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Original poster

To ask if any of you went to London for Princess Diana's funeral?

479 replies

ewenice · 14/04/2019 13:34

Just watching a documentary about the week following Princess Diana's death and the overwhelming outpouring of grief that crossed the country. We were living overseas at the time so had no idea of the effect it had.

Did anyone on here go down to London during that week for the funeral or to sign the condolence books?

OP posts:
ssd · 14/04/2019 22:01

Lol away spring. I didn't know anyone who cared. Felt sorry for the family, yes of course, but really cared, no.

Helmetbymidnight · 14/04/2019 22:02

*When I was three I was one of millions people who watched Diana’s funeral. Except I was outside with a sleeping bag.”

Does he tell everyone about it now? I wonder what people say...

WithAllIntenseAndPurposes · 14/04/2019 22:02

She's spot on though limited

Fuck me I missed the slept on the floor on a sleeping bag bit surely that's bloody abuse

WithAllIntenseAndPurposes · 14/04/2019 22:06

Yes limited we get it. You are a sycophant good job

Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 14/04/2019 22:06

I've never understood it maybe becuase I was only 3 at the time and missed the diana wonder years, but I'll never understand how there can be such an outpouring if emotion and anger over someone you didn't know.

It goes beyond empathy. I 100% understand feeling sad and sorry for two young boys who suddenly lost there mother, but the way people have fawned over the years I don't get.

WithAllIntenseAndPurposes · 14/04/2019 22:08

Well the nobby any good parent would have taken you to lie on the floor with a sleeping bag so you could be part of it all and tell your kids...apparently

BoneyBackJefferson · 14/04/2019 22:15

Thesnobbymiddleclassone
and missed the diana wonder years,

I'm not sure that there were any wonder years as such, she had lots of good press from her charity work and was a much loved royal.

When the divorce came through she made very good use of the press contacts that she had made, and was built up to very high levels by the press and press sycophants that she courted.

At the time of the accident the press was beginning to turn against her, with some very nasty things being said and with her being chased by the paps.

When she died it was almost as if the press realised what a bunch of cunts they were being and they led the charge in to this mass hysteria and competitive grieving.

It would be interesting to know what effect social media would have had on the situation it if had been such a big thing as it is now.

derxa · 14/04/2019 22:22

Not you, though because you sound like a miserable bugger
I actually realise now that MN is no longer for me. This thread is the last straw. People devoid of all empathy. It's soul destroying.

Rockbird · 14/04/2019 22:23

I was a young adult still living at home. My uncle came down for the night and he and my parents decided on a whim to drive up about 11pm one night. I went with them for the ride and we went to Buckingham palace. It was very strange, packed with people but deadly silent. We travelled back from Ireland the day she died and that was the same, not a peep out of anyone on the plane or at Heathrow. Eerie.

Amortentia · 14/04/2019 22:29

Mumsnet is so weird about Diana. Where were all these dissenters when the country was grieving? Absolutely nowhere. Virtually everyone was caught up in it. It’s very fashionable now to say you were stone cold unmoved by it all. In reality hardly anyone was at the time

We were all in Glasgow I think, watching on in disbelief at the sheer number of grief tourists sobbing on the news. Was absolutely ridiculous, Diana was hated and ridiculed by many but as soon as she died it was oh, she was the people’s process. The amount of hypocrisy was outrageous.

I can’t stand the royals but I thought it was pretty sickening how they were pushed in to taking those boys from Barmoral to be paraded in London. I didn’t think the great British public gave a damn at the time what was best for them.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/04/2019 22:31

Why would I go to a stranger's funeral???
I'm still annoyed about my loss of wages on the day.

ssd · 14/04/2019 22:34

Don't be daft derxa. People aren't devoid of sympathy, they are just acknowledging they didn't know Diana so why grieve for her

teelldeearr · 14/04/2019 22:36

Totally outing but....

I was at boarding school at the time. Usually we would have school on a Saturday morning. We didn't on this particular morning but we had to be in full 'sunday' uniform and had to sit in the school hall, in silence, watching the funeral.
For a bunch of 11 year olds who didn't know Diana, and would rather be in town with our mates it was the most boring thing ever.

limitedperiodonly · 14/04/2019 22:40

Yes limited we get it. You are a sycophant good job

I don't think I am WithAllIntenseAndPurposes. I believe I''m incredibly tolerant and you are distressingly unimaginative, have no comprehension skills and are a bit rude.

I'd rather we didn't have a Monarchy. I wouldn't want to camp out in the Mall or outside the Lindo Wing. Neither do I want to camp outside the Apple store in Regent Street for the latest i-Phone.

But I realise that some people want to and that doesn't make them sad, bad or mad. Just different to me.

princeps · 14/04/2019 22:45

Not that I wish death upon anyone, nor am I wishing to hurry her along... but I do wonder how people will react when the Queen snuffs it.

I think it may be amusing to watch the sycophantic southern English bollocks that comes about.

CarolDanvers · 14/04/2019 22:47

The competitive sneering on this thread towards people that felt something and so engaged with what was a historical event is quite fascinating actually. I try to believe that in the main people are generally decent and kind and accepting and then I come on MN and find so much of this belittling and shaming spite. It’s increasing month by month on here. Everyone says MN doesn’t reflect real life and I hope that’s true

JuniorAsparagus · 14/04/2019 22:47

It was one of the strangest experiences of my life.
All those people who had never met Diana, behaving in what was, until then, a very unBritish way. My friend and I were totally bemused, but soon realised it was better to keep our thoughts to ourselves. It felt very strange watching all those people caught up in it and yet not sharing the mood.
And as for Tony Blair demanding that the Queen came back to London. She was a grandmother doing what she thought was best for her grandchildren.
DS was a student at the time and did some work for a security company. He was assigned to stand at the gates of Althorp and receive flowers. He said when there were too many a digger came and scooped them up to dump them somewhere, leaving space for more the next day.
I remember the owner of the local chip shop popping over to Althorp with her children to lay a wreath.
I watched the funeral and like everyone else was moved to tears by the sight of William.and Harry walking behind their mother's coffin, and the wreath that said Mummy. No one should have to do that with the cameras of the world watching them.
DD was living in Spain at the time, but happened to be home for the week. She said she was glad she was because if someone had told her about the prevailing atmosphere she wouldn't have believed it.

FrancisCrawford · 14/04/2019 22:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alsohuman · 14/04/2019 22:49

Longest reigning monarch ever, with possibly 70 plus years of public service. It will be massive. Diana’s funeral will be a minor diversion by comparison.

Strugglingmum73 · 14/04/2019 22:50

I liked in London. Everything was closed for a few hours during the funeral. Even our local Tesco metro which never closed!

Strugglingmum73 · 14/04/2019 22:50

Lived not liked!

CarolDanvers · 14/04/2019 22:51

W and H should never have been involved but that decision was not made by the general public as far as I am aware. No one was shrieking for that. That was a decision made far higher up, perhaps to take the focus of Prince Charles. I don’t know, but it was a weird decision to make.

DontCallMeShitley · 14/04/2019 22:51

I lived Central London at the time, the hysteria was ridiculous. I wouldn't have gone to see the funeral procession however I was unable to leave my home and go anywhere at all as it passed my window and the entire road was blocked with crowds watching, all the residents were hanging out of windows or leaning over balconies and people were throwing roses at the hearse. I did look but no hanging out of windows, although I didn't need to as I could see anyway. It felt odd to hear the commentary on the TV as it was happening outside in real life.

I was pleased when it was all over and the dead flowers and crap were cleared away and normal life resumed.

PatchworkElmer · 14/04/2019 22:53

I was 9, and my Mum took me to sign a book of condolence at our town hall.

IvanaPee · 14/04/2019 22:54

You're so terribly sophisticated IvanaPee

Am I?! Confused

I don’t think it’s particularly sophisticated to keep your three year old indoors overnight.