Prince Charles Has No Plans to Commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Princess Diana’s Death, Says Royal Source
As the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana‘s death approaches, a royal source claims Prince Charles has no plans to commemorate her Aug. 31 passing. The royal family reportedly won’t release a statement as the world remembers the woman who single-handedly revitalized the British institution.
Princess Diana’s death came one year after her divorce from Prince Charles
Prince Charles and Princess Diana shared a tumultuous 15 years as man and wife. During their union, the couple welcomed two sons, Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984.
The couple announced their engagement in Feb. 1981 and wed in July of that same year. Most of their courtship took place over the phone. They reportedly only met in person 13 times before Charles proposed marriage.
However, it appeared Diana and Charles were not on the same page from the beginning of their relationship.
“We had this ghastly interview the day we announced our engagement,” she said in the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. “And this ridiculous [reporter] said, ‘Are you in love?’ I thought, what a thick question. So I said, ‘Yes, of course, we are,’ and Charles turned round and said, ‘Whatever love means.’ And that threw me completely. I thought, what a strange answer. It traumatized me.”
Diana and Charles separated in 1992, and their divorce was finalized just one year before Diana’s death on Aug. 31, 1997, when a car crash tragically killed her.
Prince Charles has no plans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death
Charles walked behind his late wife’s coffin during her funeral procession alongside sons, Princes Harry and William, his father, Prince Philip, and Diana’s brother Charles. Since that day, the Prince of Wales has kept mum regarding his late wife.
A royal source told the Daily Beast that “Charles can’t win” regarding any statement he could potentially make regarding Princess Diana.
“Not saying anything makes him look unfeeling, but if he did say anything, he’d be accused of being a hypocrite. He’ll do what he always does and lie low,” the source said.
A palace source also told the outlet that it was “unlikely” there would be any commemoration of Diana’s death by the queen, even though Princess Diana was one of the most significant members of the royal family in years.
One royal author claims the royals want the late princess ‘airbrushed’ out of history
The Princess of Wales’s public meetings with AIDS patients helped to change global perceptions around HIV/AIDS. pic.twitter.com/kl8XvX4y7g
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) October 12, 2017
Jon Conway, the author of the play Truth, Lies and Diana, told The Daily Beast he believes the majority of the royal family wants Diana “airbrushed” out of their history.
“The reason there will be nothing said or done to mark the anniversary of her death is the same reason that there is almost nothing in London to mark her life. They want her ‘airbrushed out of history.’ It’s quite surreal when you consider that she is one of the three most significant royal figures of the last 200 years: you have Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II, and Diana. The establishment does not want any more focus on Diana,” Conway claims.
“This woman did untold good in her life, and whatever difficulties she caused for the family, it is unthinkable not to commemorate her. I am a supporter of Charles and Camilla, theirs is a remarkable love story, but their behavior around Diana inflicted much pain on Diana and the country. At some point, they will need to acknowledge that and do penance for how he treated her,” Conway concluded.
However, it is likely her sons William and Harry will mark the anniversary of their mother’s day in a significant manner, perhaps on social media. The Kensington Royal Twitter account has honored Diana’s philanthropic work in the past.
