sassie said:
I don't believe the Princes interacted with Camilla's children until after Diana's death. Remember, they didn't even meet Camilla herself until then.
I have to admit, it gets a bit tiresome to be termed a "fanatic" because I admired Diana. Not everyone who admired her is a fanatic. Quite a few of us saw her clearly as a human being rather than a goddess or a total victim.
I think sassie that you are less vocal in your admiration and why you admire Diana as a human being than your contemporaries who see Diana as a goddess or victim. That is why your opinion get overlooked.
Its a shame and your opinion is as valid as any other.
I think where I get annoyed is when people attribute glowing character traits to Diana that if they had just read what Diana actually did and said, they'd come to a different but not necessarily bad conclusion.
For example, I've read two statements recently that give Diana mothering characteristics that based on what she actually said about her children, I don't believe she had.
For example, (suonymona-I hate to look like I'm picking on you but its just the idea not you yourself) the statement that Diana raised her sons to be strong. And another comment that if Diana had been alive, she was have been strict with Harry over his latest drinking phase.
Given Diana's rather strong opinions on childrearing, I have my doubts how much she instilled character traits of strength and resilience in the face of all odds for her children. I also have my doubts as to how strict she would have been with Harry over his latest incidence.
I'm a year younger than Diana and so I remember most of the interviews and press conferences that she gave surrounding her children and what she thought about raising children in general.
Strength and strictness was never a quality that Diana ever stressed as important when talking about how she raised children. On the contrary, she despaired that children were not getting the hugs and love and affirmation they needed and that children were raised with too much discipline and too much expectations for perfection. One of her most heartfelt press conferences hammered this point home. Her method of motherhood was lots and lots and lots of love and demonstrative affection, lots of fun, and then maybe some discipline but not too much because she felt her loving and affirming was necessary to balance the over-disciplined lives the royals faced. I believe the environment she came from could be considered cold and unfriendly so some of her sentiment was totally understandable and quite appropriate.
Other things she did concerning her children were not so understandable. She made an attempt to drive a wedge between William and one of the few adults he trusted during his teenage years when his parents were most at odds, the nanny Tiggy Leggs-Burke. Diana was part of the group that spread rumours that Tiggy was pregnant with Charles' baby in order to discredit her and the rumours got to such a point that the Queen had to step in and defend Tiggy. The affair and pregnancy rumours turned out to be malicious hogwash.
What was disturbing was that Tiggy from all intents and purposes looked like a strong woman who was able to instill a strength and resilience in the young boys she was in charge of. They are still close to her now as young adult men. Just the qualities that Diana is now credited with instilling in her sons. And yet when Diana had the chance to either support or tear down this obviously much needed support of William's, she decided to use her energies to try and tear William's support down. She couldn't plead ignorance, William had declared how important Tiggy was to him when he asked both parents not to come to his school graduation and begged them to let Tiggy come instead because the press and security that their presence at his graduation would dictate would overshadow the event for himself and other students.
However, parents going through a nasty divorce often use their children as weapons and so I'm sure Diana would have regretted it if she had lived longer and would have tried to make amends to William.
Its just a little aggravating in these circumstances to come across posts that claim how Diana raised her sons to be strong or how strict she would be with them if she were alive.
Yes, the day is about remembering Diana, but also a service for those she left behind - her son's and shouldn't their want's, need's and wishes be paramount?
