The Hindu : International : Controversies mar Diana anniversary

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Saturday, Sep 01, 2007
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International

Controversies mar Diana anniversary

Hasan Suroor

POIGNANT MOMENT: Princes William, Charles and Harry with Queen Elizabeth II arrive at the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Diana, at the Guards' Chapel in London on Friday, in this image made from television. - PHOTO: AP

LONDON: Ideally, this report should have begun like this: “Britain on Friday came together to remember and pay tribute to Princess Diana on her tenth death anniversary…” But that would be misreporting the event as, far from being united, Britain continued to be as deeply divided between Diana loyalists and her detractors as they were 10 years ago.

As one newspaper noted, what should have been a sombre occasion for “quiet national recollection”, turned into an unseemly public display of personal rivalries with the usual suspects in the Diana “camp” continuing their tirade against anyone not seen to be a fully-paid member of her fan club.

Even the official memorial service was marred by a row over Camilla Parker Bowles’ participation and, in the end, she was forced to pull out after the “Diana-istas”— as the late princess’s fans were dubbed — made it known that she was not welcome even though she had been invited by Diana’s two sons, Princes William and Harry.

Prince Charles too was in favour of her attending but as it became clear that her presence would distract from the main event, she decided to stay away, instead watching the service on television at home.

She said she did not want the ceremony to be turned into a story about herself.

The service, held at Guards’ Chapel near Buckingham Palace, was the most high-profile event of the day attended by the Queen and other royal members of the family, besides leading figures from the political establishment led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The guest-list was so heavily restricted that nobody even remotely suspected to be a Diana-sceptic was invited. Mohammed al-Fayed, father of Dodi Fayed who died in the same Paris car crash that killed Diana on August 31, 1997, was kept out. Instead, one of his daughters was invited to represent the family. Mr. Fayed ordered a two-minute silence at his store Harrods in Knightsbridge.

Commentators said the row over the service showed how “scars” of Diana’s memory had not healed even 10 years after her death.

In a poignant tribute, Prince Harry recalled how his mother’s death changed his and his brother’s life forever.

“When she was alive we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. We both think of her every day. We speak and laugh together at all the memories,” he said.

As passions continued to rage, a poll in The Daily Telegraph showed that “respect” for the royal family had fallen to below 50 per cent for the first time — a result, the newspaper claimed, of the family’s tr eatment of Diana. And 43 per cent of Britons still believed that her death was suspicious and not an accident.

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