Diana's Friends, Lovers and Bodyguards

[Iluvbertie]

Not even Diana every claimed that Camilla was in the marriage from Day 1 - she identified 1986 - the same year she went with Hewitt and the year after she was maybe with Mannekke as when Charles returned to Camilla.

Sadly some people think they know more than Diana and Charles about what happened in their marriage and although Charles doesn't give a date he does say 'after the marriage had irretrievably broken down, BOTH OF US HAVING TRIED'. To say he was cheating from Day 1 means that the marriage was irretrievably broken down from Day 1 and thus was never a marriage at all - but neither of them have ever made that claim.

[Dman]

I just hate that the real love Diana & Charles shared was tarnished by all the drama.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Dman

I just hate that the real love Diana & Charles shared was tarnished by all the drama.

For a simple sentence with only just a few words to it, you've spoken volumes.

[Mermaid1962]

Yes, I agree. I believe that there was real affection there in the beginning. Up until the time they got involved with affairs (emotional as well as physical) there might have been hope for them. Neither of them should have talked about the marriage with outsiders. As the Queen Mother famously said, "It is never wise to talk about one's marriage." The problem as I see it was that Diana married a very public man who required a very public life. She took on the job of Princess of Wales (both in public and private terms) at a very young age and at a time when there was a tabloid war in process. Then she had her first baby--a male heir to the throne--within a year. For the most stable, educated woman on earth, the transition would have been difficult.

Originally Posted by Dman

I just hate that the real love Diana & Charles shared was tarnished by all the drama.

[vkrish]

Originally Posted by Dman

I just hate that the real love Diana & Charles shared was tarnished by all the drama.

Diana herself tarnished that "love" if at all it was there. During the "war" she hardly gave any impression of love existing in the entire stretch of their relationship.
She describes all her confusion, frustration, reluctance to get married post-engagement, with a wonderful "lamb" theatric.
And makes a mockery of his every act during the honeymoon.. And then real "things" started right from when she was carrying William..
If she herself has degraded their marriage in every possible extent, hardly giving hint of any love (except when making harry), how can you expect the media and public to uphold and worship the "epic love C&D shared"

[HighnessN]

Originally Posted by Dman

I just hate that the real love Diana & Charles shared was tarnished by all the drama.

Bless this post!!!!

Both Diana and Charles said the marriage was a happy one in the beginning. Problems really started after Harry was born (not saying because of the birth of Harry but giving an estimation of time).
The had a lot of things against them from the start; they barely knew each other, age difference, different interests and friends and of course the media attention/obsession with them.
Like most people they got along well at first but when they started having problems (like any marriage or relationship) they unfortunately did not deal with them the "right" , which only made things worse.
I have always believed that the marriage would have survived, even thrived, if they had known how to deal with their problems.

[US Royal Watcher]

Originally Posted by vkrish

Diana herself tarnished that "love" if at all it was there. During the "war" she hardly gave any impression of love existing in the entire stretch of their relationship.

This is not the correct thread, but your post is accurate. Diana sometimes claimed that Camilla was a factor in the marriage from the beginning (i.e., when she claimed she wanted to call it off but her sisters said it was too late because her face was on the tea towels). Other times she acknowledged that the first few years were relatively happy and the affairs started in 1986.

The fact is that after the breakdown of the marriage, Diana viewed events that happened 10 years earlier through anger and hurt--and a desire to get back at her husband. The reason that any happiness in the marriage is being overshadowed is because Diana insisted on publicly denying the happiness ever happened.

[Dman]

Richard Palmer ‏@RoyalReporter 26m
Princess Diana's ex lover, James Gilbey, the man in the Squidgygate tapes, has finally married. He wed Lavinia Hadsley-Chaplin on Tuesday.

[marine2109]

Princess Diana's squidgygate lover weds for the first time

Princess Diana's squidgygate lover weds for the first time | Royal | News | Daily Express

[Mermaid1962]

I was reading an interview with Diana's older friend Lady Elsa Bowker in an old issue of ROYALTY. Bowker mentions a male friend that Diana was in love with for years and to whom Diana gave a pair of her father's cufflinks. The man gave Bowker the cufflinks in a small box with a letter and asked her to pass them on to Diana. Any idea who this man might have been? I wonder whether it might have been Oliver Hoare, because Bowker mentions that he had a family (i.e. a wife and kids).

[Osipi]

The story of the cuff links rings bells with me as I'm sure I've read it somewhere before but for the life of me, I can't remember exactly who it was she gifted them to. My first inclination is to say Paul Burrell but I don't think that's right. I'd have to go through all my books relating to Diana again to find out.

Waitaminute... that's a good plan for this weekend. Maybe I'll dig them all out and reread them.

[chrome]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

I was reading an interview with Diana's older friend Lady Elsa Bowker in an old issue of ROYALTY. Bowker mentions a male friend that Diana was in love with for years and to whom Diana gave a pair of her father's cufflinks. The man gave Bowker the cufflinks in a small box with a letter and asked her to pass them on to Diana. Any idea who this man might have been? I wonder whether it might have been Oliver Hoare, because Bowker mentions that he had a family (i.e. a wife and kids).

According to Sally Bedell Smith in Diana In Search Of Herself-Portrait Of A Troubled Princess, Elsa Bowker recalls that Diana gave her father's gold cuff links to Oliver Hoare and when Diana dropped him, he returned the cuff links together with a letter via Bowker to Diana. Diana had Burell collect the cuff links from Bowker. Bedell Smith also says Diana later gave the cuff links to Dodi Fayed.

[Mermaid1962]

Thank you for the information, chrome. I suspected it was Oliver Hoare but hadn't read Sally Bedell Smith's book, at least not the section that dealt with Oliver Hoare.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

In relation to Diana's friends lovers and others, do you think it says something about Diana personally that so many have "dimed her out" before and after she died? Friends, boyfriends even servants have given interviews and written books about her and made money off her. If it happens once if could be seen as just coincidental but it's happened numerous times with her? What do you think it says about her relationships and their lack of loyalty?

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

In relation to Diana's friends lovers and others, do you think it says something about Diana personally that so many have "dimed her out" before and after she died? Friends, boyfriends even servants have given interviews and written books about her and made money off her. If it happens once if could be seen as just coincidental but it's happened numerous times with her? What do you think it says about her relationships and their lack of loyalty?

One thing I've heard said about Diana is that she could and would freeze people out when the mood struck. I think she was seeking and really needed close personal unconditional friends but was incapable of maintaining those kind of friendships. Mind you, this is just based on what I've read.

She was close with Rose Monkton though and I don't believe she ever sold Diana out so perhaps she did have close relationships.

[sthreats]

Originally Posted by Osipi

One thing I've heard said about Diana is that she could and would freeze people out when the mood struck. I think she was seeking and really needed close personal unconditional friends but was incapable of maintaining those kind of friendships. Mind you, this is just based on what I've read.



She was close with Rose Monkton though and I don't believe she ever sold Diana out so perhaps she did have close relationships.

I think the people who sold her out were false friends and users. She did nothing to deserve that. She was not a good judge of character because she was so needy and lonely.


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

In relation to Diana's friends lovers and others, do you think it says something about Diana personally that so many have "dimed her out" before and after she died? Friends, boyfriends even servants have given interviews and written books about her and made money off her. If it happens once if could be seen as just coincidental but it's happened numerous times with her? What do you think it says about her relationships and their lack of loyalty?

The more famous a person is, the less loyal his/her so-called friends will be after death. Less than a month after JFK Jr died some bimbo was telling the tabloids about their passionate love. Anyone who ever served him a hamburger has written a book by now. One of his wife Carolyn's ex boyfriends wrote a book that was simply vile.

And of course, there is a market industry for tell all books out there about his mega famous legendary parents. The lure of $$ outweighs loyalty for many of these people.

It's not just Diana.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I'm not talking about just randoms cashing in on a famous person, but friends and confidants and employees. James Hewitt back stabbed her when she was still alive. At least 2 employees have written books. Is this a result of Diana's interactions with them, or do you suppose the same thing would happen to William if he doesn't outlive his friends?

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

I'm not talking about just randoms cashing in on a famous person, but friends and confidants and employees. James Hewitt back stabbed her when she was still alive. At least 2 employees have written books. Is this a result of Diana's interactions with them, or do you suppose the same thing would happen to William if he doesn't outlive his friends?

I think with William, he is wary of who he can trust and who he can't. I've read that he's even devised tests at times to weed out those that would be disloyal. I think both of the Cambridges know if they want to keep their private life their own, they don't talk about it with anyone. I don't think there really would be a lot of "dirt" that their friends could cash in on but then again, what do I know?

[anbrida]

Focus: the Diana tapes | UK news | The Guardian

It is a bit out of topic. The article mentioned about Diana and Mannakee's relationship. It seems to me everyone use Peter Settelen's tapes as an evidence to say Diana an Mannakee had extramarital relation. But I really wonder whether I am the only one notice this dialogue

45:56
Peter: What you're saying is that there had been sexual --
Diana: NO!

Obvious they had special friendship, no doubt. But it is really hard to understand? Diana, very young, probably depressed, and unadjusted to her new role -- mother, princess of wales) relied on an older figure for comfort and encourage, which her husband couldn't provide her. (we all know Charles was equally needy for comfort and encourage also.) Mannakee was 20 years senior to Diana, who had a daughter similar age to Diana. It is easy to understand he would be sympathy to Diana's situation and try to give her comfort. Maybe Diana had some silly, immature girly dream with him, but it is hard to imagine Mannakee would be as equally immature either.