Reasons for disliking Diana?

[Christo's Girl]

One of the reasons given for the breakdown of their marriage was that Charles and Diana were very different people. But in certain ways they were the same. Both wanted things there way.

I also found it interesting that what Diana condoned in Charles she didn't in others. For example, Annabel Goldsmith was a close friend of hers as well as Annabel's husband Lord James Goldsmith. For those who don't know them, their daughter is Jemima Goldsmith Khan, the ex wife of cricketeer Imran Khan. She is also the current girlfriend of Hugh Grant. It is a well know fact Sir James(Jimmy) had mistresses all over England and Europe throughout both his marriages. In fact when he started having children with Annabel he was married to another woman! When he did marry Annabel, he soon found a mistress yet again. I also believe that Sir James encouraged Diana to go after what she was entitled to with the divorce(rightfully so) and even paid her considerable legal fees. Now I look at this situation this way, Annabel could be like Camilla and Sir James could be Charles. Diana had no problem being good friends with these two people even though at one time in the 1970's they were in a relationship similiar to what Charles and Camilla were in through the 1980's and 1990's. Sir James was a married man who was cheating on his wife and Annabel was the "other" woman. Interesting? I also understand though, that when the betrayal happens to you it is much different.

Anyways, isn't it ill to speak of the dead?

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by maryshawn

Her lasting friendships seem to be predicated on basically one thing: time. The people who made time for her and were available when she needed them lasted. The others fell by the wayside. But I can understand her reaching out to a point. When going through hard times, I will call or email others......until one or all of them reach out and "slap me" and say "enough already!"

Oh I can relate to that maryshawn. Some of my closest friends will say "Can we talk about something else?" and then I know enough is enough.

People may have felt uncomfortable saying no to Diana because she was so loved and so troubled and a royal princess. The problem was that healthy people are not going to let one or two people monopolize their time. They make room for all their important relationships and they take time to care for themselves.

I think that the pattern may have driven healthy people away from Diana and drawn unhealthy manipulative people towards her.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by maryshawn

Yes, indeed! Look at Charles now, asking for his personal letters back after his secretary leaked portions of his private diaries. They both had/have an "overreactive" mode they went into when feeling betrayed or misunderstood. Suddenly, everyone was the "enemy" till better sense took over again.

Yes, that was definitely an overreaction if we can believe the Sun who I'm not so sure about. But Charles has been known to suddenly cut off people so I think there is a grain of truth to it even if he didn't ask all of his friends for his letters back.

I think they both scarred each other terribly in the breakdown of their marriage and what they did afterwards didn't make a lot of sense to the outsider. Charles for his part I imagine got tired of being on the receiving end of a negative publicity campaign by his wife and so now that she's dead, he's not taking some of the pot shots that others throw at him so mildly. That's well and good but asking for letters back from friends that have been loyal is not the way to conduct a friendship.

[LanaLana28]

I think Diana could have benefited from a good pyschriatist if only she felt herself she needed help. I don't think she felt there was anything wrong with her and felt she was a victim. She was to a victum certain degree, but I do believe she exaperated the situations she got into with her behavior lead and her behavior lead to the breakdown of her marriage and Charles resuming his relationship with Camilia. I do believe he have every intention of making his marriage work, but he was dealing with someone who had a lot of emotional issues and also someone who dealt with the emotional issues by revenge, attention grabbing tackits, do you love me, etc. extremes and he simply couldn't deal with it and she did not feel she had big emotional issues. I liked Diana, but I can't deny my perception of what went on. If Charles was a perfect husband, I see that relationship having problems due to her emotional maturity and possible chemical imbalance. Proper treatment for these issues would have helped the marriage and her post marriage life and relationships with friends, etc.

[LanaLana28]

Also, I know Diana was thrown a bone but she could have handled it much better and got on with her life. Now, I understand a few huge fights and emotional outbursts with her husband, etc. but Diana seemed obssessed with revenge, causing trouble and justifyig her behaviour by saying she was a victum but her behaviour was making her more and more of a victum by driving away her husband, family, friends, etc. I don't think Diana really saw how her behavior played a role in her sad state and I feel sorry for any injustices she endured. But, I honestly think she had some emotional maturity issues and I believe a chemical imbalance to boot and if she focused on getting herself treated and to heck with her husband, his family, Camilia, etc. I think she would have been spared a lot of emotional pain and went on to hook up with a quality man instead of a playboy, or another married man,
etc. P.S. I truely admired Diana for her compassion and good works and feel sorry for her sadness but I think she was also her own worst enemy and her own issues made her situatin much worst.

[LanaLana28]

Another comment and please don't not even think I was in Prince Charles because I don't condone adultry but at least expect for that interview he was not going around bashing her and maybe that is why he is saying that the archives have the truth of the marriage. Bive him credit for at least being a gentleman and not hanging her dirt laundry out to dry. I'm sur his diaries, etc. explain a lot about her emotional outbursts that he had trouble dealing with that he considered private and if he acted like she did airing dirty laundry I think he could have made her look really, really bad, but he did not.

[politikgirl]

I don't dislike Diana. In fact, there are a lot of things I admire about her: her generosity, devotion to charity, devotion to her children, etc.

The only thing that bothers me about the hype around Diana (not about Diana herself) is that she is commonly recognized to be the fashion icon of all time, and yet I really don't think that much of her style (I would say that Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis are even more brilliant style icons, but that's another topic altogether). Obviously this is a superfluous aspect of Diana and one that isn't her fault, but I'd rather the press focus on all her amazing contributions to charity, her children, etc. rather than talk about what a great style icon she was.

[Madame Royale]

Who am I to judge a woman who is now dead? I'm of no authority to do so.

A lady of great youth and beauty, Diana was dealt many difficult blows throughout her life and no one but Diana could/can understand what she went through or what she felt

Just my opinion.

[Next Star]

I think that she was a great person the only think I did not like was that she was too famous and that the paparazzi would not leave her alone chasing her around every chance that they had to get a picture of her by herself or with her sons William and Harry.

[Henri M.]

The late Princess of Wales separated and divorced quite long ago. In fact I can not remember her married life with The Prince of Wales very well, it is just a footnote in history.

[sirhon11234]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

The late Princess of Wales separated and divorced quite long ago. In fact I can not remember her married life with The Prince of Wales very well, it is just a footnote in history.

I dissagree with you. I believe Diana's life was not a footnote in History.

[Thomas Parkman]

Well, dear people, Diana and Charles are simply two human beings, faults, virtues and all. What good would it do to dislike either of them. This clining to a dream of the past is just that: a dream. All that we see or have seen is what we see in the newspapers, a questionable source, and television, another questionable source.

Neither of these people are plaster of paris saints, shall we say. Like most of us, they to a large part created their own problems or in their confusions and emotional states and immaturity compounded them.

This is what makes history and people so fascinating and at the same time so sad. Instead of dislike, maybe some kind of appreciation, not necessarily approval because we were not there. And yes may I also suggestion compassion? There but by the Grace of... Cheers.

[georgiea]

Originally Posted by Madame Royale

Who am I to judge a woman who is now dead? I'm of no authority to do so.

A lady of great youth and beauty, Diana was dealt many difficult blows throughout her life and no one but Diana could/can understand what she went through or what she felt.

Just my opinion.

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ABOUT DIANA!!!!

I think she will be remembered in history like other tragic royals. Look at the books still coming out after she died nine years ago.

I think Prince William's wife will stay away from the media. She will not get as close as Diana to the common person. That was why Diana's death was so tragic to the world. The common person thought they knew her personally through all the media attention. So her death was a big blow to them.

[Warren]

Please note that we have two Diana opinion threads:

• Reasons for disliking Diana? (this thread); and

• Why do you like Diana? which can be found here.

To avoid the potential for arguments, and to keep things on topic, opinions should be posted in the appropriate thread.

thanks,
Warren
British Forums moderator

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Thomas Parkman

Well, dear people, Diana and Charles are simply two human beings, faults, virtues and all. What good would it do to dislike either of them. This clining to a dream of the past is just that: a dream. All that we see or have seen is what we see in the newspapers, a questionable source, and television, another questionable source.

Neither of these people are plaster of paris saints, shall we say. Like most of us, they to a large part created their own problems or in their confusions and emotional states and immaturity compounded them.

This is what makes history and people so fascinating and at the same time so sad. Instead of dislike, maybe some kind of appreciation, not necessarily approval because we were not there. And yes may I also suggestion compassion? There but by the Grace of... Cheers.

Very elquently said, Thomas!

My own two cents..I really really liked Diana and her humane way of looking at the world, until I watched that terrible, woe-is-me, whiny interview she chose to do with that rat of a Bashir. That's the interview she did in 95, the one everyone of her friends warned her against. But Diana didn't listen, went ahead with the interview, spilled all the beans about her unhappy marriage and clandestine affairs to a world audience of millions...for what?

I remember waching it and thinking..imagine if this is your mother. She goes on television, gives a useless interview in which she blasts your father, says he's unfit to do exactly that which he's brought up to do, and goes on ranting about various lovers! I mean, ugh! Poor kids!

I remember thinking, what a terribly, terribly, SELFISH thing to do, because, WHO was she serving with that interview but her self?! From that moment on, I saw her quite in a different light. Still like her irreverence, but her spotlight-seeking seemed an increasing quest for just that: being in the spotlight. These charities were a great tool to keep that spotlight.

I think after her divorce, on some level she must have realized that she was made kindof redundant. I mean, you divorce a prince, and then..what? She became sort of a loose canon indeed. Not nice to say, but true all the same. And then to see how she used Dodi to play around with, meanwhile thinking nothing of leaving his fiancee in heaps of tears, going with him to psychics who of course would confirm their love was just the ticket, etc.
No, toward the end of her life, I thouhght she had become annoying. When she died, I was shocked, but somehow found it a fitting end.

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by georgiea

I think Prince William's wife will stay away from the media.

yes, because if anything, the last thing anyone's waiting for is another attention-seeking, look-at-me-and-how-I-suffered interview a la Diana and Martin Bashir. I mean, is it any wonder William is trying to live his life in an as boring way as possible? He's counterbalancing the dramaqueen life of his parents, and I understand that.

Originally Posted by georgiea

She will not get as close as Diana to the common person. That was why Diana's death was so tragic to the world. The common person thought they knew her personally through all the media attention. So her death was a big blow to them.

Thing is, and yes I agree that compared with Diana, some of the BRF members seem cold frogs at best, but all the same I'm not sure that what "the common man" needs is a condescending tap on the head every once in a blue moon by a higher-born individual, whether it's well meant or not. Diana was a lovely person in general, but a socialite all the same. Of course, it's true she managed to draw attention to causes close to her heart, but again, it was a matter of charity, a way to keep a spouse-of, occupied. she did a great job, but I'm not sure she's indispensible--I think shortly before her death, I noticed a lot of Diana fatigue, among people in general.

[Toledo]

Reasons for disliking Diana?
Can't think of one except that she should not had married that young. Had she aquired more experience she would have faced what Life threw at her in a very different way.

But sometimes that's easier said than done. If I had the world (and an army of paparrazis) watching every step of my life they way they did her's I would never get out of the house! The moment that she was rumored to be the future wife of the heir was the starting point on the drama for both of them.

[Madame Royale]

Originally Posted by Toledo

Reasons for disliking Diana?
Can't think of one except that she should not had married that young. Had she aquired more experience she would have faced what Life threw at her in a very different way.

But sometimes that's easier said than done. If I had the world (and an army of paparrazis) watching every step of my life they way they did her's I would never get out of the house! The moment that she was rumored to be the future wife of the heir was the starting point on the drama for both of them.

So you dislike her for marrying young?

I'm not sure I can make sense of how anyone can dislike someone for marrying at a young age.

No offence intended Toledo