The Late Diana, Princess of Wales News & Questions Thread 8: June 2008- 2020

[Warren]

UK phone-hacking trial: Princess Diana leaked Royal directory to News of the World, court hears - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

UK phone-hacking trial:
Princess Diana leaked Royal directory to News of the World, court hears

​

The late Princess Diana leaked a Royal phone directory to the now defunct News of the World tabloid to get back at Prince Charles, its former Royal editor has told Britain's phone-hacking trial.

Clive Goodman was jailed in 2007, along with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, for hacking into the phones of the Royal household. He is now standing trial accused of making illegal payments to police officers to obtain telephone directories of the Royal household, which he denies.
Police found 15 such directories at the 56-year-old's home when he was arrested in 2006.

Asked where a "green book" directory dating from 1992 had come from, Goodman told the Old Bailey court: "[It was] provided to us by the Princess of Wales. It arrived at the office in an envelope with my name on it," he said, adding that Princess Diana then phoned him to check that he had received it.

"She was going through a very, very difficult time," he said. "She told me she wanted me to see the scale of her husband's staff and household, compared with others. "She felt she was being swamped by people close to his household."

"She was looking for an ally to take him on - to show there were forces that would rage against him."
.

 

[Osipi]

This tidbit of information also made CNN news here today. To be honest, I don't really doubt that Diana did what was stated she did. When a person is angry, they do things they wouldn't normally dream of doing.

 

[wartenberg7]

To be honest I´m fed up hearing what a hard time she had. There are certain things one just don´t do, no matter how much under pressure.
Everyone with a family and a job is, more or less, under a certain level of pressure - but you just can´t cope by intriguing.
I used to be a huge admirer during my childhood and young adulthood, but I cannot hear anymore of Diana being that poor victim, because she simply wasn´t.

 

[Dman]

She did have a hard time and so did Charles. Charles's senior valet also gave Goodman some secret info. It was a very crazy time for those two. The media is running with the story none of this is news to the royal family.

 

[COUNTESS]

They were both victims of a system that is both antiquated and tiresome. So ,she gave phone numbers...You get the big paycheck, you may also have to pay. She is dead. Cannot refute anything. He is alive and married to his paramour. So he won. Such great morality. The RF has gone on and who cares.

 

[Queen Camilla]

"She told me she wanted me to see the scale of her husband's staff and household, compared with others. "She felt she was being swamped by people close to his household."

"She was looking for an ally to take him on - to show there were forces that would rage against him.".

1. In 1992, it wasn't her husband's staff, it was their staff.
2. In 1992, it wasn't his household, but their household.
3. In 1992, she already had an ally in the media.
The Morton book came out in June of 1992.
She had been contacting the media about Charles since at least 1989.
4. They were not even separated until the end of 1992, so Diana was the one who was aiming for a divorce.

 

[Pranter]

I don't think she was aiming for divorce at first...I think she thought she could force Charles to give up Camilla (even as a friend). Things just got out of control from there.


LaRae

 

[Mirabel]

Yes, I think so too. She probably thought she could cut Camilla off completely once Diana was his wife.
She underestimated how clingy Charles would turn out to be.

 

[Queen Camilla]

The Daily Mail article stated divorce.
Although it did not directly quote Clive Goodman. It was implied but it could be the Daily Mail adding to what was stated but then several of the Daily Mail staff were Diana insiders, including Richard Kay.

She sought out journalists as allies in her bitter divorce battle with estranged husband Prince Charles and gave them information to ‘take him on’, the Old Bailey heard.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...iana-leaked-royal-directories-News-World.html

 

[Nico]

Yes, I think so too. She probably thought she could cut Camilla off completely once Diana was his wife.
She underestimated how clingy Charles would turn out to be.

Maybe yes, or maybe not :

Fishing trip where Prince Charles hooked Camilla by man who's spent 70 years exposing secrets | Mail Online

PLATELL'S PEOPLE: If Diana wanted revenge, she failed | Mail Online

I bet we'll never know what really happened
Maybe it's better like that.

 

[Dman]

It's just sad stuff indeed. I think everybody knows that Diana wasn't perfect and did things that she shouldn't have. I really dislike the media on how they built Diana up to be some sort of saint when she was far from it. Despite being HRH The Princess of Wales and future Queen, Diana was human and made mistakes like other humans. She and Charles had some good times and produced two children they loved unconditionally but their marriage fell apart and both they're camps and media took sides (of course they would) and things just took off from there.

Sadly, Diana has been dead for many years-since then-there's been countless books, TV series, movies, articles and other things about her life, marriage and affairs. No matter what, she's no longer here to defend herself against rumors and the public's take on her past life.

Just tragic on top of tragic, IMO.

 

[Queen Camilla]

It is not rumors but facts that she was in contact with multiple members of the media.

The only questions are what kind of information did she supply, to whom and for how long?

 

[Dman]

It is not rumors but facts that she was in contact with multiple members of the media.

The only questions are what kind of information did she supply, to whom and for how long?

Well, Prince Charles senior valet also released secret phone numbers to Clive Goodman. I don't hear anyone asking about that though.

These folks were doing some crazy things at the time and no excuses should be made for it. Although I highly doubt the royals pay much attention to this stuff.

 

[Mermaid1962]

That wasn't right, either. The valet should have just resigned if he hated his job so much. The difference with his case is that it wasn't Prince Charles who released the directory. The idea of a Royal Highness sneaking private material to the press in order to make her husband look bad is just wrong.

Well, Prince Charles senior valet also released secret phone numbers to Clive Goodman. I don't hear anyone asking about that though.

 

[Ish]

Well, Prince Charles senior valet also released secret phone numbers to Clive Goodman. I don't hear anyone asking about that though.

That's for two reasons:
1. This thread is about Diana's news. Not Charles' or Charles' staff.
2. Unless there is evidence saying that Charles told his valet to give the phone numbers to the press, then Charles shouldn't be held accountable for the valet's actions. They are two different people - the valet is responsible for his actions, and Charles for his.

The valet did do something wrong and deserves to be condemned for it. He betrayed his employer's trust and essentially sold his employer's secrets. This is a dick move, however we don't know the valet's motives - did he do it for money? Revenge on his employer? We don't know.

Diana should also be condemned for her actions here. She sold her husband's secrets out of hatred, pettiness, jealousy, etc. Yet she's being given a pass because other people were also selling out Charles? How does that make sense?

 

[cepe]

Well, Prince Charles senior valet also released secret phone numbers to Clive Goodman. I don't hear anyone asking about that though.

These folks were doing some crazy things at the time and no excuses should be made for it. Although I highly doubt the royals pay much attention to this stuff.

Im sorry but I disagree. The royals value trust and loyalty above anything IMO.

 

[Dman]

Im sorry but I disagree. The royals value trust and loyalty above anything IMO.

What I'm saying is that the royal family knew the stuff that was going on in those days. What's coming out in the court most likely isn't new news for the family. They knew Diana and Charles were doing the dumbest of dumb things at the time.

 

[Mermaid1962]

A cafe that Diana used to visit during the late 70s is closing. The female owner seems to have been another of Diana's sympathetic older female friends. I wonder who the "former boyfriend" was?

People diary: Diana’s favourite café closes down - Telegraph

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Princess Diana's make-up artist Mary Greenwell reveals her beauty secrets | Mail Online

 

[Mermaid1962]

I found the line about Diana "cutting back on her drinking" rather strange. Of all the things that have been said about Diana, no-one's ever said that she drank enough to need to "cut back".

 

[Dman]

I think she may have drunk a little wine or champagne but she wasn't known for being a drinker.

 

[Queen Camilla]

The article makes no sense. If she met Diana in 1991 how could she have met her at the start of her marriage.

Any article the refers to Diana as Princess Diana is to be taken with a grain of salt.

Diana had red blotty, pimply skin through out her adult life. (So whatever her 'beauty secrets', it did not work.)

Diana was a drinker, not on level with her son Harry but she did drink.

 

[Grace chic]

I would put very little weight in this article. Princess Diana might have taken a drink but certainly not enough to effect her skin.

Anyone whoever met Diana always commented on her beautiful skin. In fact is was one of the points that her beautician made when referring to Diana's bulimia. It was possible that she had bouts of it but it was not as severe as Diana had said as her hair and skin were not affected.

 

[roseroyal]

I also find the comment on drinking odd, but love the pictures of Diana.

 

[Mermaid1962]

We know that there were drinking rumours in 1987, because Diana publicly spoke out against them when she received the Freedom of the City of London that year. That was the year that she gained back some weight as well. However, I don't think that anyone presented any evidence that she was drinking.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The real story behind the photos that laid bare Diana's despair: For 12 years he guarded the most intimate secrets of Charles, Diana (and Camilla). Now, their former press officer reveals all  | Daily Mail Online

 

[Curryong]

I've never read that Diana drank excessively at any time. Problems with food yes, alcohol no. She had good fresh colouring but I think she may have suffered a bit from rosacea.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

What is it with all those former employees running to the media? At other courts "loyalty" still seems to have a meaning, apparently not so in the United Kingdom...

 

[Lee-Z]

But there is something we didn't know, in the comments section of the article (always a good read on DM ) someone says she had a "Bio-Polar personality"
You read it here first folks

 

[Mermaid1962]

Little girl with leukemia pictured with Diana, Princess of Wales, has passed away at the age of 21.
Girl, 21, who appeared in iconic photo with Diana Princess of Wales as child loses her fight against leukaemia - Get West London