The Late Diana, Princess of Wales News Thread 5: April-June 2007

[HRH Kerry]

I'm quite sure they are being advised on their public statements. But I do think its about time something is said.

 

[Elspeth]

She should still be alive today but I'am sure the Princess is at peace.
What is this channel 4 thinking!!

Ratings, profit, money. Same as what all the other profit-making media organisations are thinking. This may be their last chance to make serious money from Diana the cash cow, and it's going to be a case of doing whatever it takes, I'm afraid.

 

[sassie]

I don't understand why any statement has been made yet ?! The princes did one when 'Chi' published the photos ... What are they waiting for ?

Did it stop the photos from being published? No. They've already asked that these pictures not be published anywhere. Repeating themselves just gives the tabloid press something more to foam at the mouth over.

Better a dignified silence and the continuation of their plans for the concert that celebrates their mother's life (a good answer in itself) than yet another public statement that leads exactly nowhere.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Did it stop the photos from being published? No. They've already asked that these pictures not be published anywhere. Repeating themselves just gives the tabloid press something more to foam at the mouth over.

Better a dignified silence and the continuation of their plans for the concert that celebrates their mother's life (a good answer in itself) than yet another public statement that leads exactly nowhere.

Very true. I expect that the princes, and probably most of the royal family, are trying their best to ignore the photos entirely. Seniors members like the Prince of Wales, The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh might be in some consultation with senior staff advisors over the matter, but even so, they might be ignoring it where possible, at least insofar as to ignore the actual airing of the photos in a couple of days. I think ignoring it is the best course of action. Focusing on it only draws it more into their lives. They want to keep it out as much as possible. Thinking of it is absolutely horrendous. It's creepy to even imagine these photos being seen. I am going to ignore it. I don't want to draw any of that into my life.

 

[TheTruth]

Very true. I expect that the princes, and probably most of the royal family, are trying their best to ignore the photos entirely. Seniors members like the Prince of Wales, The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh might be in some consultation with senior staff advisors over the matter, but even so, they might be ignoring it where possible, at least insofar as to ignore the actual airing of the photos in a couple of days. I think ignoring it is the best course of action. Focusing on it only draws it more into their lives. They want to keep it out as much as possible. Thinking of it is absolutely horrendous. It's creepy to even imagine these photos being seen. I am going to ignore it. I don't want to draw any of that into my life.

Quite true but it still bothers me that anyone seems to care ...

 

[gfg02]

Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel

icWales - Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel

 

[Warren]

Posts relating to the online Diana fashion poll have been moved to the Royal House of Fashion.
Poll link.

 

[Skydragon]

Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel
icWales - Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel

Having read the write up in one of the TV programme guides, I have decided to watch or record the programme. It is pointless to shout and scream about how awful it is, when it hasn't yet been aired. The review makes it clear that it is more about the photographer's perceived roles, than about a blurred out photo.

 

[TheTruth]

Having read the write up in one of the TV programme guides, I have decided to watch or record the programme. It is pointless to shout and scream about how awful it is, when it hasn't yet been aired. The review makes it clear that it is more about the photographer's perceived roles, than about a blurred out photo.

Yes, it's okay to see by your own eyes and make your personal opinion about it. Although I think that the documentary could have been made without showing those particular photos. It's not a bad idea of doing a documantary on the photographers and all but IMO they didn't need to put pictures of a dying person, even if we don't see her face ...

 

[Skydragon]

It's not a bad idea of doing a documantary on the photographers and all but IMO they didn't need to put pictures of a dying person, even if we don't see her face ...

True, apparently they have decided to blur the men and Diana. Although I do not have any problem with seeing corpses, I find it in bad taste for her son's.

 

[sassie]

True, apparently they have decided to blur the men and Diana. Although I do not have any problem with seeing corpses, I find it in bad taste for her son's.

Well, that's the only reason I protest the showing of those pictures - for her sons. When it gets right down to it, we've all seen worse images. Chances are, so have they-but it's different when it's your mother.

I think surviving family members should be the primary consideration against publishing pictures like these. They used to be-look how many years, for example, the JFK autopsy pictures were suppressed for the sake of his widow and children. It'd be nice, although certainly in vain, to hope the press would ever regain that bit of good taste.

 

[TheTruth]

It'd be nice, although certainly in vain, to hope the press would ever regain that bit of good taste.

If the press and most of all, the people had good taste, no more tabloïds would be published ...

 

[BeatrixFan]

I think what's being forgotten is that Diana is a business. They don't care about the real person, they care about the image they built up after she died because it's that image that sells. They could put Diana's image on a dog terd in a box and there'd be some nutter who would buy it. The media know that and so do the companies producting Di books and DVDs etc. But there's a problem - the brand becomes a little stale and with any product, you have to repackage and give a little more, which in this case are the images of death. In a way it's the last resort but it will sell. We won't see dead Di mugs or T-Shirts but we will see books and the like and yet again, the pennies come in. It's all about money kids.

 

[Skydragon]

However it has to be said, the 'discomfort' at seeing pictures or the actual corpse, gore and all, seems to be a western affliction. At least with a TV programme, everyone has the option not to watch particular sections or the entire programme.

 

[TheTruth]

What's really getting on my nerves is that there's going to be a whole publicity stuff before the broadcasting. You know how it goes : "Tonight exclusively on Channel 4, the photos of the dying princess of wales ..."

 

[Skydragon]

That isn't how they are 'selling' the programme funnily enough. It caught my interest because they say they are telling the paparazzis story, that they didn't arrive until after the police etc, which is a little different to my memories of what was said at the time. It also touches on ysbel's point, that they quickly turned the venom from the public onto the RF.

 

[TheTruth]

I think there's been a total mess around the inquest. First of all we blame paparazzi, the seconde later it's a conspiracy, the driver was drunk and so on. The work that should have been made the moment following the crash wasn't properly done. For example the accident occured at approximately midnight (0h24 to be precise) and the tunnel was reopened at 6 AM ... A little weird for one of the most famous women in the world.

 

[Skydragon]

Well known yes, but not necessarily more important to the police or ambulance men, to whom every person is important. They did all the investigation they considered vital at the time considering the majority of them probably realised it was just another drunk driver.

 

[sassie]

If the press and most of all, the people had good taste, no more tabloïds would be published ...

And wouldn't that be lovely? After all, you can't read what isn't published.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Well known yes, but not necessarily more important to the police or ambulance men, to whom every person is important. They did all the investigation they considered vital at the time considering the majority of them probably realised it was just another drunk driver.

I second this. I remember one of the doctors saying that he didn't even know one of the victims was Diana. He just rushed over and started trying to save their lives. He helped pull Diana from the rubbish without even knowing who she was, just knowing she was someone who needed his help. I think people who work on the medical profession are trained to respond automatically and routinely in emergencies and the adrenaline rush causes them to act with speed and efficiency and they don't always process the facts until after the fact.

 

[gfg02]

M-Net dedicates channel to Princess Diana

entertainment.iafrica.com | television | inside story M-Net dedicates channel to Princess Diana

 

[Skydragon]

Question lingers 'After Diana': Who is Prince Harry's dad?

As the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death approaches, a new book takes another look at a long-dismissed claim that Prince Harry's father was actually Diana's lover, James Hewitt.

Question lingers 'After Diana': Who is Prince Harry's dad? - USATODAY.com

Diana's sons plead in vain over TV pictures

Princes William and Harry pleaded in vain with Channel 4 on Tuesday not to broadcast graphic photos in a documentary about the death of Princess Diana in a Paris car crash 10 years ago

Diana's sons plead in vain over TV pictures - Yahoo! News UK

Channel 4 Defiant Over Diana Crash Pics

Channel 4 has insisted it will show controversial images of the crash that killed Princess Diana despite her sons asking the broadcaster not to. A senior aide to Princes William and Harry wrote to the channel, saying the royals believe airing the graphic images would be a "gross disrespect to their mother's memory.

Channel 4 Defiant Over Diana Crash Pics - Yahoo! News UK

Channel 4 documentary on Paris tunnel – Clarence House statement and letter

Clarence House today published on its website a copy of a letter sent by Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the Private Secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry, to Channel 4 about its documentary on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, “The Witnesses in the Tunnel”, which is due to be broadcast on Wednesday 6th June

The Prince of Wales - Channel 4 documentary on Paris tunnel – Clarence House statement and letter

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/content/documents/Letter%20to%20Channel%204%20-%201st%20June%202007.pdf​

 

[Duchess]

it's all over the news here, about this documentary, and how the pictures "are in the public interest". how can pictures of a dying woman be in the public interest? i think it's hurtful and in extremely bad taste.

 

[Skydragon]

I think it troubles me that the same people complaining about seeing pictures of a dying or dead Diana, will happily watch graphic news articles showing umpteen bodies or men, women and children with their limbs blown off. The recent images on TV of Iraqi children celebrating the death of British officers by stealing personal effects and tossing her blood splattered helmet about springs to mind, I didn't see anyone standing up for that young woman in the aftermath of her death.

 

[marezdote]

I think it troubles me that the same people complaining about seeing pictures of a dying or dead Diana, will happily watch graphic news articles showing umpteen bodies or men, women and children with their limbs blown off. The recent images on TV of Iraqi children celebrating the death of British officers by stealing personal effects and tossing her blood splattered helmet about springs to mind, I didn't see anyone standing up for that young woman in the aftermath of her death.

That is not necessarily true Skydragon. I don't think that Channel 4 should air this documentary and I don't watch graphic news reports. When stories like the ones you described come on I change the channel.

Although Channel 4 says that "Most commentators who have actually seen the programme praise it for the sensitive way it deals with a very delicate issue" the Prince's secratary who saw the documentary did not feel that way and he knows the Prince's. Also, although Channel 4 is saying they are showing the programme because of "public interest" as if they are providing some kind of service to people, I think it is simply a grab for viewers and ratings.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I agree 100% with Skydragon on this. I had the same thought yesterday. It really is not different from seeing a Scorcese film. I don't like it in cinema anymore than I like it in real time, whether it's an Iraqi soldier or a ten years' dead princess. I don't watch the Iraqi news coverage for that reason. I read papers and magazine articles, and even then can't entirely avoid it, so I don't need TV graphic images adding to the demons in my head. Life is hard enough without having these kinds of sick images, and besides, it doesn't help anyone seeing these things. Giving a few dollars to the Red Cross or something like it is much more productive than looking at photos of dead and dying people.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Ok. Quite by accident I was reading a blog about the Chi picture and to my suprise, the photograph was included at the end of the blog. I have to say that the picture is extremely tame and to be quite honest, you wouldn't know it was Di unless you were told. Having seen the picture, I can now say that I don't know what the fuss is over.

 

[HRH Kimetha]

And wouldn't that be lovely? After all, you can't read what isn't published.

Then we couldn't be in here gossiping.

 

[HRH Kimetha]

I think it troubles me that the same people complaining about seeing pictures of a dying or dead Diana, will happily watch graphic news articles showing umpteen bodies or men, women and children with their limbs blown off....

...or graphic slasher or war movies.

 

[Avalon]

Time to close this thread.
Part 6 of the news thread for the late Diana, Princess of Wales can be found here.

Thanks to everyone, who contributed to this thread.