The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, tragically pushed her two young sons, Princes William and Harry, into the limelight when they should not have been. However, the demise of one of the world’s most photographed women did do one interesting thing. It humanised the British Royal Family to what we know today.
Prince Harry has twisted his upbringing into a fantasy that never happened. He blames his whole family, including his late grandparents, The Queen and Prince Philip, and his father, for ‘generational pain’. However, does he not stop to think that perhaps his mother wasn’t quite as innocent as he believes? What he wants people to see is that his mother was a victim, when she was not.
Shockwaves Surrounding Diana’s Death
Diana’s death sent shockwaves throughout the world, but it also caused the public to criticise the royal family for “being unfeeling.” However, there was great respect for the late princess, even in death. The Queen does not bow her head for just anyone.
When Diana’s coffin passed the Queen, the monarch bowed her head respectfully. If the Queen were cold, she wouldn’t have done this. Let’s not forget the statement Her Majesty put out, where she said “as your Queen and as a grandmother.”
The family, before Diana’s passing, were considered perfect. Nothing was allowed to go wrong. They were essentially seen as gods, and Diana was seen as having escaped the supposed “cult.” This is likely why the family and The Queen were criticised for not speaking out sooner about the Princess’ death. It took several days if Harper’s Bazaar is to be believed. When there was no statement or a flag at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, people became upset and called it “disrespectful.”
People turned on The Queen in an instant, but little did they realise that the royal family were trying to protect William and Harry while also grieving. Diana might not have been an official member of the family anymore, but she was still the mother of the Prince of Wales’ children.
Princess Anne Speaks Out
In recent years, Princess Anne was asked whether her mother had done the right thing in staying quiet for as long as she did. She [Princess Anne] said that The Queen did the right thing in protecting her grandsons.
The family had a right to grieve just as any other person who loses someone to death. They were still grappling with the news themselves and were under no obligation to speak out until they were ready to do so. If The Queen had died then, it would’ve been another story. Diana was not the head of state. She was the mother of the future king and for the public to criticise Her Majesty, shows how absent-minded people were back then.
Moreover, The Queen tried to pacifying the issue when the family was still at Balmoral. She took everyone out to view the flowers. But it made the situation worse. It wasn’t until The Royals returned to London, did Her Majesty do something unexpected. She had the car stop outside Buckingham Palace. She climbed out and looked at the flowers and the tides started to turn back in her favour. However, it was the statement that brought people back on side.
The Royals Have Feelings Too
Diana’s death showed that the royals weren’t immortal beings. They had feelings, too. They had a right to shelter two young boys from the media and the public, to allow them to grieve their mother’s passing.
Another thing that people did not expect was Prince Charles (now The King), to fly to France with his two former sisters-in-law, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Jane, Baroness Fellowes, to bring Diana’s body home.
Charles, being Diana’s ex-husband, did not have to do anything. But he did the right thing in going. According to Tina Brown, in a Time Magazine article, the former couple were on the best terms they had been on for a long when Diana died. He didn’t go to make people like him. He did it for his sons. The [then] Prince of Wales knew his reputation had been in the toilet for years because of his relationship with Camilla. In that moment, his thoughts weren’t on himself; they were on his children, who were grieving their mother’s death.
Also, Charles and The Queen agreed it was best to wait until William and Harry were awake to tell them of their mother’s death. They didn’t want to disturb their slumber for them to learn what had happened via the news.
William mentions in the documentary, Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy that he was in shock “for years.” He found solace in Scotland in the same way his grandmother and father had for many years. He also says that he and Catherine tell their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, about their Granny Diana all the time. Though, Kate is unable to provide much input into the conversation as she never knew her mother-in-law.
