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The inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, is in full swing.
There are pictures, videos from security cameras, trips to the accident
scene—all kinds of backtracking and recounting of the last hours of the
Princess’s life. What a coincidence that I just finished one of the
latest Diana biographies: The Diana Chronicles by Tina
Brown, and I thought it might be appropriate to talk about this book for this month's "Royally Speaking" column.
Brown chronicles the life of Lady Diana Spencer, from her childhood to her
death. I know, I know; it’s been done before. But this is not the same
old, same old of other biographies. The Diana Chronicles provides a
more in-depth look, not only into Diana’s life, but also into the lives of members of the Spencer family, the Royal Family, and the Parker-Bowles family. This
even-handedness gives the reader a better understanding of the woman who
was the very public Princess of Wales.
This book has been both heralded and panned. Some critics feel that Tina
Brown, former Editor-in-Chief of gossip magazine Tatler, Vanity
Fair, and The New Yorker, dissed her friend, the Princess, but
I didn’t find this to be true. Brown doesn’t take sides; rather, she
provides a very balanced account—the good with the bad. Nobody’s a saint
here. Brown shows the all-too-human side of the late Princess and
everyone involved in her life. Yes, sometimes Diana comes off as someone
who could be mean, manipulative, vain, and controlling of her relationships
after her divorce. It’s quite clear Diana wasn’t the easiest person to
live with, but as she grew and matured, she nonetheless had the makings of
an outstanding humanitarian who took everything to heart (sometimes to a
fault), who cared about others, and who, had she lived, certainly would have made outstanding contributions to the world.
The entire cast of characters is here: Diana’s mother, father, and
stepmother, with their profound effect on Diana’s perception of marriage
and family life. The Queen, bound by duty, and Prince Philip, the bully
who maybe isn’t such a bad guy after all. Prince Charles is portrayed as
a man waiting to be king, controlled by his parents until he takes a stand
after Diana’s death. And Camilla—well, there isn’t anything good said
about Camilla. She was a sneaky husband stealer.
Some might think that this book is just more trash. I don’t think so. Of all
the Diana biographies out there, this one is by far the best. Yes,
there’s some dirt—okay, a lot of dirt—as you might expect. But the book
is well researched, as any good biography should be. Tina Brown
interviewed over 250 people whom she says were members of Diana’s intimate
circle, associates in her public life, and partners in her philanthropy,
among them the former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Tina Brown’s writing
style is unstuffy, with dabs of humor. She also lends some thoughtful
insight and common sense to the mix:
“The American presidency and the British monarchy both come equipped with
impressive façades. Compared to the Monarchy, with its crowns and ermines
and yacht and castles and gilded coaches and elaborately costumed guards,
the “republican” panoply of the presidency—the plain, white-columned
mansion, the businesslike Oval Office, the jet with its presidential seal,
the silent, wary Secret Service men—is actually rather modest. But behind
the presidential facade is the power of life or death over the whole
world. Behind the monarchical façade is…well, not too much. A
family, and a fairly dysfunctional one at that[.]”
Kind of puts it all into perspective, don’t you think?
At the end of the day, the big question remains: Who is responsible for
Diana’s death? The Diana Chronicles has convinced me that there
are a great many people, including Diana herself, who had a part in the
Princess’s early, accidental demise; if one were to assign blame,
it would be very widespread. Perhaps the inquest into Diana’s death will
play out very differently, but I doubt it.
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