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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
TheSandman · 14/04/2019 22:55

There was nothing else on telly was there?

Those poor people HAD NO CHOICE!

They could have turned their tellies off and read a book. No one MADE them watch the TV. But I seem to remember Channel 4 ran cartoons for the whole day - BBC1, BBC2, and ITV were wall to wall funeral.

And as publicly saying it was all bullshit. I heard than often, at the time, from many people of all ages.

limitedperiodonly · 14/04/2019 22:55

Tony Blair did not demand that the Queen come back to London. He was the Prime Minister and made a statement.

Tinysarah1985 · 14/04/2019 22:58

I remember my mum making me and my sister sit and watch it on the telly- and she got really stroppy when our next-doir neighbour started mowing the lawn halfway through. Mum stood up, slammed the window shut and shouted about people not having any respect

limitedperiodonly · 14/04/2019 23:02

On a warm evening in Central London among hundreds of people for a historic occasion IvanaPee? I wouldn't do it, but I can't see the harm.

What is the big problem in your eyes?

Alsohuman · 14/04/2019 23:02

Blair absolutely did put pressure on the Queen to return to London, as did the media. There was also immense pressure to fly the royal standard outside Buckingham Palace at half mast, defying protocol, as formerly it was only done for a monarch.

princeps · 14/04/2019 23:02

Alsohuman. Interesting point.

Thinking from a purely anecdotal and scholarly view. If the Queen was not alive today, but say in 50AD. Would people 2000 years later really. view her reign as a success?

On the face of it, she inherited the worlds largest empire and lost the lot. I very much doubt if she fitted into an earlier period of time that history would treat her kindly.

Alsohuman · 14/04/2019 23:04

The Empire was gone long before her arse hit the throne. Good thing too. India got its independence in 1947.

WithAllIntenseAndPurposes · 14/04/2019 23:09

Limited if you need it explaining to you why it's a bad idea to drag a three year old along to a funeral of a stranger and lie on the floor on a sleeping bag you are beyond help

IvanaPee · 14/04/2019 23:11

I wouldn’t say it’s a big problem more a wtf??

It’s also quite distasteful to only see it as a historical spectacle. It was a dead body. Someone’s mother.

And I don’t care how warm it is. Keeping your child outside overnight because you think he/anyone he encounters in the future will be impressed that he was in the general vicinity of a coffin is utterly batshit!

I mean, anyone could just lie and say they were there if it was that important to them.

Nobody has actually said why they felt the need to be there so I don’t get it at all.

alfredomuretto · 14/04/2019 23:14

Alsohuman.

Yes India was one of dozens of colonies. (Btw not defending empire at all!!) I'm just saying that I'm not so sure history will be so kind

SevenSeasofRye · 14/04/2019 23:16

I thought about it. I watched it on TV in a total state of shock. I had followed her life and as we were the same age it had a real impact on me.

Helmetbymidnight · 14/04/2019 23:17

It clearly was an important historical event that some people wanted to be a part of.

Not wanting to be part of it, doesn't mean that you're devoid of empathy.

Wanting to be part of it, doesn't mean that you're a twat.

Thirtyrock39 · 14/04/2019 23:19

I haven't rtft but it was such a crazy week. I remember feeling genuinely really upset and my mum crying all day of the funeral- my mum is a total socialist and republican but a lot of anti royals liked Diana and I think she was quite a hero for women at the time .
I remember there were vigils in a lot of the local villages and at work there was a bit of tension as someone said they thought this was a bit over the top
I was in a pub the night before the funeral. A group on the next table said they were going to spend the whole day watching porn to avoid the whole funeral thing- I remember being so shocked overhearing this

WithAllIntenseAndPurposes · 14/04/2019 23:20

Seven can you explain what impact it had on you? Did you suffer loss of earnings from being unable to work? Was your health so badly effected to needed medication/treatment ? Was it the emotional stress of organising the funeral or knowing as a young child you were left motherless?

CarolDanvers · 14/04/2019 23:22

Nobody has actually said why they felt the need to be there so I don’t get it at all.

Well maybe they can see from your posts that you’re just going to scoff and sneer so can’t be arsed to properly explain it to you?

cheesenpickles · 14/04/2019 23:23

A guy I went to school witch's dad was the priest that did the final burial of Princess Di apparently. Whenever we asked him about it he got really, REALLY cross.

Didn't go to the funeral, remember my mum getting upset about it (but more for the princes), wasn't really sure what all the fuss was about.

Still kind of don't.

cheesenpickles · 14/04/2019 23:23

*with's

OldAndWornOut · 14/04/2019 23:24

Its strange that it was so unimportant, and yet the thread is stirring up such strong emotions.

limitedperiodonly · 14/04/2019 23:26

Limited if you need it explaining to you why it's a bad idea to drag a three year old along to a funeral of a stranger and lie on the floor on a sleeping bag you are beyond help

What on earth do you think is going to happen in The Mall at any time, let alone the night before Princess Diana's funeral WithAllIntenseAndPurposes? I wouldn't do it but it's just camping, it's not like it's downtown Raqqa

crazypsychedelictrifle · 14/04/2019 23:26

I had my driving test booked the day and time of her funeral. It was brill as there were no cars about (I passed as well).
I wouldn't have gone to London though, I was totally bemused by the whole thing.

IvanaPee · 14/04/2019 23:34

I don’t think she was an important figure for women.

A serial cheat involved in scandal after scandal?!

I mean, she was a bit of a brood mare and I did feel sorry for her. Kind of felt sorry for Charles too, as he obviously loves Camilla.

But this is what I meant earlier! It’s like the second she died everyone adored her. Up till then people weren’t as forgiving!

IvanaPee · 14/04/2019 23:35

Well maybe they can see from your posts that you’re just going to scoff and sneer so can’t be arsed to properly explain it to you?

Maybe. 🤷‍♀️

I don’t think I’d sneer. I’m more genuinely baffled as to what people got out of it.

And as I said, treating it as some sort of entertaining piece of history is pretty horrible.

CarolDanvers · 14/04/2019 23:41

Maybe you’d be happier if you just accept you’re not going to get an answer and maybe try to accept that people just think differently from you? Personally I think your demands for answers and explanations are a bit hectoring and really make you sound as if you think you’re much better and more intelligent than those who got involved. You’re not. You’re just different.

MsChicken · 14/04/2019 23:48

I found it most odd at the time. I used to go past Kensington Palace on the bus every day so saw the build up of the flowers and vigils going on in the park. I went in once to leave some flowers on behalf of my mother (obsessed by the Royals). As you got closer to the palace gates all you could hear was sound of the cellophane on all the bouquets rustling in the breeze. The out pouring of grief was very real for people though, maybe there was a collective need for a display of public emotion, it was a phenomenon. My mother was genuinely distraught, and then furious with me for going on holiday the day after the funeral, she simply couldn't fathom how I could go off and enjoy myself.

Helmetbymidnight · 14/04/2019 23:48

it was about feeling part of something big, presumably.

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