Diana's Friends, Lovers and Bodyguards

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

A question about bodyguards from a security standpoint, does anyone know why when she got rid of her scotland yard protection officers, she didnt hire private security?

Would have avoided alot of the purses and tennis rackets over her face pictures. I know she suspected SY security of spying on her, and cost might have been an issue, but id have thought as part of the divorce settlement shed have asked for that, given her need for them was as a result of the marriage.

[Mermaid1962]

I find it paradoxical that a woman so concerned about her safety didn't have security people when she was outside of Kensington Palace. Perhaps her freedom was more important to her than her fears.

[Dman]

Lots of poor choices was the big problem.

[Mermaid1962]

Yes. I think that, with the exception of her plans re William and Harry, Diana didn't think strategically; i.e., in terms of how her actions would have effects later on. She didn't seem to realize that her affairs could become public knowledge or that she'd completely lose her marriage by way of the Morton Book and the Panorama interview. She thought short-term: "If I cooperate with this journalist, I'll get a positive story to counteract that bad story"; "If I cooperate with this author, I'll finally get the secrets told"; "If I do this interview, it'll gain me more sympathy and answer Charles's interview." In the short term, her actions had the affect she wanted. But in the long term, they were disastrous for herself and for her children.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

Yes. I think that, with the exception of her plans re William and Harry, Diana didn't think strategically; i.e., in terms of how her actions would have effects later on. She didn't seem to realize that her affairs could become public knowledge or that she'd completely lose her marriage by way of the Morton Book and the Panorama interview. She thought short-term: "If I cooperate with this journalist, I'll get a positive story to counteract that bad story"; "If I cooperate with this author, I'll finally get the secrets told"; "If I do this interview, it'll gain me more sympathy and answer Charles's interview." In the short term, her actions had the affect she wanted. But in the long term, they were disastrous for herself and for her children.

Well, nobody was out to hurt the kids, but the adults weren't really thinking at the time. It was a lot of pain and hurtful feelings involved and that got in the way of the right choices.

Despite her divorce, Diana was the mother of a future Queen and once was a future Queen. She should've had a great security team around her at all times. Even if she didn't want them, her advisors and officials should have had made sure she was well protected.

Poor choices all around put her in a bad position.

[Jacknch]

From our point of view it does seems astonishing that Diana did away with her security like that or refused it or whatever. One would have expected her to have at least one or two protection officers with her at all times.

I think at the time she wanted some freedom without the limiting influences of security telling her she can't do this, she can't do that - all the rigamarole of planning routes, checking places out before she went there etc.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by Jacknch

From our point of view it does seems astonishing that Diana did away with her security like that or refused it or whatever. One would have expected her to have at least one or two protection officers with her at all times.

I think at the time she wanted some freedom without the limiting influences of security telling her she can't do this, she can't do that - all the rigamarole of planning routes, checking places out before she went there etc.

Right, freedom is something she would never have again, and that's something she failed to understand. The lack of proper protection led to the tragedy in Paris.

[Curryong]

I believe Diana did want the freedom to go where she wanted when she wanted and to see whoever she chose. However I have read that she also became convinced in the last few years of her life that security forces, including the Scotland Yard men who formed her protection squad, were spying on her and reporting back to her ex husband on everything she did.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by Curryong

I believe Diana did want the freedom to go where she wanted when she wanted and to see whoever she chose. However I have read that she also became convinced in the last few years of her life that security forces, including the Scotland Yard men who formed her protection squad, were spying on her and reporting back to her ex husband on everything she did.

Diana herself was telling Charles what she was doing. So I'm not sure that was the case. She was always asking him for advice, even post divorce.

[Curryong]

But it was in 1993 that Diana was said to have hired an independent firm to sweep Kensington Palace for 'bugs'. That was at the height of her obsession with Oliver Hoare. Apparently Scotland Yard officers thought the debugging operation ridiculous, but that doesnt mean that Diana didn't believe that she was being spied on. Her relationship with Charles at that time was not great either. It was at the end of 1993 that Diana decided she didn't want Royal Protection Officers around any more.

Incidentally, (and I am NOT a conspiracy theorist as I believe Diana's death to have been an accident caused by drink driving) it came out in the Inquiry into her death that US Security services were listening in on conversations between Diana and Dodi in the last few weeks of her life. It was never clear why they were doing so and no explanation has ever been given.

Also, even after the separation with Charles, their relationship wasn't all sweetness and light. Penny Junor, no fan of Diana's, points to a very strained atmosphere for instance at William's confirmation ceremony. Diana was allowed to ask several dozen guests but ended up bringing no one.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by Curryong

But it was in 1993 that Diana was said to have hired an independent firm to sweep Kensington Palace for 'bugs'. That was at the height of her obsession with Oliver Hoare. Apparently Scotland Yard officers thought the debugging operation ridiculous, but that doesnt mean that Diana didn't believe that she was being spied on. Her relationship with Charles at that time was not great either. It was at the end of 1993 that Diana decided she didn't want Royal Protection Officers around any more.

Incidentally, (and I am NOT a conspiracy theorist as I believe Diana's death to have been an accident caused by drink driving) it came out in the Inquiry into her death that US Security services were listening in on conversations between Diana and Dodi in the last few weeks of her life. It was never clear why they were doing so and no explanation has ever been given.

Also, even after the separation with Charles, their relationship wasn't all sweetness and light. Penny Junor, no fan of Diana's, points to a very strained atmosphere for instance at William's confirmation ceremony. Diana was allowed to ask several dozen guests but ended up bringing no one.

Things were okay between Charles and Diana. They weren't in the same head space in the early parts of their separation. Charles would drop by the house, and Diana used to rush down the stairs and greet him with a kiss on the cheek. Friends and staff have spilled the beans on that. Things calmed down for them.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

We're left with her actions giving us the best insight into her state of mind on the issue of hiring private security. She used to like to travel "light" on holidays, ie no Press Secretary, private secretary, in addition to no security after the break with the family.

So the desire for freedom, finances and perhaps, strategic thinking being the main causes, as while they weren't in the news then, firms like Executive Outcomes, Blackwater, and im sure several other private "bodyguard" in addition to security firms were out there (the Fayed's must have gotten their guards from somewhere, and one of the allures of spending the summer with them was that, the effectiveness of their protection is different matter).

Just seems to me such a colossal head scratcher that after the first time she got mobbed enough to run down the street to her car or hide her face walking, shed think that the money for protection would be money well spent, either hers or the BRF for security at a firm of her own choosing, so the claim of "Spying " for the crown could be taken out of the equation, as she was so afraid of.

But Jacknch's idea about not wanting to have security say what she could or couldnt do & go for security reasons, and checking out places beforehand is a good one and might have been seen as worse than the press harassment. I think her desire to do things on her own post marriage drove her make choices that an outside observer would say are unwise.

However shed need them 24/7 as Mark Saunders said on a doc that once the price paid for pics went through the roof, post separation, it became very much worth their time to tail her 24/7. Of course hindsights a wonder, but it just seems like such an obvious solution where in the books and docs they only ever talk of the SY protection as if thats the only option ever available to her.

[Nico]

Ah ?

Princess Diana reportedly dated Serbian tennis player Slobodan Živojinović | Daily Mail Online

[Dman]

So many thing are written about that woman that's it's beyond ridiculous. Diana didn't have time to do the many things folks say she did.

[Mirabel]

Even if it's true, why bring that up now?
After so many years, what difference does it make?


(And of course, anyone can say anything now; who's going to refute that story? The guy must be broke!)

[Dman]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Even if it's true, why bring that up now?
After so many years, what difference does it make?


(And of course, anyone can say anything now; who's going to refute that story? The guy must be broke!)

Telling any kind of story about Diana still gain attention and make folks money. People have used and abused this woman even in death.

[Mermaid1962]

The article sounds more like they were friends and she'd go and watch him play. Diana was very involved with Hewitt at this time, and I doubt that she could handle two "relationships" given how busy she was in general at that time.

Originally Posted by Nico

Ah ?

Princess Diana reportedly dated Serbian tennis player Slobodan Živojinović | Daily Mail Online

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

A few posts back there was the mention of the US listening to Diana's phone calls, there could be several reasons that we'll never know of, but the Edward Snowdon leaks told us of the Echelon program, I believe it was called.

Countries like the US, UK and Canada, etc had tougher restrictions on listening in on their own citizens calls vs other countries, so they would "swap" listening duties to get info on their own countrymen.

So the most logical was that the UK wanted info on Diana but not the media headache if it was found out that her majesty's intelligence services were listening to their recently divorced daughter in law.

Could be for logical security reasons, or for things more nefarious, we will prob never know in our lifetime, the real reasons why.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Originally Posted by Jacknch

From our point of view it does seems astonishing that Diana did away with her security like that or refused it or whatever. One would have expected her to have at least one or two protection officers with her at all times.

I think at the time she wanted some freedom without the limiting influences of security telling her she can't do this, she can't do that - all the rigamarole of planning routes, checking places out before she went there etc.

Which was a contributing factor in what happened. If she had trained people around her they probably could have evaded photographers without getting people killed.

[Denville]

Diana was somewhat paranoid.. and also didn't like being told what to do. She didn't want security because they would know what she was doing, and that scared her..and also because they would advise her, or downright tell her what to do for her own safety and she didn't like that. One reason Wharfe left was because of the night that Di jumped out of a window to go and spend the night problaby with a lover, and he felt he couldnt protect her when she was so reckless about her own safety.