its not my job to defend my father".

Fame and celebrity are fickle beasts and so is popular opinion.

I hardly think you can compare Diana to Mich Jackson....I only meant that if she was getting older, the press might nto be so interested in pictures of an older middle aged woman... and would move on to younger targets.

 

[Osipi]

Exactly. Time passes and interest wanes. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, teen idols such as Davy Jones, Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy and several rock stars were splashed all over the front of magazines geared to the fandom of said "stars". Those stars faded with time.

Now one never hears of them too much except for the gentle reminder how old we're getting because they've died and are no longer with us. Of course Diana and Michael Jackson were two totally different people and not alike in any shape or form but they both attained a level of "superstardom" that defined their era.

Diana, Princess of Wales is an exception of a star that never faded and remains shining because her tragic death was so unexpected and happened while she was still very much admired and followed by her fans.

 

[Elan]

Happy St. Patricks Day..

With ballet as a serious hobby, Diana was known to have a love for dance in general, growing up participating in it.

I've never heard whether she was particularly fond of trips to Ireland, but the country as a whole has a hearty appetite, especially in the folk dancing idiom. Though not in league with the Bolshoi ballet, it seems she would've admired other traditional forms as well. If anyone knows..

May Tree SPb Ceili Dance Club

 

[Osipi]

Diana most definitely loved to dance and its the years and years of doing it that gave her the natural grace she had. That's one place that Charles and Diana shone. On the dance floor.

I don't believe I've read anywhere where Diana was particularly trained in Irish step dance. However, Diana and Harry did go and watch a performance of Riverdance back in 1996 (2 years after Riverdance debuted) and I would imagine she absolutely loved it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Dia...MKHct-A4QQ9QEwAHoECAAQBA#imgrc=VpYcDJnCyrkY4M:

 

[Elan]

Interesting...and the link to the Riverdance evening. Never saw much of the show till now, but they apparently conquered the world with it.

On another note, Billy Joel was perhaps not quite the songwriter Elton was, but imo Diana picked a great number to hit the stage with back then.

Thankfully some stills were taken.. The star performer offers a fairly robust account of the evening, the impression being that he was a little star struck himself.