The People's Princess

I remember exactly where I was when I heard that Princess Diana had died. My friend Mel was visiting from Chicago and we had just wrapped up A’s 2nd birthday party. As expected, on the tenth anniversary of her death, the newspapers and the television were flooded with stories of Princess Diana including new conspiracy theories. On Friday morning, the day of the memorial service, the message from BBC morning talk show was let’s move on and leave her memory alone, but it was obvious some don’t feel that way. One of the reporters on the scene at Kensington Palace began reading some of the notes that were left with flowers at the gates and they were strangely personal. The one that sticks out in my mind said something like Diana we will never accept the woman that wrecked your marriage. Wow, it made me sad for her sons who have had to deal with family issues that many of us have had to face, but with an ever present camera and millions watching.

About six months ago, I was on a flight to Montreal and got to see most of the movie The Queen. I was hoping to watch it in its entirety Sunday night as it aired on television here, but I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. When I was at the barbecue earlier in the day on Sunday I had asked an older gentleman what people thought of this movie. He said to me that he liked it because it showed the royal family as the lunatics that they are! I thought that was hilarious.