Discussion about Charles Spencer's book - Swan Song : Diana, my sister , Beautiful, Beloved, Hunted.

[BasiliskStare]

I know there is a thread about the theft of some pre publication editions of this book.
This thread is more by way of a book club discussion about the actual book , the text. Threads will go where they will , but my intention is this is more for me to give my opinion on the book and for others who read it or are interested in the book to join in. I have pre-ordered from Kindle (half price otherwise I may not have 😊) But is only available on September 22nd. So a holding place if you like.

Why turn this on to Camilla? This is about nasty, unsubstantiated gossip, now, alleging that William is "permanently incandescent".
We're refuting that.
We have evidence of his utter humiliation at the hands of Diana, because of that Panorama interview. William was a 13 year old boy.
It's shocking.

The thing is, you've got to engage with them. It's not easy, you've got to work hard, and be determined to move forward.
Harry is far too self absorbed and lazy. Plus the "victimhood narrative" is working for him.

I give you something I noticed on social media today, together with the actual event where this shot was taken from (given the quality, it looks like a screen grab from video footage).William and Kate are part of the official welcoming party for the South Korean head of state, and are looking at the display of historic gifts from Korea that have been laid out at Buckingham Palace. Like others guests you can see in the footage, William is pointing something out on the table in front of them to his wife, who is also looking down at it.

Maliciously and dishonestly misconstrued, but doubtless considered “evidence” by some. Par for the course….

Totally unfair to say that without looking at the actual facts and Martin Bashir’s deception.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57195046

William blames the BBC, not his mother!

I absolutely agree.
I'm not sure anyone who calls their book "Kate!" is likely to be a serious biographer or historian.
I'd just wondered where the "booming" bit came from and found it was lifted from that book.
Not sure why links couldn't have been supplied in the first place.

True. The silly, silly son of a silly, silly woman.

I think therapy only does so much, the person also has to put effort in, and to be able to recognise the issue and want to change. Harry’s opinion of himself and reality are very different.

It's not unfair. Why would Diana do that to her own sons?
How absolutely self absorbed.
I never knew that about what harm it did to William. I now really respect him for what he's doing with his life.
Diana was not a good parent.

It's a very obvious pattern of nothing is ever his fault. Therapy didn't work (because he presumably didn't engage), didn't get the judgement against ANL because the judge is corrupt (not because it was a shitshow of a case), life in the RF is awful because he's the spare (not because he doesn't get what being royal entailed), messed up a speech because someone sabotaged him...he's in a permanent state of rage and grievance.

Not sure how someone could rip a sink off a wall, either. Took my plumber some time to remove mine in the bathroom and he knew what he was doing and had the tools.

I’ ve explained why in my previous post.

Martin Bashir used fraudulent documents to persuade Diana that her most loyal staff were spying on her for the intelligence servives. He had bank accounts mocked up to show her the actual payments.

The interview was therefore obtained under false pretences.

Diana was going through a custody battle at the time and thought she was going to lose her children. Her private secretary of seven years confirmed this but you know better apparently?

And William, although distressed as a fifteen year old, after discovering Bashir’s deception many years later, came to view the episode with much more clarity than you appear able to do.

So bizarre that certain posters are so fixated on trashing Diana and defending the RF, that they wilfully ignore documented facts!

I’m Prince Harry, I don’t need evidence in a court of Law, my word should be enough for you minions

also Prince Harry, here’s my story, it may be true or not but I’ve decided it’s true and that’s what matters

versus William, my circle doesn’t leak so how did they find out about my knee …. Criminal court case with evidence convictions, jail time and Leveson enquiry

Its Darcy and Wickham

I agree it was a very difficult time, but William
has said Bashir’s actions made her understandably paranoid at this time and he was attacked for saying it.

Strangers deciding they know better than her own son.

Andrew Morton’s book ”Diana Her True Story” came out in June 1992. That candidly discussed Camilla and Charles’ ongoing affair, Diana’s bulimia and her self harm attempts. Despite the Palace saying that Diana had not been involved, suspicion was rife, and lots of it was widely taken to be true after its publication.

Diana was very keen to get her side of story out publiclly, it took her a few years to be able to do so openly, but the Bashir interview was certainly not borne just out of her issues 3 years later.

I haven’t caught up with the full thread .

I think if any other mother had her 13 year old son pushing her she’d be told to get him help.
Im sure it happens but it’s not acceptable or the sort of thing you’d ignore .

And the talking about William’s anger HAS continued into adulthood .
Those who support William were laughing at the story of him pushing Harry into the dog bowl . Tabloid stories of Charles fearing William’s rants . Stories of William needing ‘managed carefully’ by staff

In any case people have decided what they think of William already . Again the same older people / younger proper divide exists .

My point was I believe the Windsors present us with a total facade . I don’t believe any of them are genuine and William in particular is v awkward with the public . The smile never reaches his eyes .

I was mainly interested to see a negative William story so soon after a negative Charles story .
Thats all
Was it distraction? Thats the MO isn’t it ? Brief against some else when you need the heat taken off .

Maybe the Ingrid Stewart clip is old - why is it doing the rounds now then. Maybe it was a coincidence.

I know all about that scoundrel Bashir, do not accuse me of lacking understanding or clarity!
It's speaking volumes about William how he's come to terms with it, and how he now regards the whole episode. He's not incandescent with rage is he? So that's more evidence against @Ukisgaslit 's claim.
I just think that Diana should not have done that interview, for the sake of her sons.
I think it was foolhardy and cruel.

Despite the Palace saying that Diana had not been involved, suspicion was rife, and lots of it was widely taken to be true after its publication.

Didn't Diana assure BP that she hadn't been involved? untruthfully, it turned out.

He was a 13 year old boy, who once reportedly pushed his mother away from him because of the hurt from her wretched interview
She was the one who needed help.
Still no evidence of William's temper is there? No evidence of him being "permanently incandescent".

William was 13 at the time of the Bashir interview.

Diana had already worked with Andrew Morton to get her views out into the public.

Bashir was incredibly devious, but no one made Diana believe him, or agree to the interview. Even her own brother had cottoned onto Bashir by the time of the interview! The Bashir interview was the catalyst for the divorce, they were just separated at that time, had she had issues with custody concerns, you contact a lawyer! She was in a far worse position with the RF after Bashir and still got a fairly good deal in the divorce.

Stop making excuses for an adult woman's bad decisions.

I agree with this.

Diana, seen those forged documents, had every reason to feel that the establishment were after her.

She was paranoid but for good reason!

Paranoid, that is, in the sense of feeling
feeling extremely worried, suspicious, or afraid because you wrongly believe that other people are trying to harm, dislike, or cheat you.

I don’t think she was paranoid in the sense of being overly suspicious for no reason.

I think it’s obvious that William was referring to the former definition!

i wonder how CS will address this in his book.

@MrsFinkelstein - "stop making excuses for an adult woman's bad decisions" - absolutely.
And stop blaming a 13 year old boy for his response, and twisting it into a behavioural problem when he's 44.

Stop making excuses for an adult woman's bad decisions.

Perhaps 13 year old William terrified her by shouting and ripping a sink off a wall. Y'know, like father, like son.

In some people's fevered imaginations!
🤣🤣

When William talked about the BBC Bashir interview he said it contributed to her ‘paranoia’

In other words , she was paranoid before .
Whether he realised it or not,he echoed the smear campaign against Diana .
As William will not have written the statement it’s possible , that he did not realise the implications of what he was saying and how it echoed the smear campaign orchestrated against Diana .

In the statement was any attention drawn to the years long campaign ( before the interview )against Diana in the press ? To her having a conversation replayed on her car phone when she’d finished - leading to believe that her phones were bugged ?
She was not paranoid . She knew what was going on