Our gracious Queen

I think there was a bit of dynastic stuff going on too. I am no history expert but I believe the Spencers thought they had a claim to the throne, and that may possibly be why they were keen for one of their daughters to marry the heir, so Spencer descendants (ie Prince William) would inherit the throne. It's possible Diana grew up vaguely knowing that she might be that person. It went wrong for her older sister. Normally I'd not expect two sisters in the same family to enter into a similarly affectionless relationship with the same man.

Pinkquartz I think you're right about C+D.

Sorry,

And her grandmother was close friend and lady in waiting to the queen mother. Her elder sister dated Charles. Diana said
of her virginity ‘I just knew I had to keep myself tidy !

Or was she told to keep herself tidy, she was always desperate to please her father.

When she married Charles did she gave her father what he had plotted for with her grandmother?

Just a thought !

Diana’s father was desperate for a son, their third child a boy died the day he was born, then came Diana, a disappointment? then a son , heir to the title and estate.

Diana spoke of physical abuse in the family home between her parents,

Her mother leaves the family , applies to the courts for custody of her children, her ex husband was awarded custody.
Helped by Diana’s maternal grandmother.

Who knows how this damaged Diana, born a girl when her parents desperate for a son, then along come the very much wanted son. Her grandmother speaks against her mother, doubt her father spoke kindly of his ex wife.

Diana adored her father, was even jealous of nannies.

What child wouldn’t have been damaged.

As I understand it, the furore over the publication of the letter is because it was selectively edited by the newspaper to make Meghan look bad. Let's face it, newspapers do selective quoting all the time - taking bits out of context to cleverly spin a different story than the real one.

what anniebach just wrote fits with a a cold and unloving family....she didn't get loved for whatever reasons.....

Callistemon

Yes I know because I have read about this years ago..how can you not know!
and do not accuse me of making things up.
I know as much as anyone who reads papers and books.

Also her behaviour screams unloved as a child....but you may not know that either.

Diana’s mother went to court for custody of her four children, the eldest was 14, their maternal grandmother gave evidence against her own daughter thus keeping the children within the royal circle.

Lisagran the Royal family have always been judged by what they do and say.

Diana did have an eating disorder before her marriage. The villans in that cruel arrangement were Johnie Spencer and
Lady Fermoy

Diana herself said of her grandmother ‘she did a real hatchet job’.

How do you know that her family was cold and unloving pinkquartz? Do you have inside knowledge?

Just because her parents were divorced did not mean they did not love her - just that they did not love each other.
That may have caused her problems.

As I read it Diana's mother didn't intend to abandon her - the Earl won custody. The other two girls were old enough to decide for themselves who to live with but Diana and her brother were still minors

I do know Diana had a very cold unloving family....abandoned by her mother and her brother seems to be a selfish creep. Poor woman.

But really he brought her ( MM) up ok
He took care of her after her mother walked out.....yet now mum is back and he is shut out.
And I have read that before PH she wrote lovingly about her Dad on her blog.

It doesn't add up. I think she is one to be wary of.

I don't care about Charles and Diana I am afraid. I think they were both manipulated and while he was the older one both were "screwed over" by people behind the scenes.

i like Charles for his love of nature and Organic Farming because without a planet nothing else really matters does it?

Don’t mind being mistaken for younger, Gonegirl.

I thought you might be one of the younger posters on here. Sorry if I was wrong.

Gonegirl I don't know that, I carefully used the term "I think". It's just an opinion. It's the feeling I have. None of us know much at all for sure.

I didn’t say the Queen was a celeb, Gonegirl - I said “ the RF, celebs, people in the news”. Not quite sure what you mean by “ You have no idea”. ? I’ve grown up for almost as long as you have?

ReadyMeals the poor girl had mental health problems before she became involved with Charles

But, Annie how do you know that?

I know they’re in the public eye and that commenting on all they (allegedly) say and do comes with that territory, but would any of us like our own families dissected and discussed in these judgemental ways? Are we and all our relatives perfect in every way??

Please don't dump the Queen in with celebs Lisagran. Different altogether. We older folk have grown up with the Royal Family over the years. You have no idea.

Gonegirl I think Charles and William badgered her into what she did to Andrew

How can you possibly know that?

ReadyMeals the poor girl had mental health problems before she became involved with Charles.

Your post makes a fair point, ReadyMeals. It’s just some folks seem to get very het up and either defend or damn members of the RF, celebrities, people in the news, etc in such a challenging way defying anyone to suggest something different, when in fact there’s no way for certain of knowing the truth.

Good response by Mariella Frostrup in today’s Observer to a dilemma sent in by a reader. Solutions are not found when we are incensed

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/24/i-live-as-a-feminist-but-im-tired-of-being-so-furious-all-the-time-mariella-frostrup

She can only advise Prime Ministers, they can ignore that advice Readymeals

HM is not being ^sidelined by her family^; she took a very sensible decision to retire from many public duties and hand these duties, arduous tours etc over to Charles and other members of the family.
When her presence is required she is there, with all her faculties intact at 93.

Would we were all so with it if we ever reach that age.
What a pity one member of the family has let her down so badly.

Anniebach, Diana was just 19, and was pretty much set up as a wife for Charles, by her family influencers. I am not really surprised she developed mental health problems at some point. Charles is supposed to have given her a chance to get out by saying "You do know I am not in love with you?" But sadly hardly out of her childhood I don't think she took the hint or didn't know what to do about it. And that might be why he thought she'd already come to terms with it being a marriage of convenience. She may even have thought she had herself, but at that age she had hardly had time to get to know her own needs.