Last Hours, Death, Transfer from France, Funeral and Interment

[Dman]

They may not have breathed a sigh of relief, but it is IMO manifestly obvious that they weren't deeply grieved.
Charles was, I tink and of course so were Will and harry but the rest of the RF, had long since written Diana off and just hoped that she would gradually disappear off the public stage and bore the public so much that she would not be in the papers ny more.
They don't "wipe her out of royal history" because she is still very popular and she draws tourists to the royal palaces etc. But I think it is quite obvious that they think she was a dreadful mistake to have had as a princess and wish that she hadn't been Charles' wife.

Yes, the royal family were shocked and saddened over her passing. No matter of the past, she was they're family who passed tragically.

 

[Denville]

She wasn't their family.. she was familyto Will and harry, not to the rest of the RF.

 

[Osipi]

While as it is true that after the divorce, she was no longer legally considered as part of the British Royal Family, as Charles' ex-wife, she still reflected on the family by her actions. in her divorce decree it even stated that:

But the palace said, rather cryptically, that Princess Diana will continue to be "regarded as a member of the royal family" and "will from time to time receive invitations to state and national public occasions" at the invitation "of the sovereign or the Government.

Charles and Diana Agree on Divorce Terms - The New York Times

On a personal level, we have no idea really what the family's reaction was or what they felt or how deeply it was felt as that is a private matter. They weren't exactly giving interviews to Richard Kay or anyone else.

 

[Dman]

She wasn't their family.. she was familyto Will and harry, not to the rest of the RF.

She was the former wife and future Queen. She was the mother of the future King and Prince Harry. She was their family and she passed on under very tragic circumstances.

We must understand the the royal family are human beings just like the rest of us. They've been through tragic events before in their family and it's always devastating when family members die. It's a big loss and she left behind two kids. Let's not allow past human mistakes cloud the real feelings of loss within a family.

 

[Denville]

" at
Charles and Diana Agree on Divorce Terms - The New York Times

On a personal level, we have no idea really what the family's reaction was or what they felt or how deeply it was felt as that is a private matter. They weren't exactly giving interviews to Richard Kay or anyone else.

They didn't have ot. I think it is very obvious. Look at the book by Pamela Hicks a few years ago..
I think they felt sorry in a general way and of course they must have felt forW and harry, but I think that of the adults, it was only Chalres who was really greived

 

[TLLK]

In my experience everyone experiences and handles grief in different ways and the Windsors are no different. None of us know how they dealt with her sudden death in private. We only saw the public face immediately afterwards and occasionally in later years. I believe it is possible that at times they would have been reminded of happier times with her and that it was not all strife and turmoil.

 

[Osipi]

They didn't have ot. I think it is very obvious. Look at the book by Pamela Hicks a few years ago..
I think they felt sorry in a general way and of course they must have felt forW and harry, but I think that of the adults, it was only Chalres who was really greived

Nothing is "obvious". I seriously doubt that Pamela Hicks had much more of a clue of what the Windsors experienced as far as grief when Diana died. She would have had to been at Balmoral at the time to know. We all have our "game faces" we wear at times of mourning and grieve privately.

One thing I do think is most likely true is that all of William and Harry's family on the Windsor side felt the intense grief that the boys experienced and did what they could to comfort them.

 

[Denville]

I hope they felt SOMETHING, but I think that lady Pam's book and the general silence of the Windsors on Diana, indicates that she's not well thought of by them. of course they aren't going to say too openly that they disapproved of her, but I think it is obvious that they did and tht her sudden death while a shocik wasn't a deep greif to most of them

 

[Dee Anna]

Reading back (posts) here and thinking, Diana dying was a lot more hassle to the Firm that is the RF than Diana living.

However it is 20 years (hard as that is to believe) on and yes, she is still remembered, loved and respected.

So yes, there will be something to acknowledge Diana, the Royal. And why not?

 

[Osipi]

I hope they felt SOMETHING, but I think that lady Pam's book and the general silence of the Windsors on Diana, indicates that she's not well thought of by them. of course they aren't going to say too openly that they disapproved of her, but I think it is obvious that they did and tht her sudden death while a shocik wasn't a deep greif to most of them

I'm sure they felt something. Perhaps not the reaction of the public reaction of mass hysteria. Any sudden death of someone you know hits home even if its just a reminder of how short life can be. Diana wasn't overly close with her husband's side of the family in the later years of her marriage and through the Morton book and the Panorama interview, was downright kind of nasty to them. They may have actually liked Diana but just disapproved of her actions. When everything is looked at objectively, Diana was kind of a "loose cannon".

Charles and her boys were the ones closest to her and felt her death the most. The rest of the royal family did their best to assure that Diana's funeral was befitting the mother of a future king. That's what matters.

 

[Denville]

of course the boys were grieved and I think that Charles was, though some reports say that he was saying stuff like "everyone will blame me" ....

 

[Osipi]

You have to admit though that Charles went far beyond what was expected of an ex-husband at the time of her death in Paris. He didn't have to do a thing really but did everything humanly possible at the time. It was one time, I think, that Charles really showed the stuff he's made out of.

With all the mass hysteria, it wasn't rocket science for Charles to think that they'd end up putting blame on him. People, at the time, were looking for someone to blame. The press were at fault. The royal family was at fault for their behavior of staying in seclusion at Balmoral and who knows what else. I believe that Charles also thought it possible that someone would take a shot at him walking behind the casket.

It was an event that shocked the world when it happened. Very unexpected and very tragic.

 

[Denville]

well yes and no. he was acting on behalf of her sons, in organsing the funeral. The boys were her family, her closest male relatives and they were too young to act for themselves. So it was natural that when it was obvious that the public wanted to say goodbye to her and felt she deserved a big funeral, that he should take charge.. THe RF have the resources and the plans for big state funerals and could do the job whereas the Spencers could not.
and he is self pitying.. feeling "everyone will blame ME" is harldly the thing to be thinking of when your sons' mother, whom you presumably have some affection for, is dead at 36. But I think he had genuine love for Diana still and he DID do his best to ensure that she ahd a good send off and that the RF was involved, and that his boys were able to take part without being overwhelmed..

 

[Katrianna]

I was viewing photos of Diana's funeral and the carriage bearing her coffin yesterday. It wouldn't surprise me if one Royal who wanted Diana erased from history would have been Princess Margaret. Looking at the few photos of her at the funeral and after she had an absolute stony expression and when entering the church she had an expression of "why must I be here?" on her face. As I've written before, I'm not privy to any private Royal Family conversations, but I'm sure Margaret may have had some not too kind comments after Diana's comments, extremely private to other family members and of course, not with any children around. I'm not discounting the other adult family because who really knows they're private comments.
I've always wondered if the tables didn't really turn for the Royal Family and they viewed Diana's death as a bigger problem than when she was alive. How can one who was a problem alive be dealt with now when she's dead and an even bigger icon to a grieving public? I apologize if I've offended anyone with my observation of Margaret, it was an observation only and I don't wish to really speak ill of the dead.

 

[Lady Nimue]

I like these two posts of yours, Osipi.

The BRF most assuredly felt something, how could they not? How could not anyone confronted with the reality? It was a shocking event. Someone in their prime and vibrant, just that day making headlines on the front pages of the tabloids. One of those unexpected events. They felt something.

I'm sure they felt something. Perhaps not the reaction of the public reaction of mass hysteria. Any sudden death of someone you know hits home even if its just a reminder of how short life can be. Diana wasn't overly close with her husband's side of the family in the later years of her marriage and through the Morton book and the Panorama interview, was downright kind of nasty to them. They may have actually liked Diana but just disapproved of her actions. When everything is looked at objectively, Diana was kind of a "loose cannon".

Charles and her boys were the ones closest to her and felt her death the most. The rest of the royal family did their best to assure that Diana's funeral was befitting the mother of a future king. That's what matters.

I think it went beyond Charles showing the stuff he was made of (though it did). He had loved her, of course he had, despite the revisionists making it all about Camilla. He had his children with her, that's intense, as we all know who have that kind of connection. The marriage broke down and mistakes were made, and though he may have no longer been 'in love' with her by her death, he clearly loved her, cared for her well-being, as demonstrated by his actions at her death.

You have to admit though that Charles went far beyond what was expected of an ex-husband at the time of her death in Paris. He didn't have to do a thing really but did everything humanly possible at the time. It was one time, I think, that Charles really showed the stuff he's made out of.

With all the mass hysteria, it wasn't rocket science for Charles to think that they'd end up putting blame on him. People, at the time, were looking for someone to blame. The press were at fault. The royal family was at fault for their behavior of staying in seclusion at Balmoral and who knows what else. I believe that Charles also thought it possible that someone would take a shot at him walking behind the casket.

It was an event that shocked the world when it happened. Very unexpected and very tragic.

Exactly so.

 

[Denville]

I was viewing photos of Diana's funeral and the carriage bearing her coffin yesterday. It wouldn't surprise me if one Royal who wanted Diana erased from history would have been Princess Margaret. Looking at the few photos of her at the funeral and after she had an absolute stony expression and when entering the church she had an expression of "why must I be here?" on her face. I've always wondered if the tables didn't really turn for the Royal Family and they viewed Diana's death as a bigger problem than when she was alive. How can one who was a problem alive be dealt with now when she's dead and an even bigger icon to a grieving public? I apologize if I've offended anyone with my observation of Margaret, it was an observation only and I don't wish to really speak ill of the dead.

I think that's true that Margaret was really cheesed off about Diana's death being an inconvenience to her. She was a selfish spoiled woman and unlike the queen I'd say not good at hiding how she felt. She is said to have commented on the "smell of rotting flowers" in Ken Palace area, but I think if you like she was showing what the others felt perhaps more mildly. that of course it was sad that Diana was dead but that now she was more of a problem because they had to have this big funeral, they had to speak well of her because she was now idolised by a grieving public and her sons would naturaly now fiercely resent any criticism.
As for Charles I think he felt the most grief. He had gotten angry with her, perhaps almost hated her at times but she was a woman he had once loved, and had 2 children with. They had lived together for years, he knew that his sons were grieving.. so I think that when she died, even if he had moments of self pity, he remembered the loving feelings they had once shared.
I think that to most of the RF, she was a nuisance who had caused the big scandal of a divorce, admitted to an affair on TV, outed her husband's affair. Even Sarah York hadn't done all that.

 

[Curryong]

Margaret had of course been very friendly with Diana early in the Wales marriage but that had long since died. The Panorama interview was THE huge mistake of Diana's life as Princess of Wales, and after that virtually the entire BRF withdrew, not just Margaret.

I agree Margaret was self-centred in many ways and by the time of Diana's death thought she was the most awful nuisance to the sister Margaret admired. She just wanted her to go away, I believe, and of course her death meant that although she wasn't there any more in a physical sense, in lots of other ways she would always be there.

Margaret was the only person among the crowd of royals gathered at the gate of BP who did not bow her head as the funeral cortège passed by. In many ways I think that was typical of her. IMO, her attitude was 'I don't feel sorry really that Diana is gone so why should I behave as if I do!'

 

[Denville]

Agree, I think that all of them were annoyed at Diana's conduct, even if they did sympathise with her at times, felt that Charles hadn't been the best husband etc.
but in public at the funeral, they played their parts.. but I think Margaret expressed annoyance that she'd had to cut her holiday short to go to the funeral and was like "I have to do this, but I am sulking..."

 

[Dman]

It was just Margaret being Margaret. She liked acting more royal than the rest, but lord knows she couldn't really throw stones at anyone, including Diana.

 

[Denville]

She would not feel like that. She was sure that as a royal, she was superior to Diana who was only royal by marriage. I believe that once Diana had started to "act up" she abruptly fell out with her.. and relations between them were chilly.. and I think that she dindt try to hide her irritation at having to go to a funeral for someone she didn't care about.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I agree. Margaret could be willful and imperious.

 

[Dman]

She would not feel like that. She was sure that as a royal, she was superior to Diana who was only royal by marriage. I believe that once Diana had started to "act up" she abruptly fell out with her.. and relations between them were chilly.. and I think that she dindt try to hide her irritation at having to go to a funeral for someone she didn't care about.

That's just called being spoiled. Margaret pretty much had her nose so far in the air, she couldn't even smell her own mouthwash.

 

[Osipi]

That's just called being spoiled. Margaret pretty much had her nose so far in the air, she couldn't even smell her own mouthwash.

Kind of reminds me of Andrew in a way. Margaret was second to the Queen and Andrew is secondary to Charles. I'm just glad it doesn't seem like Harry is like that at all with being secondary to William.

One thing for certain though is that Margaret attended Diana's funeral as a duty then actively mourning her death. To be honest, I never cared for things I had to do out of duty rather than wanting to be there. Its something though that we all have to do in life.

 

[Dman]

Kind of reminds me of Andrew in a way. Margaret was second to the Queen and Andrew is secondary to Charles. I'm just glad it doesn't seem like Harry is like that at all with being secondary to William.

One thing for certain though is that Margaret attended Diana's funeral as a duty then actively mourning her death. To be honest, I never cared for things I had to do out of duty rather than wanting to be there. Its something though that we all have to do in life.

Sometimes you just have to put duty aside and just be human and have some empathy.

 

[Denville]

I think that Margaret was just more open about her disdain for Diana nad for being forced into going to the funeral, than other royals, because she is bad mannered, selfish and unpleasant and generally speaking did not do her "duty" with very much grace or feeling.
And the fact is that as I've said she was very hostile to Diana in the last years of D's life and although they were neighbours at KP, Diana was NOT welcome in Marg's home

 

[Queen Claude]

I get what people are saying about in general about Margaret and her personality and shortcomings, but I don't see her behavior as egregiously wrong. Diana at the time of her death was her nephew's ex-wife and, while neighbors, they were not chummy at that time. If these were JPFs (just plain folks) Margaret could've stayed on her vacation and sent flowers and a card, but instead she had to cut a vacation short due to the death of someone she was not close to and she likely spent the days leading up to the funeral watching television where her sister and the BRF were bashed for being cold, out-of-touch and mistreating Diana.

 

[Denville]

I get what people are saying about in general about Margaret and her personality and shortcomings, but I don't see her behavior as egregiously wrong. Diana at the time of her death was her nephew's ex-wife and, while neighbors, they were not chummy at that time. If these were JPFs (just plain folks) Margaret could've stayed on her vacation and sent flowers and a card, but instead she had to cut a vacation short due to the death of someone she was not close to and she likely spent the days leading up to the funeral watching television where her sister and the BRF were bashed for being cold, out-of-touch and mistreating Diana.

but they are not "just plain folks". they are the royal family and they're supposed to behave with good breeding and to do things that are not always expected of ordinary people.
I don't believe that anyone in the RF except Charles and the boys were that grieved, but they showed proper respect for someone who had died tragically young, was the mother of Charles's children, and had been part fo the family...

 

[Nico]

but they are not "just plain folks". they are the royal family and they're supposed to behave with good breeding and to do things that are not always expected of ordinary people.
I don't believe that anyone in the RF except Charles and the boys were that grieved, but they showed proper respect for someone who had died tragically young, was the mother of Charles's children, and had been part fo the family...

At least Margaret was not hypocritical, unlike too many on that day.

 

[Countessmeout]

but they are not "just plain folks". they are the royal family and they're supposed to behave with good breeding and to do things that are not always expected of ordinary people.
I don't believe that anyone in the RF except Charles and the boys were that grieved, but they showed proper respect for someone who had died tragically young, was the mother of Charles's children, and had been part fo the family...

Many people die young and younger than her.

She had no personal connection. The other royals did. Philip and Elizabeth went because it was their grandsons mother. Philip walked not out of respect for a woman who nearly destroyed their family in their minds, but in support of his grandsons. The other kids she was their aunt. That is a bond.

For Margaret she was her sisters ex daughter in law. There was no real relationship. Being the mother of her great nephews in itself doesn't automatically earn you resoect. Just because your son is the future king, doesn't mean people have to forget all you have done.

If Diana hadn't been the do called People's princess she would have had a private funeral, that a few royaks workd attend for the sake of her kids. Even as the mother of a future king. And no one would bat an eyelash at it.

If any Royal ex died tomorrow, would we expect a royal funeral with a huge Royal contingent? I highly doubt it.

 

[Denville]

She was not a "royal ex" she was the mother of a future King. She had been part of their family for many years. She was enormously well loved. And yes when someone dies you "forget and forgive their faults" at least for the duration of the funeral....