20th Anniversary of the Death of Diana, Princess of Wales: August 31, 2017

[wyevale]

I watched half an hour of it tonight, but feel I 'got the jist'..

Turned over to watch the Ypres commemoration which seemed more important, and less saccharine...

[Pranter]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Neither William nor Harry referred to any problems around their attending the funeral or walking in it in their tribute to their mother. That's what comes IMO of commenting on something you haven't seen.

It's Earl Spencer who's stirred things up in that direction since the doco in the BBC podcast which Dman posted. I don't know if you've heard that either, Denville.

The documentary was about as non-controversial as it was possible to be IMO, and as I like Harry I enjoyed seeing both sons talking in a nice, kind and loving way about their mother.

In all fairness Harry has said something very recently about that and he was not positive about it either.


LaRae

[MARG]

Yes, he said children should never be asked to do such a thing. However, this was a oncer, a silent walk which he, as a child happily agreed to. The benefits of 20/20 hindsight and the not surprising trauma it caused give a different view.

He never said he was made to walk, he was asked. However, the chance of such a situation with its own particular dynamics occurring again are infintisimal.

[Pranter]

I don't know that I would use the term 'happily agreed to'...we don't really know for sure however I rather doubt he was happy to do it.


LaRae

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by MARG

Yes, he said children should never be asked to do such a thing. However, this was a oncer, a silent walk which he, as a child happily agreed to. The benefits of 20/20 hindsight and the not surprising trauma it caused give a different view.

He never said he was made to walk, he was asked. However, the chance of such a situation with its own particular dynamics occurring again are infintisimal.

And a 12 year old child, even without having received a recent shock and in the beginning stages of grief could be influenced to agree to doing something he didn't want to do, may have even been influenced to think it was his duty to his mother to do it. I sincerely doubt "happily" was anywhere close to an emotion that was being experienced.

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

I have watched it. And while every bit was true, it is also what the boys did not show. So it was a very rosé-tinted view. As a retrospect of two loving sons to their mother: great tribute. As a retrospect on the person which was Diana, Princess of Wales: far from complete.


For an example: I am sure that the children of Mr Trump can make exactly the same loving tribute about their father. We all will know that such a tribute -with every bit being true- will be far from complete.

I don't understand why some people expected this to be an unbiased historical documentary. Her sons were not going to be involved in a program that rehashed her problems and scandals. It was as I expected- a sweet tribute to a mother who died too young.

[royal rob]

I think some posters are disappointed there was nothing to criticize. So sad if that's how you view life. And to bring Trump into this thread is beyond absurd

[Osipi]

One thing that is clear is that different people have different viewpoints on the facets of Diana's life that are of interest to them. Each and every facet, whether it be her charity work, her private life and loves, her relationship with her sons as a mother and the chronicles of her fashions, is available somewhere out there in documentaries, magazines, TV interviews and many, many places in cyberspace and books on Diana could fill a wall space in a private library.

Everything adds up to the big picture that was Diana, Princess of Wales. One person's memories may clash with another's and its by looking at everything objectively from all angles the we can formulate our own opinions of this one woman who, like it or not, affected the world around her.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Pranter

I don't know that I would use the term 'happily agreed to'...we don't really know for sure however I rather doubt he was happy to do it.


LaRae

Perhaps I should have said "blithely". We are also talking about a boy who did not yet understand the depths of grief, a child . . . yes, but a true "innocent". The same innocent who lobbied hard and didn't really understand the reasons why he was told he could not accompany his father to France to bring his mother home. That is why I believe he said: "a child should never be asked to do that".

To put it simply, he did not understand at all what he was going to do except walk with his dad who also didn't know what to expect. Harry has spent the best part of twenty years trying to reconcile himself to the consequences. Tony Blair et al did not know if William would accompany them until the day of the funeral.

Prince Philip had not planned to walk but he said he would (I'm guessing) to support William whom (I believe) would not leave Harry to walk without him. That this was a unique occasion is emphasised by their joining the rest of the family to walk behind the Queen Mother's gun carriage.

[Denville]

I doubt if he "blithely" or "happily" agreed to do anything so painful.... but he may not have realised, when he agreed to do it, just exactly what it entailed. IN fact I'm sure he didn't, and he found it very upsetting when he was doig it.

Originally Posted by Curryong

Neither William nor Harry referred to any problems around their attending the funeral or walking in it in their tribute to their mother. That's what comes IMO of commenting on something you haven't seen.

It's Earl Spencer who's stirred things up in that direction since the doco in the BBC podcast which Dman posted. I don't know if you've heard that either, Denville.

The documentary was about as non-controversial as it was possible to be IMO, and as I like Harry I enjoyed seeing both sons talking in a nice, kind and loving way about their mother.

That's not my impression.. I thougt that Harry and Will had said that they were not happy about walking in the funeral and felt that it should not have been asked of them.. at least that harry certainly said that. And Charles S has said before that he ddn't think the boys should have been doing this, as far as I can remember.. But if they say something as well, he's bound to put his 2 cents worth in..and bring the subject up again.

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

May I ask what smarts you feel WnH would need to have to do a documentary like this? I operated under the position that anything they said could be taken the wrong way by the media. Do you feel Harry should not have made the comment about walking at the funeral?





Really, I did not know this. Rather shocked too hear you say that.

I take it you're being sarcastic so I wont respond.

[royal_sophietje]

I think it is great that William and Harry have spoken out. They had to endure a lot after her death:
- Diana is alive, living in Africa!
- Diana was pregnant with Dodi´s child
- Diana was killed on royal order/government order
- Diana was a lunatic

etc. etc.

It is great William and Harry could finally talk about how she was to them, after all insane things that has been written about her.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Denville

I doubt if he "blithely" or "happily" agreed to do anything so painful.... but he may not have realised, when he agreed to do it, just exactly what it entailed. IN fact I'm sure he didn't, and he found it very upsetting when he was doig it.

I give in. When one is wilfully determined to skew a post to suit their point of view it becomes evident that denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by wyevale

Earl Spencer pleads with Channel 4 not to broadcast Diana tapes

Suddenly the 'noble' Lord discovers the value of privacy and discretion...

As I understand it, those are the same tapes that were broadcast on NBC in the US a few years ago. They are actually avaialble on YouTube and anyone can see them. I don't think there is anything new here that is not already public knowledge.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Neither William nor Harry referred to any problems around their attending the funeral or walking in it in their tribute to their mother. That's what comes IMO of commenting on something you haven't seen.
.

Originally Posted by Pranter

In all fairness Harry has said something very recently about that and he was not positive about it either.
LaRae

Wasn't that in the documentary as well? His comments about walking behind the coffin is the main thing I see as being used to stir up old wounds which gives support to Denville's opinion. As soon as I heard him say that I knew there would be controversy.

Originally Posted by Denville

I take it you're being sarcastic so I wont respond.

I'm sorry you misunderstood but I was being completely genuine in my question.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by MARG

Perhaps I should have said "blithely". We are also talking about a boy who did not yet understand the depths of grief, a child . . . yes, but a true "innocent". The same innocent who lobbied hard and didn't really understand the reasons why he was told he could not accompany his father to France to bring his mother home. That is why I believe he said: "a child should never be asked to do that".

To put it simply, he did not understand at all what he was going to do except walk with his dad who also didn't know what to expect. Harry has spent the best part of twenty years trying to reconcile himself to the consequences. Tony Blair et al did not know if William would accompany them until the day of the funeral.

Prince Philip had not planned to walk but he said he would (I'm guessing) to support William whom (I believe) would not leave Harry to walk without him. That this was a unique occasion is emphasised by their joining the rest of the family to walk behind the Queen Mother's gun carriage.

I agree with you.

Furthermore I find it unfortunate to point the funeral issue out in public, stirring up negativity. The situation was unique back then, Harry was a child - without a feeling for grief, never took his own decisions or had any life experience - and not the adult he is now.
There is no point looking back since I do not believe - and nobody indicated - that Harry was forced to walk. It seemed the best thing to do back then and one should leave it at that.
I am sure had he not walked, he would regret it as well, not having gone the last way with his mother. He is a Prince of UK, all eyes would have been on him anyway. Yes he was a child, millions of children walk behind the coffins of their parents but not under the watchful eyes of the world population but sorry, it may sound brutal but it comes with the job, even for a child, as so many other things come with the job, like supermodels waiting for you at home as a lunch surprise.
Hopefully the brothers will be quiet now and not do the same public thing again in 5 years.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

You are not consequent. As long as you do not go for a democratically elected head of state, you are as every bit as archaïc as me, Madam.

I do "go for" a democratically elected head of state.
Edit: after some time I decided to edit my post because I felt it was too combative.

All I will say is in 2017 the idea of good breeding and good blood is extremely out of date.

[wyevale]

Hopefully the brothers will be quiet now and not do the same public thing again in 5 years.

I PRAY you are right, but think it unlikely..the self affirmation it seems to give is 'habit forming' as their Mother found to her cost...

[Pranter]

They've said they aren't speaking again about it in public.


LaRae

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Denville

That's not my impression.. I thougt that Harry and Will had said that they were not happy about walking in the funeral and felt that it should not have been asked of them.. at least that harry certainly said that.

Harry said something about it in a different interview, not in the documentary. And he has a right to say what he feels about something he experienced.

[MaiaMia_53]

"Candid Princess Diana tapes to be shown in UK, despite protests:

Candid Princess Diana tapes to be shown in UK despite protests - CNN.com

[Pranter]

Rosa Monckton, a friend of the princess, told the Guardian newspaper that the tapes should not be shown and instead be handed to Princess Diana's sons Prince Harry and Prince William.....

I'm with her on this one.



LaRae