MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION Department of English Language and Literature The Diana Myth Bachelor Thesis Brno 2008
Supervisor: Written by: Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D. Dana Ebringerová BIBLIOGRAPHY
EBRINGEROVÁ, Dana . The Diana Myth; bachelor thesis . Brno: Masaryk University, Faculty of education, Department of English Language and Literature, 2008 61 pages. The supervisor of Bachelor thesis is Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D.
ANNOTATION
Princess Diana, the British Heir to the Throne Prince Charles’s former wife, was a mythi cal being and during her life, especially then after her death, there emerged a plethora of myths both about her personality and her life. This thesis will explain some of them or at least make an attempt to do it. First, Diana is briefly introduced from her birth to death while some of discrepancies that had been discussed in the books about her life are already foreshadowed. Then, of course, plenty of speculations and conspiracy theories appeared in connection with her death and these ones are also presented in this thesis. Finally, the my ths connected with Diana’s character are pointed out. For better acquaintance with the events and for getting some additional information, there is added the appendix at the end of this thesis. I have paid my attention to the sources that should be reliable and authentic, compared them and tried to be impartial.
Keywords:
Princess, Queen, King, Viscountess, Earl, Duchess, myth, discrepancy, bulimia, suicide, conspiracy theory
BIBLIOGRAFICKÝ ZÁZNAM
EBRINGEROVÁ, Dana. Mýtus Diana; bakalářská práce. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,
Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury, 2008 61 stran. Vedoucí baka lářské práce je Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D.
ANOTACE
Princezna Diana, bývalá manželka britského následníka trůnu prince Charlese, byla mýtic kou bytostí a během jejího života, obzvláště pak po její smrti, se objevila spousta mýtů jak o její osobnosti, tak o jejím životě. Tato práce vysvětlí některé z nich, nebo se o to přinej menším pokusí. Nejdříve je Diana stručně představena od jejího narození po smrt, zatímco jsou již nastíněny některé z nesrovnalostí, které byly diskutovány v dílech o jejím životě. V souvislosti s její smrtí se pak samozřejmě vyrojila spousta spekulací a konspiračních teorií, a tyto jsou v této práci prezentovány také. Nakonec je věnována pozornost mýtům týkajících se Dianiny povahy. Pro lepší obeznámení se s událostmi a získání dodatečných informací je na závěr přidán dodatek. Svoji pozornost jsem věnovala pramenům, které by měly být spolehlivé a autentické, porovnávala jsem je a pokusila se být nestranná.
Klíčová slova:
Princezna, královna, král, vikomtesa, hrabě, vévodkyně, mýtus, nesrovnalost, bulimie, se bevražda, konspirační teorie
Declaration
I declare that I wrote the bachelor thesis myself and used only the sources listed in the enclosed bibliography.
Brno, 20 April 2008
Dana Ebringerová
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D. for her kind help and valuable ad vice, which she provided me with as a supervisor of this bachelor thesis.
Brno, 20 April 2008 Dana Ebringerová
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...... 7 1 DIANA’S CHILDHOOD ...... 9 1.1 DIANA ’S BIRTH ...... 9 1.2 THE PARENT ’S DIVORCE ...... 9 1.3 DIANA THE CHILD ...... 10 1.4 DIANA THE PUPIL ...... 11 2 DIANA’S ADULTHOOD ...... 12 2.1 “W HAT A SAD MAN “ ...... 12 2.2 ENGAGEMENT ...... 13 2.3 WEDDING ...... 15 2.4 MARRIAGE ...... 16 2.5 MORTON ’S BOOK ...... 18 2.6 THE DIVORCE ...... 18 3 DIANA’S ADULTHOOD ...... 22 3.1 DIANA ’S NEW START ...... 22 3.2 DODI (E MAD ) AL FAYED ...... 23 3.3 DIANA ’S DEATH ...... 25 3.4 DIANA ’S FUNERAL ...... 27 4 MYTH OR REALITY? ...... 30 4.1 SEARCHING FOR THE CULPRIT ...... 30 4.2 COSPIRACY THEORIES ...... 35 4.3 MYTH OR REALITY ? ...... 37 CONCLUSION ...... 42 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 44 APPENDICES ...... 47
INTRODUCTION
Princess Diana has her iconic status all over the world and more or less her destiny has touched all of us. Maybe the reason for that is the fact that her problems were so similar to each average person’s ones. And maybe it is just her ability to present herself in media. She did not have ambitions to become Queen. She claimed that she would like to become Queen of People’s Hearts and she managed. There is often discussed the question about her influence on monarchy. According to the survey of public opinion which is remembe red in Diana. A Princess and Her Troubled Marriage by Nicholas Davies and that was conducted by Daily Express in January 1992, Diana’s popularity raised to 29 per cent, while Charles’s decreased to ten per cent. Queen and Princess Ann were both given 15 per cent. Diana was also elected to be the most entertaining member of the royal family by 49 per cent, Charles got just six per cent (Davies 14). Nicholas Davies also pointed out that the royal family had never been so criticized as it was at that time. About one fifth of citi zens do not think that they need the monarchy and the youth even wished to end the mo narchy. On the other hand, it was just Diana who helped to popularize the monarchy. Thanks to her indisputable empathy and sympathy for suffering people all over the world she was worshipped the same as Mother Theresa, whom Diana visited too and who died five days after Diana’s death. She was a patron of plenty of foundations. The photographs of Diana meeting people suffering from AIDS, shaking hands with them and hugging small dying children, changed people‘s attitude to this illness. Diana encouraged people not to be afraid of the contact with these seriously ill patients. Also her campaign against land mines was so successful that after Diana’s death, in Ottawa in December 1997, there was conclu ded an agreement about the ban on using of land mines that was signed by fourty countries. Mike Whitlam, the head of British Red Cross, was even persuaded that if Diana had not visited Angola, the negotiation in Canada, where the agreement was ratified, would not have taken place at all.“In fact, it was the appreciation of her work“ 1 Whitlam is cited in the book by Rosalind Coward, Diana: The Portrait (Bradford 345).
Unfortunately, during her childhood and her marriage as well, she went through many sad events that influenced her life. One of the purposes of this thesis is to get closer to Diana’s
1„Ve skutečnosti šlo o uznání její práce.“(translated by the author)
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personality. According to given information the reader possibly can find out if without bad treating, Diana’s worse character traits transpired, or if the treating her was really so bad. And because, as the title hints, the main aim of this thesis is to clarify some myths Diana’s life is shrouded in, her life will be described here in chronological order from her birth to death. On the basis of comparing of available sources, this work will objectively assess Diana’s person and her surrounding and then also some hazy events connected with her death as well as discrepancies that appeared during the investigation of the fatal car acci dent and conspiracy theories that emerged after including the question whether Diana was killed being pregnant. Besides the hazy circumstances it was Diana’s intuition and her abil ity to forecast her death (and there are tangible proofs for it) that became the breeding ground for conspiracy theories, but partly also the fact that people were not or some still are not willing to cope with their model’s death. They simply are not able to admit that life of their icon could have ended in such a common way. Finally this thesis will briefly sum marize her personality and according to the established facts try to find some of reasons for Diana’s behaviour and her psychic instability and disorder, because it is just Diana’s character that indisputably belongs to the most mysterious myths.
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1 DIANA’S CHILDHOOD
1.1 Diana’s Birth
“Viscountess Althorp Gave Birth to the Daughter on Saturday“
On the 1st July 1961 at 19.45 Diana Frances Spencer was born as the third daughter of Lord Edward John Spencer, the late 8th Earl of Spencer, and his wife Frances Ruth Burke Roche, the daughter of the 4th Lord Fermoy and close friend to the King George VI. She was born in the bedroom with a bay windows, where also her mother was born, in Park House on the Royal Estate of Sandringham, Norfolk, England (Bradford 17, www.princess diana.com). The Times daily announced briefly:‘Viscountess Althorp gave birth to the daughter on Saturday‘ 2 (Davies 23). She was born into thunderous applause. The motive for this applause was not her birth, but the end of the anniversary cricket match hosted by Diana’s father. On the contrary, her birth was considered to be a great disap pointment, because her parents desperately needed a son for their dynasty. If Diana was a boy, she would probably be named Charles or John as the boys were traditionally christe ned in her family. For girl her parents could not find a name for a week. Finally she was named Diana after the first Earl Spencer’s sister who lived her short life from 1735 to 1743 (Bradford 17, Stern 33 34, Morton 20).
1.2 The Parent’s Divorce
In fact, the rows between her parents began after the death of her brother John who was born deformed and unable to breath on 1st January, 1960 and was alive just for ten hours. Diana was persuaded that if he had survived, she would never have been born (Morton 24).
John Spencer blamed his wife for not being able to give birth to son and although their son Charles was born three years after Diana‘s birth, the relationship between them never im proved (Bradford 24). John Spencer was said to treat his wife roughly, although in Diana, Her Marriage Troubles is meantioned that Frances “was bored with the life in Norfolk“ (Davies 24). In 1969 the marriage was divorced and unluckily for Frances her husband obtained custody for Diana, her elder sisters Sarah and Jane and the three year old
2,,Vikomtka Althorpová v sobotu přivedla na svět dceru.“(translated by the author)
9 brother Charles. Even Frances’s mother, Lady Fermoy, Queen Mother’s friend, turned away from her daughter and Frances was accused of adultery: “The reality was more trau matic than many have realized. It is significant that at one time in their lives both Sarah and Diana have suffered from debilitating rating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia respectively“(Morton 18).
But the staff’s opinion differs in this case, which is quite surprising. While Mary Clark whom Diana’s father employed in 1971 remembers how wonderfully the life was going past there in Park House, the children were still smiling and fooling around and Diana li ked to tease everyone, the other former unnamed employee sees this household as an unhappy one (Bradford 30 31).
1.3 Diana the Child
But hardly anybody was able to look into Diana’s soul. It is obvious that her father tried his best to compensate his children for their mother’s presence. As a child, Diana was very quiet and shy, always surrounded by her pets – animals and she cared for them really pre cisely (Bradford 31). But sometimes her manners were arrogant, obstinate and cunning and “when she wished something, she insisted very emphatically on it and with a conviction that nobody would oppose her deceitful behaviour“ 3 (Bradford 33 34). She was often fab ricating. Mainly, however, she was very tenderhearted and sympathetic with those who were suffering. She was also used to doing household chores with a great care even for her sister Sarah and also in her later years. “It was her response to the inner need to be useful, to show off her skillness and to keep ‘clearness‘ that is important to her(Bradford 47 48).
The cliché that “from an ugly duckling has become a princess“ how some journalists entitle their articles about Diana, evidently does not correspond to the facts. It is made manifest according to the photographs from her childhood, because her father, the 8th Earl Spencer allowed access to his private family photograph albums to Andrew Morton for his books Diana, Her True Story and Diana, Her New Life. Diana is said to be her father’s favourite child, ‘the apple of her daddy’s eye‘ (Bradford 31 32):
3 „...když si něco přála, domáhala se toho velice důrazně s jistotou, že se jejímu lstivému chování nikdo nevzepře.“(translated by the author)
“Undoubtedly I was the father’s favourite“ 4(Diana qtd. in Bradford 32). 10
Diana was used to posing for photographers from her very childhood, which was a great advantage for her later, when she became the most photographied woman in the world.
1.4 Diana the Pupil
Diana was first educated at Silfied School in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. From 1969 to 1974 she attended the public Riddlesworth Hall Preparatory School. Her school results were not excellent, “she was not ambitious enough“, so she did not pass the final exams at West Heath Girls´ School (near Sevenoaks, Kent, from 1974 to 1977), “she did not have any qualification and was able to do the only thing she enjoyed: to take care of children“ 5 (Davies 41 42). At the age of 16 she left West Heath for Institut Alpin Videmanette in Rougemont, Switzerland.
From her childhood she was interested in any kind of sport and was very good at swim ming and diving. Had she not grown so tall (177cm), she would probably have become a ballerina. She played also tennis and later, in 1991, she even had the opportunity to play tennis with Steffi Graf, whose game she admired.
After her return to London in 1979, Diana lived with three friends in an apartment in Cole herne Court in South Kensington and works as a nanny at the Young England School in Pimlico, London.
4 „Bezpochyby jsem byla otcovou oblíbenkyní.“(translated by the author) 5,,Neměla žádnou kvalifikaci a mohla dělat jedině to, co ji bavilo: hlídat děti.“(translated by the author)
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2 DIANA’S ADULTHOOD
2.1 “What a Sad Man“
For the first time, Diana met Charles when he was dating her elder sister Sarah:
It was during her sister´s romance that Diana first came into the path of the man considered then to be the world´s most eligible bachelor. That historic meeting in November 1977 was hardly auspicious. Diana, on weekend leave from West Heath school, was indroduced to the Prince in the middle of the ploughed field near Nobottle Wood on the Althorp esta te during a day´s shooting….Diana cut a nondescript figure in her chec ked shirt, her sister’s anorak, cords and wellington boots (Morton, Dia na: Her True Story , 35) Sarah, however, was not willing to accomodate Charles’s behaviour and customs and in 1980 she married the former guard officer Neil Mc Corquodal. Later she even warned Dia na to be careful, because Charles was an “incurable romantic“ ( Davies 63). Not only Sarah was aware of Charles’s character traits. Hugo Vickers, a skilled royal observer, even bran ded him a “wimp“ who in fact does not know what he wants and that he prefers female company, especially of the older, married ladies (Bradford 91).
After the death of Charles´s friend and adviser Lord Mountbatten who had been killed by IRA, and whose sincere advice Charles appreciated, Charles realized how vulnerable the British monarchy was and that he needed an heir. And although he, an ‘egocentric‘ (Brad ford 136) man who was satisfied with his life having Camilla by his side, was not enthusi astic about a marriage, he was aware of the fact that he could not marry Camilla who was living in a loose marrige with Andrew Parker Bowles and had two children.
In the summer holidays of 1980, the Spencers were invited at Balmoral Castle and later Charles invited Diana to accompany him on a royal yacht Britannia during his one week holiday and “he took great pains“ 6 to it (Bradford 79) and asked his personal secretary´s assistant Oliver Everett to take care of her. Charles wanted to avoid the situation when Diana had refused his invitation to Buckingham Palace (Bradford 79). It was during their
6„…vyvinul mimořádné úsilí…“
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meeting in Petworth in July 1980, where Diana was surprised by his intimate behaviour towards her: “Again, he was still tagging along me and it was very strange. I thought:’This is a little bit impertinent’” 7 (Diana qtd. in Bradford 78).
As Stephen Barry in Diana remembered , on Britannia the crew fell in love with Diana the same as the royal domestic staff who considered Diana to be very suitable for “that task” (Bradford 80). Diana won their hearts thanks to her openmindness and sincere treating the others.
On the contrary, Nicholas Davies describes how the staff hated Diana “we knew that some times she would appear to be a beast, but we did not know it would be so soon” 8 (Diana. A Princess and Her Troubled Marriage 108 ).
2.2 Engagement
Charles was under the increasing pressure to marry not only by his father (his mother has never interfered in her children’s affairs) but also by Camilla who was persuaded that Di ana would not jeopardize her place in Charles’s heart. In fact she preferred Diana to Charles’s other acquaitances.
Also, Diana met all needed qualifications. Legally, the only requirement was that the Prince could not marry a Roman Catholic; a member of the Church of England was pre ferred. In order to gain the approval of Charles’s family and their advisers, any potential bride was expected to have a royal or aristocratic background, to be a virgin as well as to be a Protestant (wikipedia).
It was clear that also the Queen Mother was delighted with her grandson’s relationship with the charming and innocent Diana and during Diana’s visit of Birkhall there was no doubt that she was trying to make Diana comfortable (Bradford 81). She checked the bed room and all the things she would not have done for a nineteen year old girl. So it was obvious that there were some plans or hopes (Bradford 81). But it is unbelievable, how cynical
7„Zase se na mě lepil bylo to velice divné. Pomyslela jsem si: ,,Tohle je trochu neomalené.“ (translated by the author)
8,,Věděli jsme, že se z ní někdy vyklube mrcha, ale nevěděli jsme, že to bude tak brzy.“ (translated by the author)
13 attitude took up Ruth Fermoy, Diana’s grandmother and Queen Mothers’s friend. She en couraged this wedding in spite of that she was aware about Charles’s relationship with Camilla (Bradford 81).
Nevertheless, Diana adored Charles and in some way also Charles, who called her ‘My Shy Di’ (Davies 72), loved Diana, although they differed from each other in many aspects. For example, part of public did not consider the uneducated Diana to be suitable for him. They had different taste in friends and Diana hated his spending the leisure time shooting birds or hunting. Each of them listened to different kind of music and while Charles de bated with the philosophers, Diana liked chating with her friends about clothing and hairs tyles and watching soap operas. Charles was surprised by Diana’s disinterest in politics, economy, industry and issues connected with the British government (Davies 108).
On 24 th February 1981 the engagement between the nineteen year old Lady Diana Frances Spencer and the thirty two year old heir to the British Throne Prince Charles was officially announced and so Diana could pose for the photographers with her walnut sized engage ment ring. The ring, consisting of 14 diamonds and a sapphire, cost 34000 pounds. But the Queen would prefer to donate her some time honoured one from her family jewels (Da niels 71).
Stephen Barry describes the first months of their romance:
“It seemed, because of Charles, Diana was completely nonplussed. She adored even the ground under his feet. She was still kissing and touching him and repeating how much she loved him. Anytime he had to leave for his royal duties or just deal with some papers, she was saying good bye to him, as if he was leaving at least for a year and she could hardly wait for his return. She still kept asking me, when he would come back and was nervous until she saw him again. Then she ran after him and started hugging and kissing him“ 9 (Davies 74 75). Before their engagement, on 5th November, when Diana was staying in Sandringham, the
9,,Zdálo se, že Diana je z Charlese úplně vyvedená z míry. Ona zbožňovala i půdu pod jeho nohama, po které kráčel. Neustále ho líbala, dotýkala se ho a opakovala mu, jak ho miluje. Kdykoliv musel odejít za svými královskými povinnostmi, nebo jen vyřídit nějaké papíry, loučila se s ním, jako kdyby odcházel nejméně na rok a vůbec se nemohla dočkat jeho návratu. Pořád se mě ptala, kdy už se vrátí, a byla nervózní, dokud ho opět nespatřila. Potom k němu přiběhla, začala ho objímat a líbat.“(translated by the author).
14 scandal of the “royal train of love“ broke out. According to Sunday Mirror Diana slipped into the royal train that was standing on the siding in Wiltshire and spent a night there with Charles (Bradford 85). While Davies described this event as a “made up story“ (69), Bradford brought the evidence, that the woman definitely was not Diana, but Camilla Par ker Bowles (85).
There is also some discrepancy in these books connected with the flowers that Charles should have sent to Diana after her arrival from Australia, where she, according to Char les’s suggestion, spent some time with her mother before their wedding. In Diana.A Prin cess and Her Troubled Marriage there is described the event, how romantic Charles sent a huge bunch of flowers to Diana (Davies 70). In the book Diana Diana was persuaded that the malodorous bouquet was not from Charles, it was just a very tactful deep of somebody from the office, because there was not a message (Bradford 90).
2.3 Wedding
…‘the most emotionally confusing day in my life‘…(Diana qtd. In Morton 65)
During the wedding preparation Charles cautiously controlled all details and also chose music and singers, what he considered to be the most important. Diana’s favourite hymn I Vow to Thee My Country was included, too (Davies 79). This hymn was heard also during Diana’s funeral ceremony.
On the eve of the wedding, which Diana spent at Clarence House, her mood was much improved when Charles sent her a signet ring engraved with the Prince of Wales feathers and an affectionate card which said:‘I’m so proud of you and when you come up I’ll be there at the altar for you tomorrow. Just look ‘em in the eyes and knock ‘em dead‘(Morton 64 65).
Around 750 million television viewers and 600 thousand onlookers followed the dream wedding of Charles, who was thirty three years old, and Diana, who was twenty years old, routing from Buckingham Palace to London´s St. Paul´s Cathedral on 29th July 1981, five months after their engagement. For the first time in 300 years an English girl is betrothed to a British Heir to the Throne. The girl,who, when she was nine, bravely declared that she would marry only once and only for love and never, never divorce (Howard).
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The archbishop of Canterbury, who married this pair in love, declared this wedding to be a fairy tale (Howard, Bradford 105). Although all those present noticed that Diana left out the expression “to obey” her husband from her promise of marriage (Davies 82).
2.4 Marriage
“Charles was too old for his age, and Diana in her youth extremely immature“ 10 (Bradford 112). Diana was always such a shy girl that during the school performances she was used to playing just non speaking parts. Now, she was in the centre of attention and she tried to hide her real feelings in public. So, her role really was not easy. In Diana, Her True Story she remembers, how she tried to cope with the journalists: “I´ve got what my mother has got. However bloody you are feeling you can put on the most amazing show of happiness. My mother is an expert at that and I´ve picked it up. It kept the wolves from the door”(Morton 76). Although Diana, from the very beginning, managed to behave perfectly in public, she often suffered from sickness and she felt uneasily. These feelings got worse during her pregnancy. The first son and Heir to the Throne, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born in St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London on 21 st June 1982 and his birth was greeted with fourty one salvos.The second son of Princess Diana and Charles, Prince Henry Charles Albert David, named Harry was born at the same hospital on 15 th September 1984 (How ard).
Diana claimed that the early years of her marriage were lucky. She was really happy to have her own family and even Charles tried to spend as much time as possible with his sons. But there already appeared quite serious troubles. On the one hand there was still the shade of Camilla Parker, the woman with whom Charles did not mean to quit his relation ship, on the other hand Charles was not able to accept the fact that Diana was so popular with people that she (unintenionally) put him in the shade (Bradford 138 145).This is also the period when Diana went through several suicide attempts. One of the first ones ap peared in January 1982 when she, three months pregnant, jumped down the staircase.
10 ,,Charles byl na svůj věk starý, a Diana ve svém mládí mimořádně nevyzrálá.“(translated by the author)
One of the first members of the Royal Family who arrived was the Queen Mother: 16
She was horrified, physically shaking with the shock of what she had witnessed. A local doctor was summoned while George Pinker, Diana’s gyneacologist, travelled from London to visit his royal patient. Her hus band simply dismissed her plight and carried on with his plan to go rid ing. Fortunately Diana was not seriously hurt by the fall although she did suffer severe bruising around her stomach. A full check up revealed that the foetus hadnot been injured (Morton, Diana: Her True Story 73).
Diana explains her difficult state and termed it as “the desperate cries for help”. “I just needed time to adjust to my new position” (Diana qtd. in Morton 74).
That time Prince Charles held very important conversation with his mother and explained her that the journalists do not help pregnant Diana to calm down her frame of mind. He was apprehensive, because Diana’s moods could have dire consequences for the unborn child (Davies 93). The Queen agreed and prepared a plan together with Michael Shea, her press secretary. On Thuesday, eighteen days before Christmas and four and a half month after the wedding, the publishers of nationwide newspaper, television and radio were in vited in Buckingham Palace. It was the first time in twenty five years that this kind of meeting was held (Davies 93 94). Michael Shea depicted the situation and explained the Queen’s fears of the haunting of Diana. The short time after this meeting the British press left Diana alone. But, consequently, she became such a draw that the haunting started again (Davies 93 94). The book Diana: Her True Story also contains statements about Diana´s bulimia and the explanation by eating disorders expert that bulimics are always smiles “and they spend their time trying to please others” (Morton, Diana: Her True Story 77).
Diana’s marital discords with her husband are remembered in the Diana book. In the in terview with her teacher Peter Settel Diana indicated that her sexual relationship with Charles ended before the birth of Harry. She also confided in her new bodyguard and a detective Ken Wharfe about Camilla´s presence. She didn´t know how to deal with this fact (Bradford 165).
In 1986 Diana did not manage to pretend in public that she was happy. In Mallorca the quarrels between Diana and Charles intensified. Charles left his wife, William and Harry for Britain. There had already been Camilla waiting for him (Odile and Philippe Verdier 46). As a defense, Diana began to use flirtation in public. Charles was disappointed. But
17 also some newspapers criticised her undignified behaviour. They spent their sixth wedding anniversary separately (Bradford 171).
Another desperate situation Diana went through was after Prince Charles had broken his arm during a polo match. It was not Diana, but Charles’s frequent visitor, Camilla Parker Bowles, who took care of him while recovering from the fracture. “Diana felt subjugated, useless and unloved.” (Morton, Diana: Her True Story 151).
2.5 Morton’s Book
Of course, some of journalists were devoted to Charles and some of them indicated their sympathy to Diana. And so, as far as tabloids are concerned, while Nigel Dempster from Mail and Ross Benson from Express spoke up for Charles, Daily Mail , the one destined for the middle and upper classes, were devoted to Diana (especially thanks to their editor in chief David English and a royal reporter Richard Kay) as well as the prominent journalist and biographer Anthony Holden and Andrew Morton, in those days writing favourable articles abot her for the influential Sunday Times (Bradford 220).
And it was just Andrew Morton, university educated and prominent journalist and writer, who himself was surprised, when Diana was willing to open her heart just to him and as ked him to write a book about her life with Charles.An intermediary here was doctor James Colthurst, Diana’s long standing friend and adviser (Bradford 215).
In the interview with Sarah Bradford (20.3.2001) Morton admits that this Diana’s action was not well thought out and that they were Mike (Michael O’Mara, Morton’s publisher), James Colthurst and him who had to premeditated a lot instead of her. Their idea also was to keep Diana in background and to involve her friends (Bradford 216).
2.6 The Divorce
“Whatever happens, I will always love you“ 11 (Diana to Charles on 28th February 1996 qtd. in Bradford 306 307).
On 29th June 1994 “in a television interview Prince Charles acknowledges to Jonathan Dimbleby his liaison with Camilla Parker Bowles and his unfaithfuilness to his wife Dia na.
11 ,,Ať se stane cokoli, budu tě vždycky milovat.“ 18
He explains his adultery by saying that he already saw his marriage as being over“(www.princess diana.com). This interview took place after Prince Charles’s biogra phy by Jonathan Dimbleby had been written. Prince‘s biography was considered to be his defence, the same as Morton’s book was Diana’s one. In January 1995 Andrew and Camil la Parker Bowles divorced (Bradford 269,272).
In the autumn of 1995 Diana’s psychological state of mind was unsatisfactory. Her roman ce with James Hewitt was disclosed, when the book “ Princess in Love “ by Anna Pasternak was published based on her letters to him to the Gulf in October 1994 (www.princess diana.com, Bradford 270). As Hewitt claimed, the initial aim of this book was something like “precautionary measure“ 12 (Hewitt qtd. in Bradford 270), but later he was marked as a “spurned lout and nark“ 13 (daily Sun qtd. in Bradford 271), although Diana had agreed with publishing this kind of book. She had only prefered the interview with Andrew Mor ton to Anna Pasternak. Then she broke up and began her relationship with Oliver Hoar (Bradford 271, Hrom 13).
She was also persuaded about being tapped, dismissed several employees of hers and she even wrote a letter, where she mentioned Charles’s intence to kill her: “My husband is planning an ‘accident‘ of my car, a brake failure and a serious damage of my head, so as to free himself and could marry“ 14 (Diana qtd. in Bradford 292).
Her behaviour called forth a response. In the article by Dempster in Mail on Sunday there are described eight typical syndroms of BPD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Demb ster claims that most of them fit Diana’s behaviour (Bradford 289).
Diana’s response to Charles’s interview came several months later during the BBC pro gramme Panorama with the journalist Martin Bashir on 24th November 1995. She admited her affair with James Hewitt and spoke about her psychological desperation, eating disor ders and her attempts to commit suicide. But she also mentioned her “mistrust of the Royal Family and doubts that her husband, Prince Charles, will ever become king“
12 ,,preventivní opatření“ 13 ,,zhrzený hulvát a práskač“ 14 ,,Můj manžel plánuje ‘nehodu‘ v mém autě, selhání brzd a vážné poranění hlavy, jen aby měl Charles volnou cestu a mohl se oženit.“ (translated by the author)
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(www.princess diana.com, Bradford 269). In the book Lady Di et Dodi – Destins Croises it is published that she definitely betrayed the rule of the Royal Protocol ”never explain, ne ver complain“ (Verdier Odile, and Philippe 98), which is the truth. But definitely is not the truth that the only Princess’s performance in public fulfilled its task and the divorce proce dure increased (Verdier Odile, and Philippe 100). Because it is obvious that Diana did not want to divorce ( Bradford 305, Howard). The Royal Family were shocked with Diana’s performance and so were her friends. Her press officer, Geoff Crawford, resigned from his post immediately, although it was a success with the public, who was touched with this interview (Bradford 298 299).
Sir Robert Fellowes, Diana’s brother in law who belonged to the high ranking palace offi cials, remembered in the book by Brian Mac Arthur: “Much as good will towards her per sonality was there from Buckingham Palace, the misdemeanour she perpetrated over stepped the mark. It was a classical case of ‘love for the sinner and hate for the sin’” 15 (Diana, Princess of Wales 1961 1997 96, qtd. in Bradford 300).
When Queen Elizabeth II asked her son Prince Charles and Princess Diana to end their marriage on 18 th December 1995, Charles agreed immediately, but Diana postponed her decision for three months. The Queen’s hand written letter to Diana was addressed “Dear est Diana” and ended “with love mummy”(Bradford 302, www.princess diana.com). On 28 th February 1996, although in the book Lady Di et Dodi – Destins croises the date of 26 th February is written, Princess Diana agreed to the wish of Prince Charles and his mother to end the marriage (www.princess diana.com). Diana considered this date to be “the worst day in my life” (Diana qtd. in Verdier Odile,and Philippe 91). On the contrary, in the book Diana. Her New Life we can read about Diana who confided in her friends during the summer of 1993 that she would like to divorce, but that the resolution has to come from Charles (Morton 182). Nevertheless,”on 28 th February 1996 Princess Diana agrees to the wish of Prince Charles and his mother Queen Elizabeth II to end the mar riage”(www.princess diana.com). On 15 th July Princess Diana became divorced after fif teen years of marriage to the British Heir to the Throne Prince Charles and after six
15 ,,Jakkoli byla ze strany Buckinghamského paláce vůči její osobě dobrá vůle, přečin, jehož se dopustila, překročil meze. Šlo o klasický případ ‘lásky k hříšníkovi a nenávisti k hříchu‘“. (translated by the author)
20 weeks, on 28 th August 1996 the divorce became legal (www.princess diana.com, Dobro volny 102, Bradford).
Although in Lady Di at Dodi ... is published that she kept her title “Royal Highness” (Ver dier Odile, and Philippe 91) in fact she lost it. She could only call herself “Princess of Wales”(www.princess diana.com). The Palace later insisted that it was Diana herself who suggested to renounce the title “Her Royal Highness” (Bradford 305 306), but maybe later she bemoaned that, because she, via Richard Kay, published an allegation that she was forced by the Queen and Prince Charles to do it. At the end of June, through Richard Kay again, she did her last attempt to get her title back, when she proclaimed that the Palace then insisted that she should keep her title as the future king’s mother. But this was not the truth at all (Bradford 307).
After Diana’s funeral, Prince Charles, William and Harry and also Diana’s butlers Paul Burrel and Colin Tebbutt set off the royal train journey from London to Northamptonshire, because they were invited to dinner at Althorp. During this journey someone from the roy al family suggested returning this title to Diana. Her brother Charles Spencer refused it, because he considered it to be an insignificant gesture (Bradford 385).
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3 DIANA’S ADULTHOOD
3.1 Diana’s New Start
“’The third stage’ of her life was the period between the divorce and the death” 16 (one of Diana’s friends qtd. in Bradford 337).
After the divorce, the Princess was reserved a permanent right to live in Kensington Pa lace and she remained a member of the Royal Family. The custody of her sons was shared by both parents equally(www.princess diana.com., Bradford).
In the book Diana: The Portrait by Rosalind Coward Diana’s situation is fully compre hended by William Rees Mogg:
“Diana tried to arrange her own independent life. As a single woman she could enjoy much bigger social freedom, as a famous personality she took advantage of her empathy for practical purposes, and she was still an excellent mother.Everything began to fit together perfectly.” 17 (Brad ford 337) In this period Diana travelled all over the world and devoted herself to charity, to ill people, especially the ones suffering from AIDS and she fought against the land mines. According to Richard Kay “that was the time when she became that great personality she was” 18 (Bradford 337). Meanwhile, she lived also her personal life, although it was not easy, because she was still haunted by sensation seeking paparazzi (see appendix A7).
Like Charles, also Diana went through several love affairs. Some of them already during her marriage to Charles after she had learnt of his relationship to Camilla and felt lonely. “I want to find somebody who would requite my affection” 19 (Diana qtd. in Hrom, 23rd Sep tember 1997).
16 ,’Třetím stadiem‘ jejího života bylo období mezi rozvodem a smrtí.“ 17 ,, Diana se snažila zařídit si vlastní samostatný život. Jako svobodná žena se mohla těšit z mnohem větší společenské volnosti, jako známá osobnost využívala svého soucitu pro praktické účely, a nadále byla vyni kající matkou. Všechno do sebe začínalo hezky zapadat.“ 18 ,,Tehdy se stala tou velkou osobností, kterou byla.“ 19 ,,Chci najít někoho, kdo by opětoval mé city.“ (translated by the author)
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But, as one of Diana’s friends judged her situation, “Diana’s love life was a long run of misfortune. The men exploited her. She put too much in liaison” 20 (Bartholomew qtd. in Hrom, 23rd September 1997). Unfortunately, among her men there were also some mar ried ones, for example Oliver Hoare and Will Carling, which caused her troubles. In 1985 the rumour said that she was in love with her bodyguard Barry Manakee. Later he died in a motorcycle crash that was said to have been planned. James Gilbey’s passionate phone calls with Diana were also disclosed. The Pakistani cardio surgeon Hasnat Khan’s parents did not agree with his relationship to Diana (Hrom, 23rd September 1997).
3.2 Dodi (Emad) Al Fayed
“Dodi is the love of my life. I will never let him go” 21 (Diana to her friend, qtd. in Hrom).
Emad El Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed, better known as Dodi Al Fayed, was the son of the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed ,owner of British department store Harrods, Fulham Football Club and the Hôtel Ritz Paris. His mother was Samira Kashoggi, sister of the notorious weapons dealer, Adnan Khashoggi.Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Fayed was a student at Collège Saint Marc before attending the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. His occupation was often given as film producer; he helped make Breaking Glass (1980) and Chariots of Fire (1981), as well as the movie F/X and its sequel. He also served as the Executive Creative Consultant for the television series.Dodi was an executive producer for the 1991 movie Hook starring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman. In addition he was the executive producer of the 1995 film adaptation of The Scarlet Letter .(wikipedia) Diana met Dodi already about ten years earlier while he was playing polo against her husband’s team, but did not pay much attention to him (Stern 8). The fact that Diana accepted Fayed’s father invitation to spend holiday with her sons near St.Tropez surprised her friends. But that time, in July 1997, when TV Channel 5 was interested in the adaptation of Camilla Parker’s biography, Diana got nervous. Moreover, Prince Charles, via Michael Fawcett, was preparing the ball in Highgrove on the ocassion of Camilla’s fiftieth birthday. (Bradford 359). So, her decision to accept this invitation could be seen as
20 ,,Dianin milostný život byl dlouhou šňůrou neštěstí. Muži ji využívali. Dávala do vztahu příliš mnoho.“
21 ,,Dodi je láskou mého života. Nikdy mu nedovolím odejít.” (translated by the author)
23 a revenge. Diana, Dodi and her sons were having a great time on his yacht Jonikal , which Dodi had bought just because of Diana (Bradford 362). Diana provoked the photographers and on 18 th July, just on the day of Camilla’s celebration in Highgrove, the tabloids were full of photos of Diana in her swimsuit, exactly as she had apparently intended (Bradford 360 361). Diana was deeply touched by the relationship that emerged betweeen her sons and Dodi (Verdier Odile, and Philippe 132 133). On the other hand, in the book The Death of Princess is mentioned an article for tabloid News of the World , in which William showed his antipathy to the Egyptian multimillionaire and a playboy who was not, according to William, a suitable partner for his mother and William was prepared to discuss this topic with Diana just after her arrival from Paris. And so happened that this article was published on Sunday of 31 st August, when both Diana and Dodi were no longer alive (Dobrovolný 108 109).
Would Dodi have become Diana’s husband, had not they died in a car crash? Not all sources agree. Adam Cohen in his article Diana’s Unlikely Suitor does not consider him to be a suitable husband for her, because this “unreconstructed playboy” known for his rom ances with such women as Brooke Shields and Tawny Kitaen is not used to reading books and what’s more,his character is not unimpeachable:
“Dodi Al Fayed, the rakish Egyptian born heir to the billion dollar Har rods fortune, seemed an unlikely consort for Britain’s fairy princess... His past was littered with women he had romanced and rejected, as well as with creditors still hoping to be paid for meals consumed and lodging used long ago”(www.time.com). As far as reading books is concerned, it should not have been the main problem here as among Diana’s favourite ways of spending her leisure time was to bury herself in “the romantic world of novels by Barbara Cartland, where strong men court virgin brides and love prevails over everything” 22 (Bradford 41), so she probably was not a kind of discri minating reader. More problematic would be the situation that a writer for London’s Daily Mail sees and warns that ”Diana by marrying into the clan of Al Fayeds would be trading in one prison, the life style of the royal family, for something worse, an Arab one” (www.time.com).
22 ,,...romantického světa v románech Barbary Cartlandové, v němž se silní mužové dvoří panenským nevěstám a láska vítězí nade vším.” (translated by the author)
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The matter of religion might have become slightly problematic. There appeared some speculation that, after meeting Dodi, Diana wanted to become a Muslim. But the majority of experts on Diana’s life do not consider this presumable, because a step like this would not be popular with the British (Dobrovolný 105).
3.3 Diana’s Death
“That evening she was so happy as I have never seen her before” 23 (Richard Kay qtd. in Bradford 368).
On 20 th July Diana returned to London where she met Hasnat Khan to clarify their situation as far as their relationship was concerned. They really loved each other, but he was aware of the fact that as Diana’s husband he would not be able to reach a high rank in his occupation and to make his wife financially secure. Two days later Diana left for Gianni Versace’s funeral in Milan, where she comforted her friend Elton John (Bradford 362, Stern 90,Hrom). On 26 th July she met Dodi in Paris and on 31 st July they were aboard Jonikal again and set out for voyage round Corsica and Sardinia (Bradford 363). From 8 th to 11 th August Diana managed to lead the campaign against the land mines in Bosnia with Bill Deeds. It was her last trip as “Charity Queen” and “Queen of Hearts” (www.princess diana.com). When she returned to Dodi, they were still disturbed by paparazzi. But in some cases they were Diana and Dodi themselves who informed them.(Bradford 364 365) During the trip to Monte Carlo they visited the jewellery Repossi, where they chose a ring from the set called “Tell Me Yes”. According to Mohamed Fayed, Dodi gave Diana this engagement ring after. From that time, the whole flotilla of boats with paparazzi was chasing them, some of them even in helicopters. They were still trying to get aboard, which perturbed Diana and especially Dodi, who was not used to such a situation (Bradford 366). When they got to Paris, paparazzi on their motorcycles had already been waiting for them, shouting, so Dodi decided not to visit the Chez Benoit restaurant, where they had already booked the table. Instead they had their dinner at the Ritz hotel. Nevertheless, the paparazzi had been waiting there as well (Bradford 368).
23 ,,V ten večer byla tak šťastná, jak jsem ji ještě nikdy neviděl.”(translated by the author)
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They wanted to spend the night in the flat in Rue Arsene Houssaye, so, after dinner Dodi,in his effort to confuse the paparazzi, arranged “evading tactics with the hotel staff” (see appendix A1):
...a chauffeur drove his limousine from the main entrance, turned round after a few kilometres and returned back to the hotel. And yes, the photographers followed on their motorbikes. Yet they soon realised that something was afoot, and remained on the hotel forecourt. At 19 minutes past midnight Diana and Dodi were ready to go. They chose the back exit which led out on to the narrow street Rue Cambon (www.princess diana.com). Dodi manifestly wished Henri Paul, “the second security man at the hotel”, for a driver, although his regular chauffeur was Philippe Dourneau (www.princess diana.com, Bradford 369). ”Dodi trusted him” (www.coverups.com/diana), but as the Ritz staff members suggest, “it was Paul who persuaded Dodi to let him drive and do what he thought he did best: to shield the couple from the paparazzi”(www.coverups.com/diana). But there is also some unnamed witnesses’ evidence, who, according to France Soir daily, claimed that it was Henri Paul who forced the original driver out in the last moment (Dobrovolny 86).
Dodi’s bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones sat in the front seat, Diana behind him and Dodi next to her:
He wanted to outdrive the paparazzi under all conditions...He drove faster and faster. Henri Paul took the fast road at the harbour of the river Seine, raced then into the tunnel under the Place de Alma. The speed limit is 80 kilometres, he drove a full 180. Shortly after the entrance to the tunnel he completely lost the control of the heavy car. The car skidded, lurched from side to side and finally crashed at high speed into the 13 th concrete post! An explosion happened on impact. It was exactly 0:25. The driver was dead at the scene (www.princess diana.com). And so was Dodi. Diana was still breathing when Dr. Frédéric Maillez,who was by chance driving on the opposite traffic lane, saw the car accident and stopped his car:
“I went to the wreckage to see what was going on inside,” says Maillez, who tended to the seriously injured princess after the crash.”I can tell you her face was still beautiful. She didn’t have any injuries, main injury on her face. She was unconscious. She didn’t speak at all” (www.cbsnews.com).
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The last Dr. Maillez’s sentence does not correspond with the information that appeared in Le Parisien daily. According to this newspaper, dying Diana still repeated her last words “Leave me alone” and “Oh, my God”(Dobrovolný 82).
Dr. Maillez laid an oxygen mask over the unconscious Princess’s mouth and tried to free her air passages. After arrival of the ambulance, Dr. Jan Marc Martino took care of her. But the car had to be first cut open using metal shears, so it took almost an hour to get victims out of the wreck.(Bradford 372, www.princess diana.com) During the way to the hospital La Pitié Salpetriére the ambulance had to stop because of Diana’s condition. She went through two heart attacks, her blood pressure dropped dangerously. Daniel Eyraud, member of the vascular surgery team, explained:”Her blood pressure was very low, but her heart was still beating.”( In Gregory, Martyn Diana: The Last Days, 74 In: Bradford 373).
At half past one in the morning Diana came into the La Pitié Salpetriére hospital:
… emergency operation. The surgeons opened her ribcage and discovered a torn vein. Massive inner bleeding! They managed to close the vein. But suddenly her heart stopped. The medics tried to bring the Princess back to life using heart massage. The fight lasted until shortly before four o’clock in the morning. Then the doctors had to agree that they had lost the fight (www.princess diana.com).
3.4 Diana’s Funeral
After Prince Charles and Diana’s sisters reached Paris, they found Diana in her death to be calm and serene. “She had a black dress on and the shoes from Lady Jay, her hair freshly neated with a hair dryer and in her hand the rosary that Mother Theresa had donated her.”(Bradford 377)In the interview with the author on 3 rd March 2004 Colin Tebbut who accompanied them together with Paul Burrell remembered that Diana’s sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodal had intended to organize just a modest private funeral in Althorp. But then while accompaning Diana’s coffin on A40 they saw thousands of people along the road clapping their hands and Sarah shouted:”This will not be a quiet funeral!”(Bradford 377)
Meanwhile, Diana’s body is expected at home:
In the afternoon of 31 st August 1997 a BA146 from the Royal Squadron brought Diana’s corpse back to Great Britain: ”The aircraft lands at Nor folk airport. Prime minister Tony Blair is among those who are waiting. 27
The coffin is draped with the royal flag. At midnight the coffin lays in state in the Royal Chapel in St. James’ Palace” (www.princess diana.com). And the Diana’s funeral really was not a modest one. It became “the best exhibition of the solemn royal ceremony”(Bradford 381) It was precisely organized from the very beginning to the end by the Palace. The whole arrangement proceeded from the preliminary proposi tion of the official funeral for Queen Mother. According to the police’s advice, the route of the funeral had to be lenghtened because of the amount of the onlooking people (Bradford 381).
At 6.00 p.m. on Friday, 5 th September, the Queen Elizabeth spoke to the nation live from the Chinese Dining Room at Buckingham Palace (see appendix A2).This funeral speech is maybe the most personal one the Queen gave. It was written by Diana’s brother in law, Sir Robert Fellowes. Downing Street just added the formulation “what I say to you now as a grandmother” (Bradford 381).
On Saturday of 6th August 1997 more than one million people came to London to say go odbye to their adored Princess Diana:
When at 9.08 the bells of Westminster Abbey chimed, Diana’s coffin on the horse drawned carriage left the gates of Kensington Palace. The cof fin was covered with the royal standard and up there were three bouquets:white tulips from William, the bunch of lilies from Charles Spencer and the most touchy bouquet of Diana‘s favourite white roses with a simple label entitled by Harry’s twelve year handwriting “to mummy“ 24 (Bradford 382).
The burial service (see appendix A3) was held in Westminster Abbey where about two thousand people gathered. Not only the statesmen and celebrities, but many of them con nected with Diana’s charitable activity. As Richard Kay noticed, Diana’s life was so im mensely divided that these people did not know each other (Bradford 382).
24 ,,Když se v 9.08 rozezvučely zvony Westminsterského opatství, vyjela z bran Kensingtonského paláce Dianina rakev na voze taženém koňmi. Zahalili ji do královské standarty a nahoru položili tři kytice: bílé tulipány od Williama, květenství lilií od Charlese Spencera a ze všeho nejdojemnější pugét Dianiných oblí bených bílých růží s prostým lístkem, na nějž Harry nadepsal svou dvanáctiletou rukou „mamin ce“.“(translated by the author)
But maybe the most moving was Charles Spencer‘s funeral oration (see appendix A4), where he accused the journalists of ‘having blood on their hands‘, and the song “Goodbye 28
England’s rose“ by Elton John that was in fact new arrangement of the original requiem “Candle in the Wind“ written for Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe) whom Diana had admi red and who died at the same age as Diana did.
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4 MYTH OR REALITY?
4.1 Searching for the Culprit
In the book Diana, In Pursuit of Love by Andrew Morton Prince Charles quite accurately summed up the situation when he said:“Everyone will blame myself for it, won’t they?“ 25 (Bradford 375)
Because people did not want to reconcile with Diana’s death, quite logically, since her death many questions have been asked. Some of them apparently pointless, some of them fundamental ones. There were also discrepancies, which became the breeding ground for distrust, suspicion and conspiracy theories.
To start from technical issues, there were some inaccuracies as far as the type of the win dows of the car and its speed are concerned. The speed of the Mercedes entering the tunnel was too high. But it is quite surprising, how the sources differ:
180 kmph(www.princess diana.com) 118 155 kmph(Bradford 370) 100 kmph(www.princess diana.com) 196 kmph(Dobrovolny 82) 160 180 kmph(Hrom) 121 mph(www.londonnet.co.uk) 60 80 mph(www.coverups.com/diana) Instead of Mercedes 600, the second hand one S 280 without smoke tinted windows was chosen, although some of press photographers used just smoke tinted windows as an excuse, because to take photos through this type of glass is practically impossible (Dobrovolny 81). This information is in tune with the Internet source:”the windows of Mercedes were heavily tinted”(www.coverups.com/diana).
25 „Všichni to budou vyčítat mně, že ano?“ (translated by the author)
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While the Diana book is not in tune with paparazzi:
“Now came the fatal decision not to turn right to Champs Élysées, the most direct way to the flat, they would have to stop at the lights at seve ral crossroads and so enabled paparazzi to catch up with them and take photos of the couple through nontinted windows.” 26 (Bradford 370) Also the seat belts were dicussed: “What saved Trevor Rees Jones’s life except of the air bag, is the fact that he, as the only one, was wearing seat belts.According to some opi nions, those ones could safe also Princess Diana’s life” 27 (Richard Cuerden, professor of Birmingham University qtd. in Dobrovolný 84).
In Diana book there is the information that none of them had fastened the seat belts (Brad ford 370) and in Hrom magazine that Trevor Rees Jones was miracuously saved thanks to airbag at the front seat and the fastened seat belts (Hrom, 23 rd September 1997).
Recently, on TV channels and on internet pages results from French investigators have been published, even the interview with Rees Jones. Here are some of them:
“LONDON (CNN) – The bodyguard who survived the crash that killed Princess Diana and two others strapped on his seat belt moments before the accident, French investigators said....A study of pictures taken by photographers during the course of the night showed that Trevor Rees Jones did not wear seat belts when the Mercedes left the Paris Ritz hotel on the night in question. But later pictures showed Rees Jones wearing the belts shortly before the August 31 crash, which also killed Diana’s companion Dodi Fayed and the driver of the car. Police believe the last minute action saved his life. None of the other occupants of the car were wearing seat belts.”(www.cnn.com) But quite different is the “Operation Paget’s view: None of the seat belts were being worn at the time of the impact, includ ing that of Trevor Rees Jones. From the nature of marks found on his seat belt, it is considered unlikely that he was even in the process of at tempting to put it on at all at time of the crash.”( Operation Paget Report qtd. in en.wikipedia.org).
26 ,,Nyní přišlo osudné rozhodnutí neodbočit doprava na Champs Élysées, nejpřímější cestu k bytu; museli by totiž zastavit na několika světelných křižovatkách, čímž by paparazziům vzadu umožnili, aby je dojeli a fotografovali dvojici přes netónovaná skla.”(translated by the author)
27 ,,Trevora Rees Jonese zachránila kromě airbagu skutečnost, že jako jediný měl zapnuté bezpečnostní pásy. Ty podle některých názorů mohly zachránit život i Dianě.“(translated by the author)
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Finally also Trevor Rees Jones via his book:“I think I’ve been told that I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. I assume that’s been misreported, that the airbag must have saved me on the ini tial impact, but then my face and chest hit the dashboard when the car was pushed around.”(Trevor Rees Jones Tells ‘The Bodyguard’s Story’ qtd. in http://en.wikipedia.org)
Armouring of the car was also discussed, because the opinions on this matter differ.On the basis of compurer reconstruction, professor Cuerden is persuaded, on the contrary of the declaration of the Ritz, that Mercedes was not armoured (Dobrovolny 84). But in the ar ticle Diana was fighting for her life ..it says that the irony is that the armoured bonnet, which should have saved travellers in the car, became a prison instead, where Diana was kept more than an hour (Hrom, Sept 23rd).
Finally, on the Internet pages there appeared a report about the examining of the car:
48 Hours took a similar model Mercedes and the analysis contained in the French report to Murray MacKay, one of Europe’s most prominent vehicle safety experts. MacKay says French investigators examined eve ry component of the crashed Mercedes, particularly the brakes, to deter mine if either a mechanical failure or deadly tampering caused the acci dent. “I think they did a very thorough job,” says MacKay. “There was nothing wrong with the car at all … the driver was drunk. He was going excessively fast and couldn’t cope.” (www.cbsnews.com,8.4.2008) It is obvious that just before the car crash there must have been present another car, which the Mercedes were overtaking. In the book The Death of Princess it was not clear yet, what type of car was present there in the tunnel just before the car crash:”According to the last police report , Paul did not manage the high speed while trying to overtake a slowly driv ing Peugeot 205.”(Dobrovolny 86) While in Diana is already mentioned Fiat Uno:”...Paul was overtaking the white Fiat Uno, driving much more slowly in the right taffic lane”(Bradford 370).
And also in The Final Report from 26 th October 1998 is mentioned this type of car:
“The investigators also discovered the remains of an indicator cover. The analysis of this, just like that of the traces of paint on the Mercedes re vealed that the car in question was a white Fiat built between 1983 and 1987. Eyewitnesses had also mentioned this vehicle. Although 3000 Uno drivers were laboriously scrutinized the car to this day has still not been found. The driver was primarily sought as a witness, but he would also have to explain his reasons for leaving the scene of an acci dent.”(www.princess diana.com)
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In CBS News’ edition of 48 Hours Investigates in April 2004 there was broadcast a one hour report on Princess Diana that addresses the circumstances surrounding her death al most seven years ago. Identity of Fiat Uno was discussed, too:
“Was this the same Fiat Uno that was sideswiped by the Mercedes in the tunnel the night Diana died?“ “It was our investigators, not the French police, who found the Fiat Uno. It was found in a garage in Paris and traced to paparazzi named James Andanson,” says John McNamara, Al Fayed’s former security chief, on the Al Fayed documentary.Al Fayed and McNamara are convinced that some of the paparazzi, and possibly the driver of the white Fiat Uno, were MI 6 agents whose mission was to stop the announcement of the forthcoming engagement.“(www.cbsnews.com) But maybe the most arguable question remains the presence of 41 years old Henri Paul as a driver. A former officer, owner of the pilot licence, in whose blood there was found from 1.74 to 1.87 grams of alcohol per litre. One of the investigators later gave an account of Henri’s drunkenness:”he was so drunk, that it must be taken our hat off to him, that he was actually able to hit the right tunnel, because he had to see several ones” 28 (Dobrovolný 82).
In the article Diana:Secret Documents Revealed we can find some information that appeared during the investigation of this case:
One claim that Al Fayed has made is that Paul wasn’t drunk at all that night – but that the French switched the blood samples either by accident or on purpose.. 48 Hours provided the forensic data from the French dossier to Dr. Robert Forrest, one of England’s leading forensic toxicologists, to see if he could find any evidence of a mistake or a cover up: “This is the first time I have seen these data and it has been absolutely fascinating,”saysForrest The dossier documents that multiple tests were conducted on blood, hair and tissue. Paul’s body was also photographed and identified by an ankle tag, #2147 – the same number listed on the samples. 28 “Byl tak opilý, že je před ním třeba smeknout, že se vůbec trefil do správného tunelu, protože jich musel vidět několik.“(translated by the author) “There is nothing in the trail of evidence, which suggests there is any thing funny about the way in which the samples have been taken,” says 33
Forrest, who adds he didn’t see any sign of a conspiracy. Not only do the tests indicate three times the legal limit of alcohol in Paul’s system at the time of the accident, Forrest says, they also indicate an alarming amount of various prescription drugs: “Let me put it this way. If I knew that I was going to be driven by someone in that conditi on, I would not get into the car with them. No way.” (http://www.cbsnews.com) Such amount of alcohol means, that he must have drunk either eight ‘snorters’ of hard al cohol or one and a half liter of wine (Dobrovolný 82). According to safety camera record, Paul did not look like a drunker, although this record could have been rearranged. And what’s more, Dodi’s personal bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones, who had dinner commonly with Paul, would not let him drive a car, if he was in such a state (Dobrovolný 84 86).
And the opinions about Paul’s state differ again:
One of the last things that Trevor Rees Jones, the bodyguard who survi ved the tunnel crash, remembers, is that he, too, considered Paul to be perfectly sober and fit to drive. Paul was qualified to drive the Mercedes 280 S. He had been to Germany on two occasions, taking the Daimler Benz special driving courses, which he passed with flying colors. Friends, co workers, and relatives universally disputed the media at tempts to portray Paul as a sullen, depressed alcoholic: Further, Paul had gone for his annual physical exam, to qualify for renewal of his pilot's li cense 48 hours before the crash. He not only passed the physical exam. According to the Doctor who administered the exam, there were no signs of any damage to Paul's liver, a usual sure fire sign of alcoholism. The French autopsy report also confirmed that Paul's liver was healthy at the time of his death. (nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com, 8.4.2008) Anyway, even if Paul was sober, in spite of the medical tests, the speed of the car was too high. So, why Dodi’d bodyguard did not order him to slow down? If he did it, just Dodi alone could upset his order, which could explain the fact, that Rees Jones fastened his se atbelts. For bodyguards usually are not used to do it, in case that something wrong happe ned (Dobrovolný 86). In Blesk magazine from 16 th June 2005 was published, which says “according to British Daily Express the investigators found out, that a week before this tragical accident in cor version almost four million crowns were credited to Paul’s account....and that at the end of the year 2004, the former agent of British security service MI6 admitted, that Henri Paul in fact was a member of the security service, too”( The Death of Lady Di ).
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The question remains whether Paul was really given some money and whether he had any thing in common with the security service:
But the French dossier still raises questions, especially about Paul, the driver who was also chief of security for Mohamed Al Fayed’s Ritz Ho tel. We found documents that reveal a number of significant bank depo sits in French francs made by Paul, beginning nine months before the crash. French investigators were unable to pinpoint the exact source of the mysterious money, but the dossier reveals that they searched Paul’s home and office, interviewed his friends and associates, and analyzed his phone records. They found no evidence of a conspiracy – even though there was a theory that Paul was a security services informant (www.cbsnews.com, 8.4.2008). Another arguable question is the fault of paparazzi:
After their arrival, the police supposed that the photographers chasing the car became the direct cause of the tragical accident; they arrested seven of them and finally accused them of manslaughter and of failure to render assistance. They confiscated their cameras, but after processing film be came apparent, that paparazzi had not taken any of the photographs befo re the arrival at the place where the accident happened 29 ( Bradford 373). But on 8th April 2008, there was printed a photograph on the internet pages http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com, which demonstrates that the driver was dazzled (see appendix A5).
On The Times internet pages there is released the evidence of the arrested paparazzi in the article Paparazzi questioned after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales . (see appendix A6).
29 ,,Policie po příjezdu předpokládala, že se fotografové při pronásledování vozu stali přímou příčinou tra gické nehody. Sedm z nich zatkli a posléze je obvinili z neúmyslného zabití a neposkytnutí pomoci. Zkon fiskovali mužům fotoaparáty, ale po vyvolání filmů vyšlo najevo, že paparazziové nepořídili žádnou z foto grafií před příjezdem na místo, kde došlo k havárii.” (translated by the author)
4.2 Cospiracy Theories
Princess Diana’s letter, where she accused Charles of his intention to kill her, has become the basis of many conspiracy theories. Diana wrote it several weeks before her death.
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On the basis of this information Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi’s father, is persuaded that his son and Princess Diana were murdered by MI6 on the orders of the Duke of Edinburgh, Diana’s former father in law, Prince Philip. In this connection, also Prince Charles was named and was questioned by the Metropolitan Police in 2005 (www.timesonline.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org). And what’s more, Mohamed Al Fayed claims, that Diana was killed being pregnant and he considers this fact to be one of the main reasons for her murder, because the royal family would allegedly not admit to accept a Muslim as the future King’s stepbrother or stepsister. He even gave evidence in court that he is the only one who knows this information, because it was Diana herself who familiarized him with this shortly before her death (www.timesonline.co.uk, www.novinky.cz).
The tabloid article The last secret of Lady Diana informed about Diana’s pregnancy, too. It said that on the official paper entitled “Assistence Publique Hopitaux de Paris” by profes sor Pierre Coriat, who took part in Diana’s operation, adressed to the British Home Secre tary Jean Pierre Chevénement was confirmed that according to the blood tests of Diana Frances Spencer and also her postmortem examination is clear that she was in the ninth or tenth week of pregnancy (Blesk,16.2.1998).
But not only Mohamed Al Fayed is the source of the conspiracy theories.
There has also appeared the statement by the former secret MI6 agent Richard Tomlison who gave evidence that he had seen the plans that described intentional causing of the crash in tunnel. Those were plans according to former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic should have been murdered in the one of tunnels in Geneva in 1992(www.novinky.cz).”The way MI6 is alleged to have planned to kill him in 1992, was the same way as Princess Diana died in 1997”(www.fantompowa.net).
This theory could have emerged in connection with Diana’s activity as far as the abolition of land mines is concerned. But there are still some theories that seemed to be quite ab surd:
The first Diana conspiracy site appeared on the Internet in Australia only hours after her death on August 31 st , 1997. Since then an estimated 36,000 Diana conspiracy websites have been set up – breathtaking by anyone’s standards. Hypotheses range from pure James Bond (‘it was all an MI6 plot to protect the monarchy’) to farce (‘it was fiendish murder plot thought up by the world’s florists to sell lots of flowers’). And most popular of all, Diana, Princess of Wales, isn’t dead after all – that terrible 36
car crash in Paris was an elaborate hoax to enable the Princess and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, to fake their own deaths so that they could live in blissful isolation for the rest of their lives (New Headway, Upper Intermediate, Student’s Book, Oxford 2005). In the article “12 things we’ve learnt from the Diana inquest” published in The Times on March 19 th , 2008 there are answered some of the questions (see appendix A7).
And finally in the article “Diana death ‘conspiracy’ thrown out by coroner” by Alan Hamilton in The Times from April 1 st ,2008 is affirmed: The decade long conspiracy theory that Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed were murdered by MI6 on the orders of the Duke of Edinburgh was finally and comprehensively dismissed yesterday. In a landmark day in the six month inquests, the coroner told the jury that there was no evidence to support claims by Mohamed Al Fayed that the couple were killed in an Establishment plot. Summing up after hearing more than 250 witnesses, Lord Justice Scott Baker said that the Harrods owner’s claims were so manifestly without foundation that even his lawyer was no longer pursuing them. The hearings had heard not a shred of evidence to support them, he added. The coroner ruled that it was not open to the jury to find that the deaths were the result of an unlawful killing by the Duke of Edinburgh or anyone else in a staged accident. Their options for verdicts were unlawful killing by the gross negligence of Henri Paul, the driver, the negligent driving of pursuing vehicles, a combination of both, accidental death, or an open verdict (www.timesonline.co.uk)
4.3 Myth or Reality?
If anybody dies, there is always the tendency to present him or her to his or her best advantage.
But still there was something about Diana that the reporter of Sunday Times, Christina Lamb, in the book by Brian Mac Arthur Requiem: Diana, Princess of Wales called ‘aura’. She accompanied Diana during their journey in Angola with the Red Cross organization, where they were attending the patients who were suffering from very serious injuries because of land mines:
But Diana never turned her head away. Actualy, she was surrounded by something that I had seen about Nelson Mandela before – a kind of aura, thanks to one people wanted to be with her. She had entirely sincere gift, the ability coming from heart: she managed to bring the will to the people who, from our point of view, were left just a few reasons for living 30 (Bradford 341 342). 37
Sometimes there were some doubts and speculations about Diana’s behaviour in public, especially when the media were present. Now here is the tangible evidence of her sincere attitude and empathy.”What this lady was performing, was not determined just for cameras” says Christina Lamb and remembers the situation, when, while attending another hospital and at the time when all the photographers had already left for their air conditioned hotel rooms, she was watching Diana who did not notice at all if somebody connected with newspaper was present. Diana was sitting by the small girl who had suffered serious injury of digestive tract.”She was sitting by her the lifetime. When Diana finally left, this small girl suffering from acute pain, asked me if that beautiful lady had been an angel”(Bradford 343).
Maybe the reason for Diana’s empathy and sympathetic feeling was her experience when she, just six years old, took care of her three year old brother at the time when their mother was forced to leave them and the children stayed by their father. Andrew Morton describes one of the saddest Diana’s experiences:
Diana Spencer sat quietly at the bottom of the cold stone stairs at her Norfolk home, clutching the wrought iron banisters while all around her there was a determined bustle. She could hear her father loading suitcases into the boot of a car, then Frances, her mother, crunching across the gravel forecourt, the clunk of the car door being shut and the sound of a car engine starting up and then slowly fading as her mother drove through the gates of Park House and out of her life. Diana was six years old ( Diana: Her True Story 9 ). According to the fact that Diana was able to revive her feelings after twenty five years this experience really could influence the whole her life, the same as her feeling of a ‘spare child’:”I was supposed to be a boy” (Diana qtd. in Morton 9) she formulated her parents’
30 “Ale Diana nikdy neodvrátila hlavu. Vlastně ji obklopovalo něco, co jsem před tím viděla jen u Nelsona Mandely – jakási aura, díky níž s ní lidé chlěli být. Měla naprosto přirozený dar, schopnost pramenící od srdce: dokázala přinášet naději lidem, kterým z našeho pohledu zbývalo jen málo důvodů k žití.“(translated by the author) dissapointment. But also she held herself responsible for her mother’s leaving them. An drew Morton explains:“Diana certainly caught the pitch of the family’s frustration, and, believing that she was ‘a nuisance,‘ she accepted a corresponding load of guilt and failure for disappointing her parents and family, feeling she has now learned to accept and reco gnize“ ( Diana: Her True Story 10).
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In Diana: Her True Story Morton also remembers Diana’s sad experience that she had to go through quite often at that time:
Every night as she lay in her bed, surrounded by her cuddly toys, she could hear her brother sobbing, crying for his mother. Sometimes she went to him, sometimes her fear of the dark overcame her maternal in stincts and she stayed in her room listening as Charles wailed:‘I want my mummy, I want my mummy.‘Then she too would bury her head in the pillow and weep.‘I just couldn’t bear it,‘ she recalls.‘I could never pluck up enough courage to get out of bed. I remember it to this day‘(Diana qtd. in Morton 19). The behaviour of her parents has contributed to Diana’s behaviour to a large extent. Maybe that is why she was also supercilious, crafty and deceitful. There must have been reason for her nickname “Duchess”. It was her mother’s husband, Peter Shand Kydd who christianed Diana this nickname for the first time. It was for her sometimes patronizing attitude (Bradford 36). Later her brother Charles confirmed that Diana as a child had propensity for lying (Bradford 28). During her adulthood this characteristics emerged in the situation when she insisted that she had nothing in common with Morton’s book. In this case she even betrayed her brother in law, Sir Robert Fellowes’s, trust, which disappointed him and his wife, Diana’s sister Jane, because as a consequence of it he exposed himself to ridicule in front of his colleagues and superiors (Bradford 231). Both parents were so traumatized by a sense of guilt that they were used to spoil their chil dren and they did not guide them at all. It was especially Diana who has managed to take advantage of it and has learned to manipulate with people (Bradford 33).
In the book by Mary Clarke Little girl lost: The Troubled Childhood of Princess Diana by the Woman who Raised Her the author, who took care of small Diana and her younger bro ther describes the situation when Diana refused to visit Prince Andrew and Edward in San dringham:“She asserted that she had a headache and by summoning up an unbending will, that was characteristic of her, she braved all father’s attempts to persuade her“ 31 (Bradford 35). Similar incidents happened also later, when she treated her husband the same way (Bradford 35).
While in Diana we can learn how friendly and close relationship with Charles’s main personal secretary Edward Adeane as well as with the others Diana had (Bradford 93), Nicholas Davies described relationship between Diana and Charles’s employees in a com pletely different way. According to Davies she was able to get rid of the Charles’s most 39 efficient people (Davis 98 113). The interesting thing is that all these people stayed de voted to her (Bradford 304). And to introduce more Diana’s character features, Davies describes the situation where Diana used vulgar invectives that she cried at Charles from a balcony using a scurrilous language. The reason was his hunting that Diana hated. Charles’s parents were just waiting for him and he wished Diana to follow him. But she, already pregnant, desperately wanted him to stay with her (Diana.A Princess and Her Troubled Marriage 90 95). This information does not correspond with Diana’s state ment:”I remember that I did not want to do anything my own way. Everything was terrify ing me. So I did it like Charles did” 32 (Bradford 93). More likely seems her father’s reac tion that Diana always does everything her way (Davies 113).
According to the “balcony scene” and some of Prince Charles’s close employees’ state ment Diana seems to have been an unbalanced person. On the other hand, as far as her re lationship to her sons and the way she guided them, as well as her foresight and ability to prepare William for the role of King are considered, she looks like an unbelievably bright and reasonable woman. Diana’s former employee, Meredith Ethering Smith, in the interview with the author in the book Diana is admiring Diana’s circumspection and is pointing out that it does not happen too often so that accidentaly taken William’s Photo graphs appeared somewhere. This is because his friends do not betray him, just
31 “Tvrdila, že ji bolí hlava, a s vynaložením velice silné vůle, která pro ni byla charakteristická, vzdorovala všem otcovým pokusům přemluvit ji.” (translated by the author)
32 “Vzpomínám si, že jsem nechtěla dělat vůbec nic podle svého. Všechno mě hrozně děsilo. Tak jsem to dělala jako Charles.“ (translated by author) according to Diana’s opinion:”I think their friends will guard them as well. They will grow up together and guard each other” 33 (Diana qtd. in Bradford 347).
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33 “Myslím, že je přátelé budou taky chránit. Budou spolu vyrůstat a navzájem se ochraňovat.“ (transtated by the author)
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CONCLUSION
Without any doubt, Diana was a controversial and unbalanced figure. Only though we ad mit that from her twenty she was under such a pressure that hardly anybody can imagine her situation, nothing can be changed about this fact. On the other hand, her post enabled her to choose from different possibilities. Fortunately, she, thanks to her strong empathy and sympathy for those in need, was able to guide her activities the right way, there, where her help was needed the most. Also, the way she prepared her son for his future King’s role and how she ‘humanized’ the Royal Family in front of public is the undenia ble contribution, for the Royal Family as well. And when we add the fact that thanks to media people considered her almost a member of their families with her pros and cons, no wonder all these are satisfactory reasons for worshipping her as an icon. Unfortunately, because of her husband’s character, Diana’s worshipping became counter productive. The question whether her worse character traits emerged not being treated badly, still remains unanswered. According to the available sources, Diana’s problems with bulimia ended, when she felt comfortably in her relationship with Dodi. This thesis has also followed in vestigations relevant to clarification of the cause of Diana’s death and also some conspira cy theories. Although, there are many questionable affairs and unnamed witnesses as well as lies connected with this case, the car crash was officially judged as a banal one.
Not all sources are reliable. Sarah Bradford with its many references and Nicholas Davies have been worthwhile for my exploration into Diana’s life for their extensiveness and ob jectivity, Marek Dobrovolný has come with some interesting details and facts connected with Diana’s death, Daniel Stern, a journalist, describes Diana’s life and especially some details about her death in a simple but truthful way. Also Andrew Morton’s books seem to try introduce Diana’s life as objectively as possible, nevertheles, he will be still criticized for not being objective enough, because his books ( Diana: Her True Story and Diana: Her New Life ) are written on the basis of the interview with Diana’s close friends and after her death he himself admitted his cooperation with Diana. Of course, in all these mentioned books are several differencies. But in most cases these ones happened because of different year of publishing the books and so some new information emerged meanwhile. In the Acknowledgments of the book Diana: Her True Story Andrew Morton explains that the ‘eternal problem‘ that royal writers have to face is ‘that of authenticity’:
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How to convince the world of the truth of your account and the veracity of your sources when so many interviews are conducted on a confidential basis. The opposite problem afflicts those chosen by Buckingham Palace to write authorized stories of royal lives. While they have access to offi cial archives, influential friends and members of the royal Household there is always, in the public mind, the lingering suspicion that even though they are being served the truth it is not necessarily the whole tru th.(vii) But this explaining can not apologize the uncomparably untrustworthy book by Odile and Philippe Verdier, which is more like the novel of very low standard and some of the facts there are completely confusing.
At the very beginning of this thesis there are mentioned the survey results from 1992, which are connected with the monarchy. Ten years later, in 2002, survey results prepared for Sunday Times , which differ from the previous ones, appeared on internet pages (see appendix A8).
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] Bradford, Sarah . Diana . Praha [Prague]: BB/art, 2007.
[2] Davies, Nicholas. Diana : Princezna a její manželské maléry . [ Diana: A Princess and Her Troubled Marriage ]. Praha [Prague]: Premiéra, 1992.
[3] Dobrovolný, Marek. Smrt princezny a krále . [The Death of Princess and King ]. Pra ha [Prague]: Duel, 1997.
[4] Morton, Andrew. Diana : Diana: Her True Story . London: Michael O´Mara, 1992.
[5] Morton, Andrew. Diana : Její nový život . [ Diana: Her New Life ]. London: Michael O´Mara, 1994.
[6] Stern, Daniel. Proč zemřela Diana . [Why Diana Died ]. Praha [Prague]: Knihcent rum, 1997.
[7] Verdier, Odile,and Philippe. Diana a Dodi : Osudová setkání . [Lady Di et Dodi – Destins croisés ]. Plzeň [Pilsen]: Nava, 1998.
[8] Hrom “Dianini muži” [”Diana’s Men”] Sep. 1997: 12 13
[9] Blesk . “Poslední tajemství lady Diany” [“Lady Diana’s Last Mystery”] Feb. 1998: 1
[10] Blesk . “Smrt Lady Di” [“Lady Di’s Death”] Jun. 2005: 16
[11] Soars, Liz, and John.New Headway, Upper Intermediate/Student´s Book. “ The World’s Top Conspiracy Theories ”. Oxford: 2005:39
[12] Chua – Eoan, Howard.: “ The Saddest Fairy Tale.” Ten Years On: Why Diana Mat tered . Oct 2007
< http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/diana/ >
[13] “ Diana: Secret Documents Revealed“. Mar 2008
[14] “Princeznu Dianu mohli zabít podle plánu útoku na Miloševiče “. Mar 2008
[15] “Dianu zabili těhotnou, tvrdí Al Fayed.“ Mar 2008
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[16] “12 things we’ve learnt from the Diana inquest.“ Mar 2008
[17] “Za smrt princezny Diany může řidič a paparazziové, potvrdila porota.“ Apr 2008
[18] “Diana, Princess of Wales, unlawfully killed – but not by MI6 assassins.“ Apr 2008
[19] “The Queens Message.“ Diana, Princess of Wales . Apr 2008
[20] “Order of Service.“ Diana, Princess of Wales. Apr 2008
[21] “Princess Diana.“ Princess of Wales: Curriculum vitae . Apr 2008
[22] “Princess Diana’s Death: Her Driver’s Last Night“ Apr 2008
[23] “CNN – Bodyguard put on seat belt just before Diana car crash.“ Apr 2008
[24] Cohen, Adam.: “Death of a Princess.“ Diana’s Unlikely Suitor . Oct 2007
[25] “Princess Diana.“Princess of Wales: Diana’s Accident – Final Report .
Oct 2007
[26] Cohen, Adam.: “Death of a Princess.“ Diana’s Unlikely Suitor . Oct 2007
[27] “Survey results, the Monarchy.“ Apr 2008
[28] “The Death of Princess Diana.“ What Caused the Crash at the Point d´Alma .
Apr 2008
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A I: The Map – Site of Accident
APPENDIX A II: Queen’s Funeral Speech
APPENDIX A III: Funeral Ceremony
APPENDIX A IV: Charles Spencer’s Funeral Speech
APPENDIX A V: The Photopraph as a Demonstration
APPENDIX A VI: The Paparazzi and their Evidence
APPENDIX A VII: “Twelve Things We’ve Learnt…“
APPENDIX A VIII: Survey Results – The Monarchy (November 2002)
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APPENDIX A I: THE MAP – SITE OF ACCIDENT
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APPENDIX A II: QUEENS FUNERAL SPEECH
Since last Sunday's dreadful news we have seen, throughout Britain and around the world, an overwhelming expression of sadness at Diana's dea th. We have all been trying in our different ways to cope. It is not easy to express a sense of loss, since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension, anger and con cern for those who remain. We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmo ther, I say from my heart. First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys. This week at Balmoral, we have all been trying to help William and Harry come to terms with the devastating loss that they and the rest of us have suffered. No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who ne ver met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her. I for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory. This is also an opportunity for me, on behalf of my family, and especially Prince Charles and William and Harry, to thank all of you who have brought flowers, sent messages and paid your respects in so many ways to a remarkable person. These acts of kindness have been a huge source of help and comfort. Our thoughts are also with Diana's family and the families of those who died with her. I know that they too have drawn strength from what has happened since last weekend, as they seek to heal their sorrow and then to face the future without a loved one. I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana's loss, and gratitude for her all too short life. It is a chance to show to the whole world the British nation united in grief and respect. May those who died rest in peace and may we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy (www.royal.gov.uk)
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APPENDIX A III: FUNERAL CEREMONY
FUNERAL OF DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES ORDER OF SERVICE at WESTMINSTER ABBEY Saturday 6 September 1997, 11.00 a.m. The funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales reflected the life and times of the Princess, combining both traditional and modern elements in a service which lasted about one hour. As the cortège made its way from Kensington Palace to the Abbey, the Tenor Bell rang every minute. Organ music before the service included pieces by Mendelssohn, Bach, Dvorak, Vaughan Williams and Elgar. After the cortège entered the Abbey through the Great West Door, the congregation sang the National Anthem.
As the cortège moved to the Sacrarium, the Choir sang the Sentences: I am the Resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (St John 11: 25 26) I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19: 25 27) We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (1 Timothy 6: 7; Job 1: 21) Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer) I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit; for they rest from their labours. (Revelations 14: 13) The Princess's coffin was then placed on a catafalque; The Queen and The Duke of Edin burgh, and The Prince of Wales with Princes William and Harry, laid wreaths at the foot of the catafalque.
The congregation remained standing as the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr Wesley Carr, said The Bidding: We are gathered here in Westminster Abbey to give thanks for the life of Diana, Princess 50
of Wales; to commend her soul to almighty God, and to seek his comfort for all who mourn. We particularly pray for God's restoring peace and loving presence with her chil dren, the Princes William and Harry, and for all her family. In her life, Diana profoundly influenced this nation and the world. Although a princess, she was someone for whom, from afar, we dared to feel affection, and by whom we were all intrigued. She kept company with kings and queens, with princes and presidents, but we especially remember her humane concerns and how she met individuals and made them feel significant. In her death she commands the sympathy of millions. Whatever our beliefs and faith, let us with thanksgiving remember her life and enjoyment of it; let us rededicate to God the work of those many charities that she supported; let us commit ourselves anew to caring for others; and let us offer to him and for his service our own mortality and vulnerability.
The congregation then sang the hymn: I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above, entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love: the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best; the love that never falters, the love that pays the price, the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice. And there's another country, I've heard of long ago, most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know; we may not count her armies, we may not see her King; her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering; and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.
The first reading was by the Princess's eldest sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale: If I should die and leave you here awhile, Be not like others, sore undone, who keep Long vigils by the silent dust, and weep. For my sake turn again to life and smile, Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do Something to comfort other hearts than thine. Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine And I, perchance, may therein comfort you.
After the reading, the BBC Singers, together with the soprano Lynne Dawson, sang extracts from Verdi's Requiem: Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda quando coeli movendi sunt, et terra: dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem. Tremens factus sum ego et timeo, dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira. Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. 51
(Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death in that dread day when the heavens and the earth shall be shaken, and you will come to judge the world by fire. I tremble in awe of the judgement and the coming wrath. Day of wrath, day of calamity and woe, great and exceeding bitter day. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.) Lady Jane Fellowes read from the poem 'For Katrina's Sun Dial' by Henry van Dy ke: Time is too slow for those who wait, Too swift for those who fear, Too long for those who grieve, Too short for those who rejoice, But for those who love, time is eternity.
All then stood to sing the hymn: The King of love my Shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine for ever. Where streams of living water flow my ransomed soul he leadeth, and where the verdant pastures grow with food celestial feedeth. Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love he sought me, and on his shoulder gently laid, and home rejoicing brought me. In death's dark vale I fear no ill with thee, dear Lord, beside me; thy rod and staff my comfort still, thy cross before to guide me. Thou spread'st a table in my sight; thy unction grace bestoweth; and O what transports of delight from thy pure chalice floweth! And so through all the length of days thy goodness faileth never: good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house for ever.
After this the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP, read from 1 Corinthians 13: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and un derstand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could re move mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. 52
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be bur ned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love en vieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeke th not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejo iceth in truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be ton gues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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APPENDIX A IV: CHARLES SPENCER’S FUNERAL SPEECH
The Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales occurred at Westminster Abbey on Saturday the 6th of September 1997 at 11.00 a.m. Her brother Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer delivered the following Tribute for his sister Diana. I stand before you today the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning before a world in shock. We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana but rather in our need to do so. For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio who never actually met her, feel that they too lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today. Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity. All over the world, a standard bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who transcended nationa lity. Someone with a natural nobility who was classless and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic. Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated always that you were taken from us so young and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all. Only now that you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without, and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult. We have all despaired at your loss over the past week and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded us the strength to move forward. There is a temptation to rush to canonise your memory; there is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint. Indeed, to sanctify your memory would be to miss out on the very core of your being, your wonderfully mischievous sense of humour with a laugh that bent you double. Your joy for life transmitted wherever you took your smile and the sparkle in those unforgettable eyes. Your boundless energy which you could barely contain. But your greatest gift was your intuition, and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your other wonderful attributes and if we look to analyse what it was about you that had such a wide appeal we find it in your instinctive feel for what was really im portant in all our lives. Without your God given sensitivity we would be immersed in grea ter ignorance at the anguish of AIDS and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of landmines. Diana explained to me once that it was her innermost feelings of suffering that made it possible for her to connect with her constituency of the rejected. And here we come to another truth about her. For all the sta tus, the glamour, the applause, Diana remained throughout a very insecure person at heart,
54 almost childlike in her desire to do good for others so she could release herself from deep feelings of unworthiness of which her eating disorders were merely a symptom.The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability whilst admiring her for her honesty(www.eulogyspeech.net).
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APPENDIX A V: THE PHOTOPRAPH AS A DEMONSTRATION
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APPENDIX A VI: THE PAPARAZZI AND THEIR EVIDENCE
“The paparazzi – a fusion of the Italian words papatacci, meaning gnat, and razzi, meaning the popping of flash bulbs – work with powerful mo torcycles, high speed dinghies, and hi tech satellite communicatons”(The Guardian, September 1 qtd. in Anglicky list 8 th September 1997). Originally it was a character of the hotelier in the novel of British writer George Gissing, later Federico Fellini, inspired with a real character of the king of Roman scandalous photographers Tazio Secchiaroli, used this term for him in his 1959 film La Dolce Vita (Dobrovolny 89).
Romuald Rat Boasted that he was “among the leading pursuers” of the Mercedes. Claimed that he got onlookers away from the car before he opened the door, a statement the coroner said was “plainly untrue”. He was riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by Stéphane Darmon.
Serge Arnal Drove a black Fiat Uno with Christian Martinez as his passenger. Claimed that he did not get his camera out until ten minutes after he arrived at the scene. The coroner said: “That cannot be true.”
Jacques Langevin Saw people blocking the underpass entrance while on his way to a friend’s house and took pictures. “It is strange for me because we have to share the blame,” he said after the verdict. “The conclusion [of the French police] was that it was an accident. So I don’t understand why the jury is talking about photographers.”
Nikola Arsov Missed the departure of the Mercedes from the Ritz but saw Stéphane Darmon near the tunnel on his way to the Sipa agency office. He took photographs, which he said did not come out because his flash was not plugged in.
Laslo Veres Went to the underpass on his Piaggio scooter after the crash. The police let him through the cordon and he took some pictures.
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Christian Martinez Was among the first to arrive at the accident. Claimed that “Henri Paul was going much too fast . . . maybe he swerved to avoid a vehicle that was travelling very slowly in front of him. Then he lost control of the car.” The coroner asked the jury how Martinez could have known that.
Stéphane Darmon Driver for Rat. The only member of the paparazzi to give evidence. He said that no one else was closer to the Mercedes. Seven other photographers and their drivers gave evidence to the police, though none of them attended the inquest. They were: Serge Benhamou, David Odekerken, Fabrice Chassery, Pierre Suu, Pierre Hounsfield, Stéphane Cardinale and Alain Guizard.(www.timesonline.co.uk)
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APPENDIX A VII: “TWELVE THINGS WE’VE LEARNT…“
Was Henri Paul drunk when he drove the Mercedes into pillar 13 in the Alma tunnel, killing himself, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed and injuring their bodyguard? Within days the French authorities said that Paul had been three times over the drink driving limit. Doubts have emerged over the French procedure for testing blood samples, but there has been no firm evidence to support Mohamed Al Fayed’s claim that they were switched. Did the paparazzi chasing the Mercedes cause the crash? It remains unclear, although they may have been a contributory factor. They submitted written statements claiming not to have been close to the car at the time of crash, and not having taken pictures of the dead and dying. Photographic evidence disproved some of their claims. Were the couple murdered in a plot masterminded by the Duke of Edinburgh and carried out by British secret services? Sir Richard Dearlove, retired head of MI6, told the hearings that the idea was so preposterous it was off the map. Forget the Bond films, he said: MI6 doesn’t have a licence to kill. But then you would expect spooks to deny everything. But surely MI6 at least had a file on the Princess? Not so, said an MI6 lady giving evidence so that press and public could not see her. They did have a file on Mr Al Fayed, opened in the 1980s when he bought Harrods. Were the Princess’s apartments at Kensington Palace bugged? A security expert who swept them said he had found nothing definite. A signal he picked up could have been from a mobile phone or a computer. Did the Princess fear for her safety? Yes, according to a note she wrote and gave to her lawyer Lord Mishcon, who gave it to the police. Did the Duke of Edinburgh wish the Princess disposed of? Alleged letters from Prince Philip to his former daughter in law, said to be deeply uncomplimentary, have never been found. Paul Burrell was sent home to Cheshire to find them but returned empty handed save for some irrelevant garbage.
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Was the Princess pregnant? Several of her close friends told the hearings that her menstrual cycle had been normal two weeks before her death, and that she had been rigorous with her contraception. The British postmortem had shown no sign of pregnancy, and the reason she had been embalmed at the Paris hospital was to stop deterioration of the body on a hot night. Was she in love with a Pakistani heart surgeon? Hasnat Khan, who had a two year affair with the Princess while working at London hospital, submitted a written statement saying that she had dumped him after meeting Mr Fayed in 1997. Was she about to become engaged to Mr Fayed? Despite endless debate in court about a ring Mr Fayed is said to have bought for her, Paul Burrell and other witnesses said that she would never have contemplated remarrying without consulting her sons. She was also said to have told confidants that she needed another marriage “like a rash on my face”. Did she make an enemy of the Establishment because of her campaign against landmines? Simone Simmons, a complementary therapist, told of overhearing a conversation between the Princess and Nicholas Soames, MP, in which he allegedly warned her off her campaign. But there has been no evidence to suggest that she was a target of the arms industry or any other pro landmine interests. What did Paul Burrell talk about in his supposed three hour conversation with the Queen? He won’t say, and refuses to return to the witness box. He has alluded to her warning him of “dark forces” at work in the land, but the inquest probably judged him an unreliable witness. He was called to talk about the Princess’s state of mind and to produce evidence that she feared for her life. On the whole, he failed. (http://business.timesonline.co.uk)
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APPENDIX A VIII: SURVEY RESULTS – THE MONARCHY (NOVEMBER 2002)
Who do you think should succeed the Queen when she dies or abdicates?
Prince Charles…………………………..………………………………………..48% Prince William……………………………………..………...... 28% Neither – Britain should have an elected president instead……………………...22% Don’t know……………………………………… …………………...... 2% Thinking about the monarchy in general, which of the following comes closest to your own view?
We should retain the monarchy as it is…………………………………………29% We should retain the monarchy but it should be reformed …………………….45% We should abolish the monarchy……………………………………………….24% Don’t know………………………………………………………………………1% Following recent revelations, which of the following comes closes to your view of the Royal Family? ‘They do their best and I still respect them‘…………………………………..40% ‘They are a strange dysfunctional family and I have lost respect for them‘…..33% Neither…………………………………………………………………………26% Don’t know………………………………………………………………………1% Following recent events, do you think Prince Charles should or should not marry Camilla Parker Bowles? Should……………………………………………………………………………53% Should not………………………………………………………………………..31% Don’t know……………………………………………………………………….16% (http://www.yougov.com/uk/archives)
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