"Hello Everyone,
The link above is to the pre - wedding interview of 1981 with me aged barely 20 of course and already my
becoming aware of just what I was taking on in marrying the Prince of Wales, though not the whole extent of it
naturally! I assumed wedding vows would be honoured; so he losing his fixation for Camilla and that we'd be parents
making all the difference to us both as when interviewed here we barely knew each other of course!
It is an historical pictorial document and therefore one that I personally felt appropriate being illustrated
on my personal site keeping things real! Some people watching it will remember the time of course whilst for others it
illustrates the apparent innocence of it all so perfectly and for this reason is something that ought to be seen by people!"
With love from,
Diana xx
LONDON — In an intimate wedding eve television interview punctuated by easy laughter and affectionate glances at
each other, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer said they have been overwhelmed by the reaction of Britions and
by the worldwide attention to their romance, engagement and royal marriage.
Sitting together in wooden garden chairs in the sun-filled "summer house" in the vast private park behind Buckingham
Palace, they thanked everyone who, in Charles' words, has been "so kind and generous and marvelous." But they also
admitted the intense concentration of media attention has been a strain on them.
During the 15-minute interview, recorded last Thursday for broadcast on all British television networks the night
before the wedding, the prince said he has experienced "the most marvelous, warm, affectionate reaction, which I just
find incredibly touching." Charles said he and Lady Diana have received 100,000 letters and 3,000 presents since their
engagement. The prince, who was dressed in a dark suit with striped shirt and check gray tie, continued, "And there's a
corridor stacked with, I don't know, 40 sacks of presents and mail which we can't get through."
Diana wearing a gray and white matching loose skirt and blouse with ruffles, a bow and rows of buttons, said they had
received one of every item on the gift lists she established at two chic London emporiums and that she was already busy
writing thank-you notes. She said she was most touched by "all the things that have come from children who've
obviously spent hours of work on paintings, pictures, cards, anything like that, and things they've baked at home. It's
wonderful."
She was less talkative about the pressure she has been under, something she had never experienced before. Prince
Charles, who has, explained how he could endure being watched by a large fraction of the world's population during the
most solemn and personal moments of his marriage.
"I don't know about Diana, but I'm more used to it," he said, knowing for years that there are cameras poking at you
from every quarter and recording every twitch you make. So, you can get used to it to a certain except, and on those
occasions you accept that that's part of it. I think if you don't try to work out in your own mind some kind of method
for existing and surviving this kind of thing, you would go mad."
Turning to his fiance, Charles asked, "Do you find after the last six months you're beginning to get used it?"
"Just," said Diana, forcing a smile as she peered out shyly from under the familiar wave of hair across her brow. Her
emotions, including an expression of frustration at not being able to invite more relatives and friends to the wedding,
were more evident throughout the interview than those of Charles, and she occasionally appeared bemused by his
much-practiced earnest television tone.
Asked by one of the interviews if Charles had been a great help to her in adjusting to the public pressure, Diana looked
admiringly at the prince and said, "Marvelous. Oh, a tower of strength."
"Gracious!" Charles responded, slapping his hand on a chair arm.
"I had to say that 'cause you're sitting there," Diana said, and they both laughed.
**********************************************************************************************************
Not long after the interview was recorded, the strain appeared to become too much for the tall, slim 20-year-old. Diana
fled in tears from the stands during a polo match Saturday under the pressure of nonstop attention from
photographers. At another polo match in which Charles played on Sunday, she still looked uncomfortable and nervous,
retreating much of the time to the back of the royal enclosure or half-hiding in a doorway.
In a television interview before the Sunday match, Prince Charles blamed her discomfort on repeated press reports
that Diana does not like horses and is both bored watching the prince "play polo and worried about his safety. "I really
think the problem -- and it's worth emphasizing," Charles said, "is that one constantly hears that she does not like polo,
which is absolute rubbish.
"It's not much fun watching polo when you are being surrounded by people with very long lenses poking at you from all
directions the entire time and then taking a photograph, which is quite easy to do, saying 'looking bored,' "Charles
argued. "I think all this added up to a certain amount of strain each time and it told eventually, hardly suprisingly. So I
hope after we get married it will be a bit easier for her to come to a polo match without this intensity of interest."
Earlier, in written answers to questions from Britain's press association, Diana had said, "It has taken a bit of getting
used to the cameras but it is wonderful to see people's enthusiastic reaction. It is most rewarding and gives me a
tremendous boost."
Acknowledging in that interview that her life will still be quite busy after the wedding, Diana said, "I look forward to
that, but I do hope that we will also be able to have the opportunity to have some time to ourselves," to share mutual
interests she listed as music, opera and outdoor sports, including fishing, walking and, indeed, polo.
After she becomes princess of Wales, Diana said in their wedding eve television interview, she wants to visit and learn
more about Wales and expects to continue her involvement with children. "But interests will broaden as the years go
on," she added. "As I'm 20, I've got a good start."
Recalling that he also "was about 20 when I launched, or was launched, onto the scene," Charles said he expected Diana
eventually to develop some interests and projects separate from his own, "After a bit, you develop your own sphere,"
he said.
When asked about what their home life might be like, Charles turned to Diana, paused and finally prompted her, saying,
"You're the one with domestic responsibilities."
Diana answered dutifully that she was "looking forward to being a good wife" and said she was an "average" cook,
adding with a sidelong glance at Charles, "You haven't tasted anything 'cause I won't let you."
Charles then said, "It's is the most difficult thing trying to work out how you can have a family life as well as all the
public demands that there are. I tend to lead a sort of idiotic existence trying to get involved in too many things and
dashing about. And this is going to be my problem, trying to sort of control myself and, you know, work out something
so that we can have a proper family life.
At the end of the wedding eve television interview, conducted by the BBC's Angela Rippon and Andrew Gardner of the
independent commercial network, Charles glanced at Diana and said: "We just look forward to being able to do as much
as we can to help in this country and elsewhere in the commonwealth."
Asked if it would make a big difference to now have a "wife by your side," the prince said, "It's marvelous to have a lot
of support."
Clasping Charles hand tightly for the first time during the interview, Diana responded, "I'm glad. I like that."
"Hello Everyone,
People might remember that as with Chelsy and Harry I encouraged William to resume his
relationship with Catherine here on my site. I do recall that she personally dislikes being called Kate, something the
media seem to be oblivious to respecting!
Both boys duly took notice of Mummy's advice and did so and I certainly feel have made the right
choices so have personally encouraged them and strongly feel that Catherine and William are wise to take time to
marry and have previously suggested a longer official engagement then the Prince of Wales and I had; a summer
engagement would be lovely... around my birthday, perhaps ?
I would not imagine Catherine is in any hurry to become a royal knowing the immediate
pressures this will bring upon her until, as it is suggested, she is fully trained and confidently prepared to deal with
them. William, sensibly I am sure, recognising this fact in no desperation to push her. I am confident as this report
indicates they will when they feel comfortable to do so unite as man and wife and hopefully retain a happy marriage and
promised vows exchanged between them remaining something honoured by both of them. Indeed on this note here is
something that caught my eye and definitely worthy of recording here on my site for all too obvious reasons!" ....
With love from,
Diana xx
The media relationship that another past royal girlfriend had with the press many moons ago has come to light.
Camilla Parker Bowles now H.R.H. Duchess of Cornwall had a working relationship with The Sun's Stuart Higgins over
a ten year period. Of course many speculated on where Mr Higgins was getting his very accurate accounts of the failing
Wales marriage. Most considered the fact it was coming from a member within the Prince of Wales' circle and many
were completely correct.
All accusations were met with denials both from the Prince of Wales's set and from Mr Higgins himself. It wasn't until
years later that the former Sun reporter revealed the extent of his relationship with Camilla. At least once a week
Camilla would give Stuart Higgins details of the goings on within Charles and Diana's marriage.
Respected royal author Sarah Bradford wrote about the Higgins/Camilla relationship:
For years Camilla had secret --off-the-record telephone conversations with the editor of the Sun newspaper, Stuart
Higgins - a curious relationship which illustrated the web of understanding and complicity in the circle around Charles.
'I didn't sense that she and the Prince were out of touch,' Higgins recalled. ' I talked to her once a week about Diana and
Charles. Camilla guided me on things that were not true or things that were off the beam.' He would run stories past her
as a check and he could hear her, hand half- cupped over the receiver, repeating them to her husband. ' Guess what
they're saying about us now, Andrew,' she would call out, and even the tabloid editor was astonished by their openness
about her affair with Charles.'It has been said Andrew Parker - Bowles a friend of Charles bragged about his wife's affair
with the Prince of Wales to friends saying that " He was laying down his wife for his country!"
(A snapshot from the
actual interview.)
actual interview.)
