Diana, rewritten and erased

Posted on 8 November 2013 by Ros Coward

Sniggers over the recent biopic are part of a greater perception of Princess Diana herself – as an embarrassment to be forgotten.

The Princess Diana biopic has bombed in the US, making only the equivalent of £40,000 from initial screenings in 38 cinemas in its first weekend. It is tempting to conclude that America has finally fallen out of love with Diana. But much more likely is that potential audiences were deterred by the panning the film has received on both sides of the Atlantic.

I kept away from the film when it was released in British cinemas for precisely the same reason: it sounded cringe-making. Yet even as I kept away, I was puzzled by the wall-to-wall contempt it had provoked. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, writing in the Independent on Sunday, found the critical sniggering excessive too; was it, she asked, because some elements of the story, especially Diana’s intimacy with a Pakistani doctor, were still unsettling?

For full story:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/diana-rewritten-erased-film-princess-embarrassment

Why Kate Middleton is no Princess Diana

Posted on 20 March 2012 by Ros Coward

Media and public desire for a new people’s princess is palpable. But this time the royal family are ready

Kate Middleton has given her first speech. Cue enormous excitement in the media and huge praise. According to one source, she delivered an “assured” performance to “rave reviews”. The speech in fact was a few tremulous sentences in which she thanked the charity for inviting her, described its important work, and mentioned missing William.

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/20/kate-middleton-no-princess-diana

Diana: the unanswered questions

Posted on 2 October 2007 by Ros Coward

I welcome the inquest into Diana’s death. Hopefully we’ll finally be able to tie up some still-dangling threads.

Most people I know affect a fashionable ennui around Diana these days. The line is that the mourning of Diana was mass hysteria, interest in her life unhealthy and, in particular, any interest in the details of her death the morbid obsessions of conspiracy theorists. In relation to the inquest in to her death, which opens today, the general line is what on earth more could we ever find out about a drunken car crash? So am I the only person left in the UK who thinks that an inquest into the death of Princess Diana, might, if done properly, actually be quite useful?

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/oct/02/dianatheunansweredquestions

Diana the victim

Posted on 31 August 2004 by Ros Coward

Princess Diana died seven years ago today. Since then she has been branded as the ultimate media Machiavelli, a skilful and devious self-publicist. But in reality, says Ros Coward, who has interviewed those closest to her for the first authorised biography, she promoted her image only for the good of others – and it was she who was manipulated

One fact everyone seems to know about Princess Diana these days is that she was an ace manipulator of the media. This view has arisen relatively quickly. In the immediate aftermath of her death, people united in distaste for the role the media appeared to have played; indeed the media acknowledged how much she had been tormented by collectively agreeing to spare her young sons similar attention. Only seven years later, however, more details are known about how she talked to the press, occasionally staged photo-opportunities, and gave that Panorama interview. Some talk as if Diana was the ultimate media Machiavelli, perhaps even the architect of her own disaster. In seven short years, the victim has become the criminal.

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/aug/31/monarchy.historybooks

Mr Al Fayed: an apology

Posted on 8 November 2002 by Ros Coward

Of all the unlikely and unpleasant people claiming attention in the wake of royal butler Paul Burrell’s revelations, who would have thought Mohamed Al Fayed might emerge as vaguely plausible? But his conspiracy theories have certainly received a boost.

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/nov/08/monarchy.comment

Reasons to be tearful

Posted on 2 August 2002 by Ros Coward

Like Christmas and most other anniversaries these days, the fifth anniversary of Diana’s death came early. Tabloids have been full of Diana pictures and there have been desperate attempts to stimulate interest in new old gossip. Even erstwhile Diana fans like myself are thinking perhaps it’s time to let go.

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/aug/30/monarchy.comment

Ros Coward

Journalist, Author and Academic // @RosCoward

Category Archives: Princess Diana