wymanda
Royal Highness
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2003
- Messages
- 1,557
- City
- Perth
- Country
- Australia
The following appeared in the Daily Mirror and is written by James Whittaker
ARROGANCE IS THE MARK OF SPENCER Apr 17 2004
I HAVE warned about Earl Spencer previously. In fact, more than once.
I didn't like the way he treated his first wife, the anorexic, much-troubled Victoria; I hated the way he went off for a dirty weekend with another woman within weeks of the wedding.
I positively loathed the way he rejected Princess Diana when she begged him for a bolt hole on the family estate, while I don't believe I've ever witnessed such a level of insolence as he displayed when chiding the Queen and her family during his eulogy to Diana at Westminster Abbey.
Since then things have not improved. Spencer who, I have to say, can charm the pants off anyone he meets when he chooses so to do, has horribly over-commercialised the life and times of his sister to a pitch that could be considered exploitative, if not vulgar.
He also spends too little time in this country to efficiently run his beautiful Northamptonshire estate, opting instead to spend sunny days in South Africa doing I'm not sure what.
He does knock out books from time to time but I'm doubtful whether he makes much dosh out of them. They're worthy (the latest is about the Battle of Blenheim, focusing on one of his ancestors, the Duke of Marlborough) but hardly money-spinners.
They certainly wouldn't be able to make up the sort of revenue he's losing now that the public are drifting away from visiting Althorp and the shrine he made to Princess Diana.
In 1998 150,000 visited the museum which remembers her childhood and the man-made island on which she is buried.
Last year, paying customers totalled 80,000. To break even, Spencer says he needs 120,000 visitors in the two months the place is open in July and August. So what's a chap to do?
In Spencer's case the answer was simple. Flog off 508 acres of his inherited estate for a housing development, a scheme that includes a Tesco superstore, a bus station, a medical practice and a state school.
When this idea was mooted five years ago, and quickly rejected by the locals and the council, the noble earl hoped to receive around £50million. But with building land in short supply and houses needed, prices have improved since then. Now he can expect maybe £250m for his troubles.
Conservationists hate the idea of this development; villagers know their life will be ruined for ever but, hey, who cares if Spencer's in the money?
Of course there'll be a public enquiry, naturally all and sundry will be consulted but few doubt what the final outcome will be.
By ploughing ahead, ignoring all the wails going on around him, Spencer will be acting purely in character.
ARROGANCE IS THE MARK OF SPENCER Apr 17 2004
I HAVE warned about Earl Spencer previously. In fact, more than once.
I didn't like the way he treated his first wife, the anorexic, much-troubled Victoria; I hated the way he went off for a dirty weekend with another woman within weeks of the wedding.
I positively loathed the way he rejected Princess Diana when she begged him for a bolt hole on the family estate, while I don't believe I've ever witnessed such a level of insolence as he displayed when chiding the Queen and her family during his eulogy to Diana at Westminster Abbey.
Since then things have not improved. Spencer who, I have to say, can charm the pants off anyone he meets when he chooses so to do, has horribly over-commercialised the life and times of his sister to a pitch that could be considered exploitative, if not vulgar.
He also spends too little time in this country to efficiently run his beautiful Northamptonshire estate, opting instead to spend sunny days in South Africa doing I'm not sure what.
He does knock out books from time to time but I'm doubtful whether he makes much dosh out of them. They're worthy (the latest is about the Battle of Blenheim, focusing on one of his ancestors, the Duke of Marlborough) but hardly money-spinners.
They certainly wouldn't be able to make up the sort of revenue he's losing now that the public are drifting away from visiting Althorp and the shrine he made to Princess Diana.
In 1998 150,000 visited the museum which remembers her childhood and the man-made island on which she is buried.
Last year, paying customers totalled 80,000. To break even, Spencer says he needs 120,000 visitors in the two months the place is open in July and August. So what's a chap to do?
In Spencer's case the answer was simple. Flog off 508 acres of his inherited estate for a housing development, a scheme that includes a Tesco superstore, a bus station, a medical practice and a state school.
When this idea was mooted five years ago, and quickly rejected by the locals and the council, the noble earl hoped to receive around £50million. But with building land in short supply and houses needed, prices have improved since then. Now he can expect maybe £250m for his troubles.
Conservationists hate the idea of this development; villagers know their life will be ruined for ever but, hey, who cares if Spencer's in the money?
Of course there'll be a public enquiry, naturally all and sundry will be consulted but few doubt what the final outcome will be.
By ploughing ahead, ignoring all the wails going on around him, Spencer will be acting purely in character.
