Camilla at seventy.

IMO the "new order" is exhibited in William and Harry and in no small part due to their mother. There are often detailed accounts in the media at the anniversary of a celebrities death, why should the 20th anniversary of Diana's be any different?

It's time to move on now, there have been a lot of changes since Diana's death and the new order should prevail. Of course her children wil not forget her and that is how it should be but their memories should be aired privately now.

Well I have a life of my own and don't "hang onto other peoples" and mourned Diana's death. Her sons were talking publicly about their mother, for the first time as the 20th anniversary of her death approaches.

I think it's very odd that anyone would regard that as "milking the
media again". I'm not a royalist but admired the good things that Diana did during her short life and admire her sons too.

I'm afraid I dont understand WHY people mourn a woman they dont know ...sorry.I think its a bit odd,as if they have no life of their own and have to hang onto other peoples .All this resurrection of the whole Diana years is simply milking the media again ,as I said the publicity is what keeps the royals where they are

I thought it was very moving and reminded me of a lot of good that Diana did.

Both William and Harry have their mother's ease with 'ordinary people'. I think it's wonderful that William continues to go to the homeless centre Diana first took him too when he was just 12 years old. I hadn't realised that it had been his idea to auction off some of her dresses.

I'd forgotten what an enormous impact the photo of her shaking hands with an AIDS patient had, not just in the UK but all over the world.

No paddyann as you say, she wasn't a saint but she was a lot more than the emotionally unstable woman she was often portrayed as being. As for "put(ting) mass mourning back in its box" why should those who wish to demonstrate their grief for someone they may never have met, but felt touched them in some way be criticised?

The number of floral tributes outside Kensington palace was breath taking and I doubt will ever be seen again.

I agree Paddyann

Yes they are entitled to still grieve their mother ,every one who loses their mum does,BUT its not news ,its not important to huge numbers of us,it should be THEM mourning,NOT playing the media again.Honestl she wasn't a saint...far from it ,she wasn't the "commoner" they made out she was when she first appeared on the scene.My Canadian cousin insisted Diana "came from nothing and hadn't a penny ,she worked as a childminder ..like me " Lots of misinformation led to the Diana hysteria.Thank heavens we have access to the truth through the internet now .Let the woman rest in peace and stop using her for publicity to keep her family in the manner they're accustomed to.Put public mass mourning back in its box and llets just mourn our OWN family and friends .

And a memorial garden in the grounds of her home ,

It was a touching programme. They now talk openly about their grief must have been hard to handle in the public gaze.

I feel sorry for Kate who has to live with the ghost of her mother in law. She wasn't even able to choose her own engagement ring and soon there will be a statue erected in their garden

I hope not, Camilla didn't force Diana to play games with the paparazzi.

The programme was as expected, about love and laughter , no mention of the dark side they witnessed , fair enough, a part of their life they have no wish to share

Did anyone watch the programme last night where William and harry talked about their mother. They were very open when speaking about the pain and loss they feel and wonder whether this may set back the plan for a queen camilla.

It's all turned out very nicely for Charles and Camilla.

I believe some things are meant to be.

For what it's worth, I agree with you Iam64 It's all turned out very nicely for Charles and Camilla.

Merlotgran, phew I am not a lone voice ? Johnnie Spencer was an awful man, what father would line up his youngest daughter after an older daughter had been involved with the same chap. Diana said in her book ' I just knew I had to keep myself tidy' did she hear a heavenly choir or her father .

What mother -Lady Fermoy- would stand by a son in law who hit her daughter and fight for him to have custody of the children

I keep asking the DC to photoshop my photographs (they don't)

Stupid, vain and vacuous? Oh dear

I was just about to write a similar post about the Spencers, Anniebach. Ambitious, heartless parents have a lot to answer for in all walks of life. It's a little unfair to lay all the blame at the door of the Royals.

Much has been written about the rise and rise of the Middletons. Kate's advantage is that she had a happy and secure childhood and William is close to her parents. How different things might be if she had also had a troubled upbringing.

Discussions about Diana and Camilla are based on what Diana claimed , where is the proof?

Diana could not have been the lamb to the slaughter some believe her to be , if there was an affair at the time of the marriage Diana would have known, her sister was in a relationship with Charles , was she to unaware of this affair.

I believe the villains of this to be Johnny Spencer and his mother in law , they must have known Diana was mentally ill but they wanted one of the sisters married to Charles . Spencer worked for queenie, the Spencer family lived at sandringham, they holidayed at balmoral . Queenie is god mother to Charles Spencer

I take it that was an ironic comment paddy? How very very sad that they felt the need to use it. Stupid stupid vacuous spoilt vain entitled fools the pair of them. And no ( she says wearily) I am not envious of them

isn't photoshop wonderful

Good post Iam - she was the sacrificial virgin brood mare to provide the heir and the spare. As you say, she was very young and naive and looking for the romantic love that her parents had failed at. What happened over time was rooted in that early marriage experience I believe. Charles had quite frankly tom catted around with the encouragement of Mountbatten who, I believe was quite a malign and definitely old fashioned influence on him. Philip was no help at all it would seem. I don't think anyone now denies that C affair with Cam was ongoing before his marriage and afterwards. It's one of the hundreds of reasons that I have limited if not zilch respect for the RF - all the senior members knew exactly what was happening and let it.

How interesting that so many of the comments on this thread are kind about Camilla.
I feel certain the last time this came up the weight was firmly against kindness to Camilla.
Surely it would be better if Charles stepped away from being heir to the throne in favour of William.
The cost of a state funeral for the Queen, followed by a coronation for Charles, and the cycle quite possibly repeated fairly swiftly would be enormous and crippling.

I think there is a tv programme this week about Diana where both sons will talk about her.

The marriage of Diana and Charles made them both miserable. I can't imagine how terrifying it would have been for nineteen year old Diana to discover the man she was to marry in a few days, was involved in a long term love affair with a married woman.
She was immature, inexperienced and had a difficult childhood. I struggle to understand how some continue to demonise this woman. The book about Camilla polarises the debate even further, it promotes a Charles and Camilla and paints Diana in the most negative terms.
I don't care what title Camilla has if Charles eventually becomes King. I do wish though that discussions about Diana could be more well informed and a bit of compassion wouldn't go amiss.

Do we know they were having an affair right through the marriage? Diana said they were and the press supported the claim but no proof . We can be as sure of this as we can of the alleged affair Diana had with Barry Manakee

I do not accept this lamb to slaughter tale of naive diana

Saint Diana was far from blameless in the whole sorry mess. None of them came out of it well.
I think Camilla has tried to support Charles and has kept a dignified profile since they married. Let him who is without sin etc.