Diana and James Hewitt

[Curryong]

^ It was rumoured years ago that the notorious News of the World did manage to get a few strands of Harry's hair after he'd visited the barber and were going to test them. Whether they did or not, who knows!

 

[Muhler]

There is very little doubt in my mind that Harry's DNA has been tested by the press.

Editors would be willing to go to prison for that story and the income from the sale of papers should the result prove Hewitt to be the father of Harry would be worth it.

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

Harry looks like a mixture of Charles and Philip. Anyone who still thinks he is Hewitt's son needs glasses or just loathes Diana
William btw looks a lot like King Edward VII (imo).

 

[Curryong]

^ I think that as William has got older the shape of his face has changed. He now has the same shaped face as Diana's brother, Earl Spencer.

 

[Pranter]

Harry looks like a mixture of Charles and Philip. Anyone who still thinks he is Hewitt's son needs glasses or just loathes Diana
William btw looks a lot like King Edward VII (imo).

ITA. I've said this for some time...he looks like Edward!


LaRae

 

[TLLK]

^ I think that as William has got older the shape of his face has changed. He now has the same shaped face as Diana's brother, Earl Spencer.

Sometimes I think that he looks a bit like Peter Phillips especially in the lower part of his face. His eyes, nose and forehead are definitely Diana.

 

[Isabella]

^ I think that as William has got older the shape of his face has changed. He now has the same shaped face as Diana's brother, Earl Spencer.

I agree. I hadn't realized it until recently, when I happened to see a clip of Earl Spencer giving the eulogy at Diana's funeral, and I went, "oh, wow, he looks so much like William!" I was surprised because I hadn't realized quite how much Williams face has continued to change.

I also recently saw a picture of Diana's father when he was young, and he looked almost frighteningly like Harry does now. Usually I mostly notice that, coloring aside, Harry looks a lot like Charles. The Hewitt claims are just nasty, and particularly unkind for Charles and Harry. I agree with Muhler that the press has likely tested Harry's DNA at some point, and just not gotten the scandalous results that they want.

 

[Dman]

Harry has always been Charles son. Don't let the tabs and Hewitt play with your heads.

 

[MARG]

^ It was rumoured years ago that the notorious News of the World did manage to get a few strands of Harry's hair after he'd visited the barber and were going to test them. Whether they did or not, who knows!

Hair clippings are no good for a DNA test. They require a hair with a healthy follicle. They also require something to compare it with.

 

[Isabella]

Hair clippings are no good for a DNA test. They require a hair with a healthy follicle. They also require something to compare it with.

Right, but can't you get hairs with follicles from pillow cases or hairbrushes or something? (And obviously there are other ways to test DNA, too - and I'm guessing some reporter has found some way to get ahold of something on at least one occasion, and if they can get a sample from Harry, they can get samples from other people as well).

 

[Skippyboo]

You could also get DNA from a glass or cigarette. Hairs from a pillow case or sheet. We know that reporters hacked the phones and paid people at Sandhurst. It wouldn't be too hard to pay off a hotel maid, bartender or waiter.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

 

[Isabella]

You could also get DNA from a glass or cigarette. Hairs from a pillow case or sheet. We know that reporters hacked the phones and paid people at Sandhurst. It wouldn't be too hard to pay off a hotel maid, bartender or waiter.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

Yep, easy to pay somebody off, or even to send someone in undercover, as happened in 2003, when the Mirror had a reporter go undercover as a footman at Buckingham Palace for a few weeks. If the tabloids can get their people inside BP, I'm sure there are plenty of other places they can get access to. Probably relatively easy in the grand scheme of stuff these reporters get up to.

 

[Dman]

Should James Hewitt sell Diana's letters?
James Hewitt is considering selling off private letters from Princess Diana | Royal | News | Daily Express

 

[Mirabel]

What puzzles me is how enflamed people can be about Hewitt's 'indiscretion' in talking about Diana, but the very same cannot muster one smidge of disapproval for the massive indiscretions of Diana, who (pretty much) single-handedly smeared the BRF with scandal across two decades (if we ignore Fergie). The disjunct is hard to ignore.

I doubt that is the case.

In this forum, many posters have stated that they do not excuse Diana.
I know I don't, her behavior was horrible, especially in the way it affected her young children.

BUT. I also believe Diana had mental problems.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to suggest she was a raving lunatic or something.

But she did have problems, she was very vulnerable, and there were people who exploited that.
And yes, I think Hewitt was one of them.

I totally despise that man, so perhaps I am not fair to him. But I think of him as total scum, and I feel sorry for Diana in the sense that, if it's true she loved him (which I don't believe, mostly because of her conversation with Gilbey when she referred to him dismissively as "that man") then she really gave her trust to the wrong man.

 

[Dman]

That's right, no one excuses Diana for the part she played, but this guy Hewitt is nuts and he like milking his connections to Diana for all it's worth. He knows that her name makes money and he want to abuse that connection.

 

[Roslyn]

We've all formed our own opinions about both Diana and Hewitt by now, based on many and varying factors, each giving weight to some more than others.

I take the view expressed by James Delingpole in the article linked by Dman, that Hewitt is a "flawed human being who deserves the same basic sympathy we all do when we make a mess of our lives."

I don't believe he exploited Diana's vulnerability; not intentionally, anyway. I believe he genuinely loved her and tried to help her at a time in her life when she was very unhappy and desperately needed someone to be devoted to her, but that he was out of his depth and unable to give Diana what she needed, or, indeed, to provide for himself what he needed.

He is a mediocre sort of person and was never going to rise to being at, or even near, the top, of the pecking order. He made some foolish decisions and his life fell apart and he had a bit of a breakdown and he's still in a mess. Ultimately he has only himself to blame, and I'm sure he knows that. He's not an admirable character, but I don't believe he deserves the vitriol that that has been directed at him. I don't believe in kicking a person when they are down.

 

[Osipi]

I doubt that is the case.

In this forum, many posters have stated that they do not excuse Diana.
I know I don't, her behavior was horrible, especially in the way it affected her young children.

BUT. I also believe Diana had mental problems.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to suggest she was a raving lunatic or something.

But she did have problems, she was very vulnerable, and there were people who exploited that.
And yes, I think Hewitt was one of them.

I totally despise that man, so perhaps I am not fair to him. But I think of him as total scum, and I feel sorry for Diana in the sense that, if it's true she loved him (which I don't believe, mostly because of her conversation with Gilbey when she referred to him dismissively as "that man") then she really gave her trust to the wrong man.

Diana could also be very manipulative and when things didn't go her way, she'd totally cut people off. I think she basically looked to how much someone could love her and be there for her rather than realizing that love encompasses a lot of things like compromises, putting the other person first etc. If she had really loved Hewitt, she would have supported him in his military choices and stood besides him rather than ending things because he wouldn't be there for her. Once people were on her naughty list, they became known as "that man" or other derogatory remarks.

 

[Dman]

We've all formed our own opinions about both Diana and Hewitt by now, based on many and varying factors, each giving weight to some more than others.

I take the view expressed by James Delingpole in the article linked by Dman, that Hewitt is a "flawed human being who deserves the same basic sympathy we all do when we make a mess of our lives."

I don't believe he exploited Diana's vulnerability; not intentionally, anyway. I believe he genuinely loved her and tried to help her at a time in her life when she was very unhappy and desperately needed someone to be devoted to her, but that he was out of his depth and unable to give Diana what she needed, or, indeed, to provide for himself what he needed.

He is a mediocre sort of person and was never going to rise to being at, or even near, the top, of the pecking order. He made some foolish decisions and his life fell apart and he had a bit of a breakdown and he's still in a mess. Ultimately he has only himself to blame, and I'm sure he knows that. He's not an admirable character, but I don't believe he deserves the vitriol that that has been directed at him. I don't believe in kicking a person when they are down.

I understand all of that, and I'm not knocking him, but I just find it low down for James Hewitt to continue to profit off of an affair he had many many years ago, which was due to a very painful time in her life. It would be very decent to just have some respect for Diana who's no longer here and for her children.

 

[MARG]

I'm sorry, but her "children" are in their 30's and nobody is saying they shouldn't mention her because she was their mother, a great and wonderful influence in their lives and they loved her.

James Hewitt loved her back then, beyond reason. He embarked on an affair with probably the one woman in the world he should not have. He risked everything and lost everything. But unlike her sons, he had been cruelly cut out of her life, he was hurt, angry and didn't really understand what had happened.

Then came Morton's book and the Panorama Interview where she coldly threw him under a bus. People who have been hurt privately hurt alone. She shattered his life and then later, set the dogs on him and he suddenly found himself having to fight back in the full glare of the public as the media trawled and trashed his life. Life as he knew it was over and if he has had a less than sterling career he can hardly be blamed for looking at that time in his life very differently from her sons.

Diana was not a saint and Hewitt is not the Devil. Diana died and James lives on, forever branded as a 'Cad'. To say that you"find it low down for James Hewitt to continue to profit off of an affair he had many, many years ago, which was due to a very painful time in her life" laying the blame for the affair itself on Hewitt is a crock.

A painful time in her life? What is the excuse for each and every other affair Diana engaged in. Were all these men Cads exploiting "a very painful time in her life" too?

I believe he did try to sell the letters privately, probably hoping to sell to a collector, but that, like most things for him, turned to custard.

 

[Jacknch]

I sometimes think we just go round and round in circles every time James Hewitt crops up in the newspapers because he is still trying to sell those wretched letters that no one wants and would probably be an extremely tedious read anyway. All these events happened 25 years ago and whys and wherefores of the "affair" became myth and legend a long time ago.
There, rant over.

 

[Vita]

I guess I still love Di. No one is ever innocent but their are levels of accountability.

I understand her view point completely. Even with all her sly dealings. As we say in Philly: do you boo.

Well, Hewitt is responsible for his own actions. He chose to be with a married women and a royal at that. Unlike Charles, he doesn't have the protection of The Firm to insulate himself from all the backlash. Selling letters for profit or no, people will talk.
y
I don't care for the guy, but better that he make money off of them than others, you know? They are his to do with as he pleases. The boys are grown, the heir apparent with his own heir and spare now. Not much more could be revealed in a hurtful way,

Historically and from a psychological perspective we may get more nuggets about Diana. Love her, so will be interested.

We also have a saying, "get money".

Sent from my LGMS769 using Tapatalk

 

[Dman]

I'm sorry, but her "children" are in their 30's and nobody is saying they shouldn't mention her because she was their mother, a great and wonderful influence in their lives and they loved her.

James Hewitt loved her back then, beyond reason. He embarked on an affair with probably the one woman in the world he should not have. He risked everything and lost everything. But unlike her sons, he had been cruelly cut out of her life, he was hurt, angry and didn't really understand what had happened.

Then came Morton's book and the Panorama Interview where she coldly threw him under a bus. People who have been hurt privately hurt alone. She shattered his life and then later, set the dogs on him and he suddenly found himself having to fight back in the full glare of the public as the media trawled and trashed his life. Life as he knew it was over and if he has had a less than sterling career he can hardly be blamed for looking at that time in his life very differently from her sons.

Diana was not a saint and Hewitt is not the Devil. Diana died and James lives on, forever branded as a 'Cad'. To say that you"find it low down for James Hewitt to continue to profit off of an affair he had many, many years ago, which was due to a very painful time in her life" laying the blame for the affair itself on Hewitt is a crock.

A painful time in her life? What is the excuse for each and every other affair Diana engaged in. Were all these men Cads exploiting "a very painful time in her life" too?

I believe he did try to sell the letters privately, probably hoping to sell to a collector, but that, like most things for him, turned to custard.

No one is laying blame for the affair on James's feet, MARG. I have stated many times over that Diana was at fault for the affair as well.

Okay Diana ended their relationship. The best thing to do after that is grow a pair, dust one self off and move on. Hewitt decided to get even and write a book about the affair. He exposed himself to the world as Diana's lover. There are consequences and responsibilities for those kind of actions. Diana too suffered the consequences for the Morton book.

 

[Osipi]

Just an off the wall observation here but wouldn't it have made more sense both financially and for publicity if Hewitt had openly decided to sell any letters and whatnots around the time of Diana's death when the letters would actually appeal much more to a buyer?

Best I can see is that at this time he may be in need of funds but he did try and sell the letters quietly away from publicity.

 

[Mirabel]

A painful time in her life? What is the excuse for each and every other affair Diana engaged in. Were all these men Cads exploiting "a very painful time in her life" too?

I believe he did try to sell the letters privately, probably hoping to sell to a collector, but that, like most things for him, turned to custard.

None of the others have cashed in the way Hewitt did (and continues to do).

Kay mentioned that Hewitt once bragged he was offered $10 million for the letters; I suspect the only reason he didn't sell them back then is because he was temporarily flush and figured he was sitting on a gold mine.

(I heard he approached an American publisher about another book, and the publisher asked what he could say that was new about Diana. Hewitt replied that the book was about his own life and not just about Diana, and the publisher turned him down on the grounds that no one would be interested in that).

 

[Mermaid1962]

This is true. I can't think of any of Diana's other male 'friends' who have profited financially from knowing her.

Hewitt's thinking that a publisher might be interested in his life story without any mention of Diana goes to show his sense of self-importance. It's not as though he was "Stormin' Norman."

None of the others have cashed in the way Hewitt did (and continues to do).

 

[Lady Nimue]

Should James Hewitt sell Diana's letters?
James Hewitt is considering selling off private letters from Princess Diana | Royal | News | Daily Express

Love this quote from the article. It is so humane: "Here was a dashing, once handsome soldier, fortunate enough to have enjoyed a passionate five-year affair with one of the world's most adored women. They were young, beautiful and in love and what happened to them afterwards, not just to Diana, but to Hewitt too, I find heartbreakingly sad."

Exactly so. It's a human story.

We've all formed our own opinions about both Diana and Hewitt by now, based on many and varying factors, each giving weight to some more than others.

I take the view expressed by James Delingpole in the article linked by Dman, that Hewitt is a "flawed human being who deserves the same basic sympathy we all do when we make a mess of our lives."

I don't believe he exploited Diana's vulnerability; not intentionally, anyway. I believe he genuinely loved her and tried to help her at a time in her life when she was very unhappy and desperately needed someone to be devoted to her, but that he was out of his depth and unable to give Diana what she needed, or, indeed, to provide for himself what he needed.

He is a mediocre sort of person and was never going to rise to being at, or even near, the top, of the pecking order. He made some foolish decisions and his life fell apart and he had a bit of a breakdown and he's still in a mess. Ultimately he has only himself to blame, and I'm sure he knows that. He's not an admirable character, but I don't believe he deserves the vitriol that that has been directed at him. I don't believe in kicking a person when they are down.

Excellent post, Roslyn. When I think of the people in my actual life whom I personally know who could get my vitriol, why would I vent spleen on some poor soul I don't even know? I think that's what I find most disturbing about the whole 'Diana Phenomenon', even by association: the way people get caught up in a sort of personal animus towards a kind of celebrity they have no personal knowledge of. I know some will bridle at the suggestion of Hewitt as a celebrity, but he is, just the 'dark side' version of one.

Diana could also be very manipulative and when things didn't go her way, she'd totally cut people off. I think she basically looked to how much someone could love her and be there for her rather than realizing that love encompasses a lot of things like compromises, putting the other person first etc. If she had really loved Hewitt, she would have supported him in his military choices and stood besides him rather than ending things because he wouldn't be there for her. Once people were on her naughty list, they became known as "that man" or other derogatory remarks.

You describe what many people experienced with her. By the end of her life, she had her beauty and her wealth, and not much else. Her connection to the BRF as mother to the future king, gave her status in the tabloid press, but she was a harrowingly lonely figure, cut off from the social life of the British aristocracy. I am reminded of the scene painted of her in the restaurant 'quietly weeping', either the night of her death or one of those nights around then: hard to get out of one's head. Fact is, she was desperately unhappy most of her life. Married to a Crown Prince, with every privilege, destined to be a Queen, and still she could not be content, never could be content.

I'm sorry, but her "children" are in their 30's and nobody is saying they shouldn't mention her because she was their mother, a great and wonderful influence in their lives and they loved her.

James Hewitt loved her back then, beyond reason. He embarked on an affair with probably the one woman in the world he should not have. He risked everything and lost everything. But unlike her sons, he had been cruelly cut out of her life, he was hurt, angry and didn't really understand what had happened.

Then came Morton's book and the Panorama Interview where she coldly threw him under a bus. People who have been hurt privately hurt alone. She shattered his life and then later, set the dogs on him and he suddenly found himself having to fight back in the full glare of the public as the media trawled and trashed his life. Life as he knew it was over and if he has had a less than sterling career he can hardly be blamed for looking at that time in his life very differently from her sons.

Diana was not a saint and Hewitt is not the Devil. Diana died and James lives on, forever branded as a 'Cad'. To say that you "find it low down for James Hewitt to continue to profit off of an affair he had many, many years ago, which was due to a very painful time in her life" laying the blame for the affair itself on Hewitt is a crock.

A painful time in her life? What is the excuse for each and every other affair Diana engaged in. Were all these men Cads exploiting "a very painful time in her life" too?

I believe he did try to sell the letters privately, probably hoping to sell to a collector, but that, like most things for him, turned to custard.

Great summation, MARG.

I think he is stalked because he is an easy mark. There is some blood lust that is roused when he is cut and the hounds bay. It's inexplicable, and inexcusable, to me. Why is every man who dared bed Diana pilloried? It's an odd thing. Hewitt most of all, it seems, because he actually had a sustained relationship with her. There seems to be a mathematical ratio: length of time associated to amount of spleen directed. Charles tops the list, then comes Hewitt, and so on.

It's good to see that people have a measured view of Diana. Let's hope one day the same can be said for Hewitt. The vitriol is not healthy and these tabloids have a lot to answer for that haunted, hunted look in Hewitt's eyes. Sadly, I think Diana gets sympathy and a 'pass' because of her social class. Hewitt does the unthinkable, imagines he is of equal worth to a lover who was of higher class than he. Hewitt's life story would be fascinating/interesting reading. I doubt a publisher turned him down for the reasons supposed. I think, if true, there is fear of the long arm of the BRF squashing any truths Hewitt might care to spill about a future king's mother.

 

[Nice Nofret]

Hewitt is the only one trying to cash in on Diana - true - but he is also the only one in need of money ...

Obviously he is not much of a businessmen - all his attempts at enterprises failed. He was good at beeing an officer - but any further carreer in the military wasn't any longer possible, after Diana threw him under the bus.

 

[Pranter]

He knew the risks to his career due to being involved with Diana. He made that choice to take the risk.


LaRae

 

[Queen Camilla]

No one is laying blame for the affair on James's feet, MARG. I have stated many times over that Diana was at fault for the affair as well.

Okay Diana ended their relationship. The best thing to do after that is grow a pair, dust one self off and move on. Hewitt decided to get even and write a book about the affair. He exposed himself to the world as Diana's lover. There are consequences and responsibilities for those kind of actions. Diana too suffered the consequences for the Morton book.

That is false.

The affair was exposed before Hewitt wrote his book which was published in 1998.
The affair was revealed in 1991 by The News of the World newspaper.

The spotlight returned in 1992, when Colin Campbell's book came out.

Diana was responsible for the Morton book. She is solely responsible for the Morton book.
Why try to blame anyone for her actions?

The Morton book actually was Diana's solution to quiet the media about her affairs and it worked. Diana did not suffer any consequence for the Morton book.

 

[Osipi]

The Morton book actually was Diana's solution to quiet the media about her affairs and it worked. Diana did not suffer any consequence for the Morton book.

I think it did. If there was any kind of a smoldering ember that remained of her marriage, the Morton book was the tsunami that permanently put it out.