Princess Diana's Relationship with her Stepmother, Raine Spencer - Page 2

ysbel · #21 03-24-2006, 12:32 PM

Diana made the statement on a tape she was making for the Andrew Morton book. The transcripts are on this site from NBC. Like Warren and Squidgy I take with a grain of salt a lot of what Diana said during these interviews.

But I agree its disturbing whether Diana really pushed Raine down or or just said that she did. I wouldn't like it if one of my friends did that or even exaggerated when said that she did.

msleiman · #22 03-24-2006, 01:35 PM

Even if she is making it up, that is bad enough. I really can not understand why any one would do that, must less tell anyone about it. If she had really pushed Raine down the stairs , I can not see why Raine or her father would talking to her again. I would not care if she was my daughter or the princess of wales. I would never speak to her again. That is just wrong.

maryshawn · #23 03-24-2006, 08:51 PM

Diana and her stepmother became quite close in the last years of Diana's life. They lunched together often and Raine became a close confidante. I think earlier in their relationship, all of the Spencer children were very unaccepting of Raine and treated her poorly. By the time Earl Spencer married Raine, they'd become used to him focusing strictly on them. When Raine came on the scene, the amount of time he spent with them changed. When he had his stroke, Raine, according to some of the children, kept them away from his bedside, supposedly to help him rest and heal. That irritated them. Then, as it became more expensive to keep up the family home, Earl Spencer sold off some valuable portraits and paintings. The kids blamed that on Raine, saying it was being done in order to keep up her grand style of living. They tried to intervene but Earl Spencer told the media his children, including Diana, had no idea how much it cost to keep Althrop running and chided them for their "juvenile" behavior.

The interesting thing is that while the children bucked Raine and were quite harsh with her, they accepted their mother's new husband readily and liked him very much. I'm not sure why that is but perhaps it's because of their concern that their father was going to sell off most of Althrop's valuables--and blamed Raine for it.

rhenae · #24 03-26-2006, 04:47 AM

I don't really know what to believe about Diana pushing Raine down the stairs, but thankfully in later life they became good friends. I even think that I read somewhere that Diana said she was closer to Raine than her own mother. If it were true I can kinda sympathize with Diana by taking up for her mother. I am glad that they were able to become friends.

TheTruth · #25 07-29-2007, 10:19 AM

I think the good relationship between Diana and Raine began when Johnnie died. At the funeral, Raine was devastated and I think Diana took her hand and help her to walk behind the coffin. Since then, we could see that Diana and Raine were in good terms.

Brooklyn · #26 07-31-2007, 10:11 AM

Thanks for posting those photos of Diana and Raine. It is good to see that they were able to put aside their differences and enjoyed some happy times.

TheTruth · #27 07-31-2007, 11:29 AM

Yes, although it's sad that didn't happen with Diana and her Mother Frances ...

TheTruth · #28 08-11-2007, 01:37 PM

Another picture of Raine and Diana taken in 1996. It shows again that she was very close to her stepmother in the end of her life.
ImageShack - Hosting :: 2466795300101609354hogdhz9.jpg

BeatrixFan · #29 08-11-2007, 03:38 PM

When I met Raine Spencer, she was walking extremely badly and she asked if she could hold onto my arm which I of course allowed her to. She was a gorgeous character and I really didn't know much about her then but when I ask the person hosting the event about her walking, she said that she'd walked badly since "the stairs incident".

TheTruth · #30 08-11-2007, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

When I met Raine Spencer, she was walking extremely badly and she asked if she could hold onto my arm which I of course allowed her to. She was a gorgeous character and I really didn't know much about her then but when I ask the person hosting the event about her walking, she said that she'd walked badly since "the stairs incident".

I believe that if Diana actually did it and injured Raine to this point, I don't think the 2 women would have been in good terms after.

BeatrixFan · #31 08-11-2007, 03:53 PM

Oh I don't know, people aren't always bitter. There is such a thing as forgiveness and Raine struck me as the sort who wouldn't bear a grudge, especially against someone with obvious mental health issues. And living with Barbara Cartland must have prepared her for odd moments. Diana did meet with Raine weekly for lunch so I was told but since her death, Raine hasn't been forthcoming in speaking about her in public or private. Quite sad really. But you have to remember that Diana did admit to pushing Raine and at the age Raine was, it's extremely easy for injuries to last for a very long time. Raine was post-menopause which naturally means that injuries can have a bigger impact and a long-lasting effect.

sirhon11234 · #32 08-11-2007, 03:58 PM

I can never understand or even try to make up an excuse for why Diana pushed Raine down those stairs but looking from photos of those two in the last years of Diana's life it looks like they got past all their bad issues and became good friends. What really pissed me off was when after Diana's father died Charles Spencer threw Raine out of the mansion and had her clothes put in garbage bags and threw them down the stairs. Had I been Raine I would've slapped the tar out Charles' head but she left like a lady.

And I thought Raine was walking fine when she walked into westminster abbey for the Princess of Wales' funeral.

BeatrixFan · #33 08-11-2007, 04:01 PM

Maybe it was age. But there's no excuse being made up, Diana said herself that she threw her down the stairs and laughed.

TheTruth · #34 08-11-2007, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

Maybe it was age. But there's no excuse being made up, Diana said herself that she threw her down the stairs and laughed.

Yes I agree. But Raine is much more 'heavier' than Diana so 'threw her down' sounds not like the right term. I'd say 'push' and if it's like the 'Diana-suicide-stairs' problem, Raine might also have fallen from only 3 steps.

BeatrixFan · #35 08-11-2007, 04:13 PM

You are joking right? Raine is like a little bird. She does wear a bustle which makes her look big and her hair perhaps makes her look rather larger than she is but in the flesh, she's extremely delicate. Falling 3 steps or not, it's still a push. Makes me laugh that people are prepared to excuse an admitted assault.

TheTruth · #36 08-11-2007, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

You are joking right? Raine is like a little bird. She does wear a bustle which makes her look big and her hair perhaps makes her look rather larger than she is but in the flesh, she's extremely delicate. Falling 3 steps or not, it's still a push. Makes me laugh that people are prepared to excuse an admitted assault.

Like she admitted suicide attempt in the stairs, which was not true, like she admitted that she didn't collaborate with Morton's book, etc.

BeatrixFan · #37 08-11-2007, 04:24 PM

And I quote (listen to the tapes to hear it from the horses);

"My stepmother and I ended up having this row. And I pushed her down the stairs. Which gave me enormous satisfaction. My father didn't speak to me for six months"

She pushed a 60 year old woman down the stairs and then bragged about it. She admitted assault, from her own mouth, she pushed Raine down a flight of stairs. Stop defending her and making out it didn't happen when it very obviously and undeniably did happen.

TheTruth · #38 08-11-2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

And I quote (listen to the tapes to hear it from the horses);

"My stepmother and I ended up having this row. And I pushed her down the stairs. Which gave me enormous satisfaction. My father didn't speak to me for six months"

She pushed a 60 year old woman down the stairs and then bragged about it. She admitted assault, from her own mouth, she pushed Raine down a flight of stairs. Stop defending her and making out it didn't happen when it very obviously and undeniably did happen.

I'm not saying she didn't, but it seems that when she admitts having done something bad then you believe it like it's undeniable truth. But when she says something where she is on the victim 'side' (like Raine in this matter), then it becomes an absolutely doubtful declaration. I know you don't like her but you can't say that she didn't had any good sides.

BeatrixFan · #39 08-11-2007, 04:33 PM

Oh I see, so she was justified in throwing an old lady down some stairs? I'm not saying she didn't have any good sides, I'm saying that her mistakes can't be covered up by sentiment. The bare-faced, naked truth is that she pushed Raine Spencer down a flight of stairs and then professed to enjoy it. No judgement, plain facts.

TheTruth · #40 08-11-2007, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

Oh I see, so she was justified in throwing an old lady down some stairs? I'm not saying she didn't have any good sides, I'm saying that her mistakes can't be covered up by sentiment. The bare-faced, naked truth is that she pushed Raine Spencer down a flight of stairs and then professed to enjoy it. No judgement, plain facts.

I never said it was justified. Doing such a thing is awful. What my thoughts were is that you have the views of Diana on that one but like I said, in other matters, where she's not the one who caused something you doubt what she says. How come you belive her on that one ?

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