Why do you think Diana did the Panorama interview?

[Jo of Palatine]

Moderator Note from ysbel: This topic came up during another discussion and we thought it made an interesting thread topic on its own. The question is why people think that Diana conducted the Panorama interview. We didn't include poll choices for this topic since the discussion was pretty much advanced at this time and we didn't want to delay starting the new thread but if you'd like to see a poll and have some idea for poll choices, then please pm me, ysbel, and I will be happy to oblige.

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I.I think Diana was happy with the separation but didn't want a divorce.

Maybe for the years 1993/94, but I think in 1995 she wanted to move forward and tried to force the hand of Charles. Charles did not want a divorce and Diana did noit want to be to one to ask for one. So she did the Panorama-interview. She had learned from the Morton-book plus Squidgygate that the RF reacted when provoked too much. So she provoked them in a major way because she was sure that this would make the queen to tell Charles that there should be a divorce and soon. IMHO, of course. Burrell claimed at the inquest that Diana did not want a divorce but I think she wanted to end her strange status. Probably she even thought that if the RF wanted to force the divorce she could get a better settlement, maybe even keep her title.

I read that when Diana finally agreed to the divorce, she went public and told the media of details that were not yet fixed. That annoyed the queen so much that she stopped proceedings to find a suitable title for Diana and then issued the decree that former wifes of sons of the souverain should have no right to the title HRH. I doubt the queen thought of making Diana a peeress in her own right because I doubt the government wanted her to have a seat in the House of Lords (the reform of the House of Lords was later, wasn't it?) but she could have created her a Highness in her own right with precedence before the wifes of dukes.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

Maybe for the years 1993/94, but I think in 1995 she wanted to move forward and tried to force the hand of Charles. Charles did not want a divorce and Diana did noit want to be to one to ask for one. So she did the Panorama-interview. She had learned from the Morton-book plus Squidgygate that the RF reacted when provoked too much. So she provoked them in a major way because she was sure that this would make the queen to tell Charles that there should be a divorce and soon..

I thought she thought the Panorama interview would convince the Queen into letting her have a more high profile role representing Britain out of the country. If you remember, this was the only direct request she made to the Royal Family in the whole interview. She specifically said she wanted to represent the Royal Family outside of the country.

You'll remember that she spent a large part of the interview stressing how her only goal was to do a good job for the country despite all the hardships she had had. A large part of the interview seemed like a job interview. She talked about how she kept all her pain inside because she wanted to do a good job for the country and she didn't want to let people down and she said that despite not getting any help from the royal family on how to perform her role, when it came time to sink or swim she decided to swim. She said that a fulfilling job was now more important than being in a close relationship and that she wanted to be the Queen of People's Hearts. I thought she was trying to make a case that she had been successful at what the Royal Family had given her and that now she thought she was eligible for greater job responsibility. The one question that Martin Bashir asked her about whether she was really at the young age of 19, qualified for the job of Princess of Wales, she adroitly sidestepped to draw attention away from her onto Charles' deficiencies - she said sweetly that she had expected support when she married. This is a very adroit job interview tactic to avoid admitting a weakness and I don't think the answer was chosen by chance.

She wanted more trust from the family in the types of public roles they would allow her to play and in the types of causes that they would allow her to support in their name. Now the only thing that boggles my mind was that she ever thought that a public interview like this behind the royal family's back would ever convince the Queen to give her a bigger role for the family.

But I think she had a lot of confidence in her power with the press and she always overestimated her power with the Royal Family because she thought she could handle the Royal Family the way she handled every one else.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Now the only thing that boggles my mind was that she ever thought that a public interview like this behind the royal family's back would ever convince the Queen to give her a bigger role for the family.

But I think she had a lot of confidence in her power with the press and she always overestimated her power with the Royal Family because she thought she could handle the Royal Family the way she handled every one else.

Somehow your reasoning does not sound convincing to me. IMHO she tried to much to blame Charles in public, she used the information about her suicide attempts from the Morton-book (though neither she nor Bashir call them that) to show people what a unloving and callous husband Charles had been:

BASHIR: What was your husband's reaction to this, when you began to injure yourself in this way?
DIANA: Well, I didn't actually always do it in front of him. But obviously anyone who loves someone would be very concerned about it.
BASHIR: Did he understand what was behind the physical act of hurting yourself, do you think?
DIANA: No, but then not many people would have taken the time to see that.



So: we learn that Charles did not in fact saw her hurting herself. Probably he didn't see it once or why say it in such a strange way: Well, I didn't actually always do it in front of him.... I personally think she never really tried anything like that but she pretended because she thought that that should get her the reaction she wanted from him and he in her opinion was not willing to take the time to find out why she did "it" - whatever it was she claimed she had done. In the Morton-book there is the transcript of the original tapes and there she said that only when a psychiatrist asked her how often she had tried to commit suicide, she had an answer spontaneously.


For me it reads as if she made the whole thing up or exaggerated it in order to blame Charles for neglecting her.

[ysbel]

My take on the suicide attempts and the bulimia is that there was too much evidence out there for her to refute them and they detracted seriously from her affirmation that she was getting better so she tried to admit to them in the least damaging way as possible (to her)

Her statements about the reactions of the Royal Family and Charles were puzzling. She said that of course they didn't know how to deal with it and the statements sound perfectly reasonable; however she didn't sound too convincing. It was like she was saying it but she didn't believe it herself. My interpretation is that somewhere along the line she had complained to someone that the Royal Family didn't understand her and didn't support her during her difficulty with bulimia and post partum depression and the suicide attempts and someone apparently had the good brains to tell her that she couldn't say that on national tv because there were too many families out there that would have been just as confused as the Royal Family and would have reacted the same way and she would risk alienating all of them.

[selrahc4]

Originally Posted by ysbel

I thought she thought the Panorama interview would convince the Queen into letting her have a more high profile role representing Britain out of the country. If you remember, this was the only direct request she made to the Royal Family in the whole interview. She specifically said she wanted to represent the Royal Family outside of the country.

<remainder of post snipped>

ysbel, thank you for posting these insights. I had never thought of this aspect of the interview. I've tried to imagine many times what in the world was her purpose or goal in doing it. It appeared to be an extended whine and I could never understand what she thought she was trying to achieve. Your thoughts at least give me something to consider.

[Skydragon]

Having read everyone else's thoughts so far....

I don't think it was so much a job interview for HM but an attempt to gather the public to support her in a continued 'royal role'. We know that the PM had refused to meet her and this perhaps was an effort to show him that she had a role to play.

I also think that as more and more bad press regarding her affairs was surfacing, it was a way to shift all the blame to Charles, especially after his admission.

There is of course the old saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. Bad enough that he was happy with Camilla, but to tell the world!.....

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I also think that as more and more bad press regarding her affairs was surfacing, it was a way to shift all the blame to Charles, especially after his admission.

There is of course the old saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. Bad enough that he was happy with Camilla, but to tell the world!.....

I only pity poor little William. In the Panorma-interview Diana tells three times how William was informed about htings relating to his parents:

1. After the Dimbleby-interview when Charles had admitted to his adultery:

DIANA: I went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life you must hang on to it and look after it, and if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you then one must protect it.
William asked me what had been going on, and could I answer his questions, which I did.
He said, was that the reason why our marriage had broken up?
And I said, well, there were three of us in this marriage, and the pressure of the media was another factor, so the two together were very difficult.
But although I still loved Papa I couldn't live under the same roof as him, and likewise with him.
BASHIR: What effect do you think it had on Prince William?
DIANA: Well, he's a child that's a deep thinker, and we don't know for a few years how it's gone in. But I put it in gently, without resentment or any anger.



2. About the Hewitt-affair and the book about it, how she reacted when the book hit the bookstores and Diana found out that he had written about their affair:


DIANA: And he'd (he = hewitt) rung me up 10 days before it arrived in the bookshops to tell me that there was nothing to worry about, and I believed him, stupidly.
And then when it did arrive the first thing I did was rush down to talk to my children. And William produced a box of chocolates and said, `Mummy, I think you've been hurt. These are to make you smile again.' So...



3. How William and Harry were informed about the separation:
BASHIR: Did you tell your children that you were going to separate?
DIANA: Yes. I went down a week beforehand, and explained to them what was happening.
And they took it as children do - lots of questions - and I hoped I was able to reassure them. But, who knows?
BASHIR: What effect do you think the announcement had on them?
DIANA: I think the announcement had a huge effect on me and Charles, really, and the children were very much out of it, in the sense that they were tucked away at school.



Sorry, if I imagine I would react that way to my sons when it comes to difficult times it boggles my mind. Instead of waiting for the holidays where the boys could be cared for by the family they were let out in the cold in their school - no doubt all teachers and household staff talked about it behind the boys' back and no mother or father there to help coping with that situation. Diana saw only the "huge effect" on her and simply didn't realise that the kids had needed her there...

[jcbcode99]

She wanted to garner sympathy from the people so she could use it as leverage to keep a royal role. Additionally, she wanted to take this time to just crucify Charles as much as possible, but to do it in a way that would make her seem the helpless victim who just wanted to be loved by her husband.
That's what I think.

[TheTruth]

I believe Diana thought it was good idea to finally tell the world how she felt and was treated by the RF so as to eventually begin a new life and leaving all the problems behind. I think she also wanted to say everything to the public and break free from the press everlasting chase of scoop. The liberty was guiding her and she was blinded by it.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by TheTruth

I believe Diana thought it was good idea to finally tell the world how she felt and was treated by the RF so as to eventually begin a new life and leaving all the problems behind. I think she also wanted to say everything to the public and break free from the press everlasting chase of scoop. The liberty was guiding her and she was blinded by it.

But why did she lie? And why did she blame Charles, blame her husband's camp, blame all and sundry? She agreed that it was difficult with her but again she said "nobody helped" me, then said that she did not want to either ask for help or accept it... IMHO she really appears to be a bit paranoid there.

[TheTruth]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

But why did she lie? And why did she blame Charles, blame her husband's camp, blame all and sundry? She agreed that it was difficult with her but again she said "nobody helped" me, then said that she did not want to either ask for help or accept it... IMHO she really appears to be a bit paranoid there.

That, I really don't know Jo. But Diana lied easily when she was in a tough situation so it was much more simple for her to place the blame than recognize her faults.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I don't think it was so much a job interview for HM but an attempt to gather the public to support her in a continued 'royal role'. We know that the PM had refused to meet her and this perhaps was an effort to show him that she had a role to play.

Well I admit that viewpoint makes a lot more sense. I just couldn't fathom Diana having a greater royal role without the Queen's consent so I naturally assumed that she was making a public appeal to the Queen to let her have more of a public role.

But if she thought the Queen's opinion wasn't important and she could get around the Queen, then maybe she thought getting all this public support would be enough. I don't think though she was specifically angling for a divorce.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by ysbel

But if she thought the Queen's opinion wasn't important and she could get around the Queen, then maybe she thought getting all this public support would be enough. I don't think though she was specifically angling for a divorce.

From the interview:

There's even the suggestion of a divorce between you. What are your thoughts about that?DIANA: I don't want a divorce, but obviously we need clarity on a situation that has been of enormous discussion over the last three years in particular.
So all I say to that is that I await my husband's decision of which way we are all going to go.

(end of quote).

During the 15 years of her marriage she must have told Charles countless times hwat she tells the public in that interview. So what is she trying to achieve? Surely
now she has now thrown down the gauntlet and it's up to Charles to pick it up because the media at least if not the whole of the public will wait fro a decision. IMHO Diana's speculation was that a divorce is coming up now and that Charles will take the blame. And for many Diana-fans it worked exactly that way. They still blame Charles and Camilla even though it is pretty obvious that he is not the only guilty party. One can discuss that if provoced enough, any partner in a marriage has a right to go his/her own way and maybe Charles run away from his wife while she obviously wanted to stay married to him without changing her ways.

[TheTruth]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

From the interview:

There's even the suggestion of a divorce between you. What are your thoughts about that?DIANA: I don't want a divorce, but obviously we need clarity on a situation that has been of enormous discussion over the last three years in particular.
So all I say to that is that I await my husband's decision of which way we are all going to go.

Maybe Diana thought it was always possible to save the marriage. I think hope never left her and she may have thought the intervention of HM would change the situation and that Charles would eventually ditch Camilla. Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me at all ; Diana was a great dreamer sometimes.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by TheTruth

Maybe Diana thought it was always possible to save the marriage. I think hope never left her and she may have thought the intervention of HM would change the situation and that Charles would eventually ditch Camilla. Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me at all ; Diana was a great dreamer sometimes.