It used to be the Pope`s job to confer sainthood on special people; these days it`s done by the newspapers, who whipped up a frenzy of grief for Lady Di.
Rather embarrassingly, on 31 Aug 1997, the news of her death arrived after the newspapers in England had already been printed and distributed. In fact, here are some examples of the press`s attitude to Diana, all printed on 31 Aug., before news of her death obliged journalists to do a U-turn:-
" Troubled Prince William will today demand that his mother dump her playboy lover"- News Of The World.
" Diana seems to relish her role as a martyr. God help her if she ever finds happiness - it would make her miserable" - Express On Sunday.
" It`s a pity Gucci don`t make designer face zips, then when princess Diana was on the verge of opening her ill-informed mouth and causing an international incident, she could just zip her trap shut." - Sunday Mirror.
" The Princess, I fear, suffers from the "Open Gob Before Engaging Brain" syndrome - a condition which afflicts the trivial and the brain dead" - Sunday Mirror.
" Diana has publicly said that the Tories were hopeless. It amazes me how this stuff is picked up as if it were compelling insight of Aristotelian wisdom and Shavian wit, as opposed to the witterings of a woman who, if her IQ were five points lower, would have to be watered daily." - The Observer.
In case you`re wondering, these quotes all come from an article entitled "The Mourning Papers" which neatly exposes the hype and hypocracy that Diana`s death generated.
I`m sure that Lady Di was charming and photogenic.To her credit, she used her position to promote various charitites, but she also cheated on her husband and waltzed away from a divorce with 17 million pounds in her pocket. My suspicion is that her posthumous sainthood doesn`t really tell the full story.
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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953
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