Charles Spencer to publish memoir of Diana

[OccasionalHope]

Could be interesting.

I couldn’t agree more. It would have been better to keep his mouth shut and let her family have peace.

No doubt there will be accusations of her being done wrong.

Her own family let her down when she said she didn’t want to go through with the marriage.

Let us hope he addresses that too.

I intend to, or rather not do

It seems to me tasteless in the extreme - if not particularly surprising from him - and I won't want to top up is alimony fund

Prince George will be starting there in September and no doubt Louis will follow. Philip attended Gordonstoun and he insisted his three sons did likewise, which was an unpopular decision. Until the age of 13, Anne was tutored by a governess at the Palace and then attended Benenden. Prior to that, royal children had tutors in the Palace nursery. It was unthinkable to let them mix with others apart from their own relatives.

I think Louis might end up at Marlborough. The odds are Charlotte will since Eton isn't co-ed. I think they'll choose between them when Louis is old enough.

Thing is it will be everywhere, snippets all over the media. There'll be no escaping it.

I’d be emotionally unbalanced if I found out that my husband was in love with someone else when we got married and as soon as I had pushed out the spare, at the age of 23 years, I was expected to pretend in public that all was well. And that later on my dc were expected to be part of the “happy family” deceit.

I don’t think that either Charles or Diana were narcissists btw, more victims of circumstance.

I do think that both Diana and Charles brought their own problems to the marriage. Anything that happened going forward was just another problem to add to them.

That said, I heartily agree that they were both victims of circumstance and that had it happened a few decades on, they would never have been ‘matched’.

Different times and different expectations of them both.

Those are good points, 👍🏼

Yes, that's definitely going to happen! You can imagine the headlines.

Charles Spencer lacks decency and a conscience. He failed his sister in life and now he is among the many who have sold and exploited her in death. This book will no doubt stir up more media interest and once again throw her back into the headlines all so he can pocket some easy cash after his latest divorce settlement. He is not a nice man. He is a serial cheat and his adult children are estranged from him.

You're not wrong, Gloriia, but fortunately there's no obligation to read it

I don’t know. There is plenty to set straight. And there will inevitably be books published for the 30 year commemoration. Given that fact, I am sure that William and Harry would prefer one of them to be written by a family member, especially given the frequent character assassinations that Diana faces to this day, from which, being dead, she can’t defend herself.

She wasn’t a saint, she was all too human, and those constantly bringing up the saint charge are only doing so in order to give themselves an opportunity to trash her again.

She was, like most people, a mix of good and bad. But she had some excellent gifts too.

And given the fact that Charles Spencer is a historian who has already written some excellent history books, he is a good candidate for the job. I think people are underestimating him when they say he is just in it for the money. He has always defended her publicly, it’s nothing new.

If anything, I think one of his motivations could be to finally allow her to RIP by writing this.

I agree.

But given that he is going to do it anyway, he needs to think on before chucking stones.

Imagine selling out a family member for cash. Imagine selling out a dead family member for cash. Imagine doing that when it will dredge up lots of things for new generations who would likely have been oblivious. imagine doing that when her eldest son wants her to be left in peace.

He is not a nice man? I’ll say.

I do think you have a point about CS and I don't disagree entirely. However, he was 5 years old when his mother left. When he was 8 (trigger warning) ....
he was sent to the most appalling boarding school, at which he and others were violently assaulted and sexually abused. It was a cruel and relentless experience.
Writing about it caused him to have a serious mental collapse and he had inpatient treatment in a clinic to deal with it.
He has not behaved well, but he is a very damaged person.

I agree that what he went through must have been extremely traumatic and damaging. Damaged people sadly do things sometimes that hurt other people and in this case all he is doing is floggjng off what remains of his deceased sisters privacy and dignity.

Someone mentioned on another thread but probably more applicable here that here have long been rumours/ speculation about the physical similarities between Diana and Jemima Goldsmith. That Diana’s father could be James Goldsmith, as their parents were all In the same circle. I googled both and the similarities are striking.

Yes, it doesn't mean he can't be held responsible now, but I think perhaps his behaviour with his wives and children may be explicable, if not excusable. He said that school "sewed demons into the seams of our souls".
I agree with points about the book though.

I'm not sure why he needed to overshare the alleged assault and abuse at school. Aren't these things you tell your friends, family and therapist about?

He doesn't seem to have any self awareness, boundaries or basic social skills.

Obviously we don't know how 'revealing' his gossip book will be but if it was stuff we already knew or if it was very uncontroversial I doubt we'd have this fanfare and build up to it.

She became friends with Jemima, didn't she, and stayed with her in Pakistan. Perhaps relating to an English woman who had married a Pakistani and converted to Islam.
Big age difference in that marriage, too.

It's not just their children, William's children, especially the older two, will be encountering stories about Charles, Diana and Camilla on the internet and the continuing muck-raking will have a negative effect on them too. There needs to be a full-stop for their sakes.

He wrote a biographical book about a school he went to, and he interviewed past pupils. I don't think that's over sharing. Many people write about their childhood experiences, especially ones so very damaging and traumatic. Maybe it helped him to start the healing process.

Yes interesting point.

I hadn’t thought of that but you’re right - it’s not just William who’ll potentially suffer but his children are now old enough to be aware and upset by any salacious revelations.

God, I really hope CS has thought about this too. Fine - write a hagiography about Diana but leave out the muckraking which will hurt your nephew and his children.

I think people on here who are salivating at the thought of the upset it will cause are horrible. There aren’t many, thank God.

I believe he had a breakdown.

Muck-raking ?

Perhaps if Charles, Camilla and the Windsors in general did not behave as they did , there would be no muck to rake.