Are Di's Legacy And Memory Fading?

Some Observers Think So, Especially In Britain

(CBS)  She was called the People's Princess and, 10 years after her death, Princess Diana's memory is safe in the hearts and minds of her countless fans.

But, say some observers of the international scene in general and Britain in particular, it may not be burning quite as brightly as might have been anticipated. Those observers also note that the humanitarian causes she worked so hard for have faded somewhat from the public eye.

So what state, exactly, are Diana's memory and legacy, 10 years after her death in a tragic car crash in a Paris tunnel?

The funeral oration of her brother, Earl Spencer, may be proving something less than prophetic, some experts feel.

"We give thanks," he said, "for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds."

---

Photos: Diana, The Crusader

---

But, notes CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar, 10 years later, the most concrete monument to the memory of the princess is a fountain in Britain, a problem-plagued fountain that, with its rushes of water, is supposed to depict the turbulence of Diana's life.

For a woman who cared so much for the homeless and the sick, MacVicar points out, there isn't a shelter or a hospital that bears Diana's name.

A charitable foundation set up in her memory raised millions after her death, then squandered much of it in senseless lawsuits.

Many of the causes she worked for, even the campaign against land mines, no longer get quite as much public attention, MacVicar adds.

"I think it was probably misconceived to imagine you could continue Diana's work without Diana there," her former private secretary, Patrick Jephson, remarked to MacVicar, "because I know that Diana's work came seventy percent from Diana's own instincts."

---

Photos: Diana, Style Icon

---

On The Early Show in New York on Thursday, publisher and broadcaster Andrew Neil, who was editor of London's Sunday Times during the turbulent Diana years and was rector at St. Andrews University when her son, now Prince William, was a student there, told co-anchor Hannah Storm he feel that, in Britain, "People still have fond memories of her. They like the things she did. They like what she represented, which was a modern monarchy, a monarchy that belonged to Britain, that sounded like Britain. Our monarchy is mainly German. This was some English blood in it. This was unusual -- something from England in the British monarchy. She had ties to the people, and our people, as opposed to their people.

"She was able to deal well with people at the lower end of the social spectrum. She once said to me, 'I get on better with them than I do people at the top.' But, all that said, people have fond memories of her. But there's not a great outpouring of grief, of wanting to have this 10th anniversary. People kind of get on with their lives now without thinking too much about her. She's already become a kind of historical figure in Britain."

On the other hand, Neil continued, "I think she's definitely a bigger deal in the United States (than in the U.K.). Since you got rid of royalty, you've become obsessed with it. We've kind of moved on. We don't bother too much about it anymore.

"People who die young, their memories are often improved. JFK, in this country, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley. Marilyn Monroe, of course. Diana dying young has not boosted her memory. She'd be a bigger figure today if she was still alive."

Neil says he thinks Diana's "greatest memorial" will be Prince William.

"He is a fine young man, the best of Diana is in him. A lot of people, if they had the chance, would say when the queen dies, let's jump Prince Charles (William's father), let's go to this young man of the 21st century rather than this old guy form the 20th century."

Neil also remarked that a flap over the memorial service for Diana scheduled for Friday "has meant that, instead of everybody uniting to honor Diana's memory and think of all the great things she did, it's kind of reopened the civil war between the royal family and the Spencer family. All the different factions are fighting each other. Prince Charles, as usual, gets it wrong. He says he thinks his wife (Camilla Parker Bowles, who first said she'd attend, but now says she won't) should be there. And then, as public pressure builds up, he says, 'No, no, maybe she shouldn't be there.' And there is more coverage about this than about Diana's memory, so it's a bit of a mess."

[keithle1]

This morning it was all over the TV here in USA.

Do we have to put up with this again when it''s the 15th & 20th anniversary of the death of The People''s Princess/God''s Gift To The World?

Will they have a memorial service when it''s the 10th anniversary of the Queen''s death?

There is nothing left to say about her. We''ve seen all the photos & videos a trillion times.
All the secrets are no longer secret.

THE END
_______

[misspp-2009]

Who cares! The woman is dead. Stop romanticizing her! Save the idolatry for a true heroine like Mother Teresa.

[keithle1]

What talent did she have? If she had been some 250 lb fugly pig, no one would care. Of course Prince Charles would never have married her.

Stop acting like she''s a saint or the greatest thing since sliced bread. She had her day. What more do you want? Been dead for 10 years. She ain''t Elvis, Marilyn or James Dean.

[jacksteen1]

Princess Diana was a true modern Saint - as was Mother Theresa, who died the same week as Diana.

Go to www.utube.com and watch any portion of the services for Diana back in 1997. I defy any one of you not to be moved.

All the silliness of the Royal Family squabbles and the papparazzi tailings and their actual murder of her and her friend (and their driver - as well as the maiming injury of her bodyguard) melted away as the nation of Great Britain - and the world - mourned her loss.

Her sons have grown up so proud of her and of their heritage - and I think we should all support them and their charities they have established in her memory.

I agree with the writer that suggested that Charles be jumped over in favour of William - - but I think Charles will end up like Queen Victoria''s son and will have a brief - VERY brief reign before he keels over from playing horsey with his strumpet consort Camilla MudFlaps.

God grant rest to Diana - and God Save Princes William and Harry !

[beautiful121]

I think that people only focus on the bad qualities of people instead of the great that they did, whether it be "everyday ordinary people" or famous(for whatever reason)people.
We should be thankful for the blessing''s that GOD gave us and don''t whine and complain about what you can not change at all.

HAVE A GREAT DAY:):)

[ecuadoriana]

Good grief, she''s dead. Let it go. Move on. People are more obsessed with dead celebrities like Diana, Elvis, Jim Morrison, as well as the live ones they see on TV every day, than they are with the real live people they live with- such as their own kids & spouses.

She did some good things. So OK. But a LOT of people do good things every day that go unnoticed- even by the very recipients of those good deeds.

Everybody goes all gaga over Diana visiting AIDS victims or the Jolie-Pitts adopting another orphan. But thousands of regular every day people sit with the dying or adopt unwanted children. Thousands of people risk their lives to rescue injured animals, help the homeless, bring food & medicines to shut-ins, volunteer in the children''s ward of hospitals...

What about paying attention to your own kid who comes to you with the beaming smile, so proud of herself for getting an A on a tough exam? When was the last time you praised your son for holding the door for an elderly or handicapped person? When was the last time you shut off the celebrity news or put down the STAR to toss a ball around the yard with your kid or took them to the park?

Diana, like Elvis, is dead. But your friends & family are alive. Go hang out with them for a change.

[okiern]

he Royals would like to think British peoples memory has faded. Why is it Charles''s mistress isn''t wanted at the ceremony. he 2 of them made Diana miserable. Diana may have not been perfect, but after living through what she did it''s no wonder she cracked.

[infidel_us]

I''''m ashamed that here in Britain we''''re not having a 10-year service of thanksgiving for the life of Mother Teresa, a truly saintly person.
Posted by bradosol at 02:40 PM : Aug 30, 2007

So true. And I am ashamed that we in America remembered her by calling in to question private letters in which she wrestled with issues of faith. Not that it stopped her from her work, or her prayers, or the many acts of faithfulness she continued with......no, it was more important to point out that she had doubts......like every human being at one time or another. Nice, huh?

[bradosol]

I''m ashamed that here in Britain we''re not having a 10-year service of thanksgiving for the life of Mother Teresa, a truly saintly person.

She died in the same week as the princess, on 5th September 1997.

Her passing went almost unnoticed, amid the hysteria surrounding the other event - apart from those who compared Diana with Mother Teresa!

[dogsoul]

"Oh, I don''''t know....the Sisters of the Poor have been at it everyday since Mother Theresa died 10 years ago. How about we sing their praise?"

Exactly... considering all the taxpayer wealth & fame lavished upon her for no reason other than her family name... I''d say some charitable work was the very least she could do - and to her credit, she DID those things - but I don''t think we should all faint with admiration for it. Aside from her ''station'' in life, she was basically a nice normal British woman who married a jerk, did some charity work, & had a penchant for banging Arabs... not some saint whose legacy must live on - and certainly no better than thousands of others who show compassion to their fellow man.

[potterman13]

Who gives a five pound bag of *** about Diana. I am so sick and tired of "Diana This and Diana That!" She is dead!!!! Let the dead rest in peace and get a life.

[infidel_us]

People should sing her praise every day because it is not often we will find some one who comes along and truly does make os difference.
Posted by trbl24u at 02:00 PM : Aug 30, 2007

Oh, I don''t know....the Sisters of the Poor have been at it everyday since Mother Theresa died 10 years ago. How about we sing their praise?

[adak4]

Diana was our Cinderella. Unfortunately Charles was never raised to be a Prince Charming. If he had treated her the way a husband should she never would have been anything but a loving wife and mother. The English monarcy forced her into a role that she learned to fill so well that they hated her for it. She was able to communicate with people that Queen Elizabeth wouldn''t even recognize.
Diana had a grace and inner beauty that showed all the world what a princess should be in real life. Then all the sorted things that happen in real life did a job on her. A sweet young girl with stars in her eyes became a young woman who had been hurt and treated like dirt.
I hope that Charles is unable to step into his mother''s shoes as the King of England and that his son, who has been raised with the love and care of Diana becomes King of England instead. Prince William appears to be a man to be able to withstand all the stuff the current Queen dishes out and stand up for himself. He and his brother started it when they insisted they walk in her funeral procession. I don''t think Queen Elizabeth expected them to stand up to her, but Diana raised them to be human beings before they became princes of royalty. They will do the immature things that all men do and then become the men she invisioned.

[dogsoul]

HA! I was wondering when the liberals were going to somehow tie THIS one in with Bush too... you guys really are pathetic....

[extremophil]

Are Di''s Legacy And Memory Fading? I certainly hope so.

[jonny_chaos]

infidel_us, Grow some b@lls. I really think you%u2019re born to follow. 9/11%u2026 yep, the real tragedy is how it was exploited by anti-American idiots in the US. Um, the thing that makes us a great country, (the USA) is we are strong enough to take 10,000 9/11s and still be free. that%u2019s not the cowardly reaction I saw from the current administration, all the losers with flags, and those angry at Clinton cause he got some head. Yea, Clinton is a lying scumbag. What do you expect? he%u2019s a politician. At least he was messing around with a chick, unlike a lot of the %u201Cfamily value%u201D republicans seem to prefer. Maybe this wouldn%u2019t have been a big deal if Monica had been mike? All the republicans seem to understand lying about gay ***. Honestly, stepping back and saying screw you Al Qaeda, you cant change us would have been the courageous course. Cowardly a$$holes starting wars and validating the murderous ****** bags in caves was really stupid. Again, tools don%u2019t think. Um, so I may be killed by a terrorist, or a car accident, or cancer, or%u2026 so? That%u2019s life.

[jonny_chaos]

Do we really need people to worship so badly? The things that made her death tragic was her youth and her children. In reality she was just another semi-attractive traffic fatality. I''m not saying her life/death didn%u2019t matter. I''m asking what makes her more important than any other young woman killed in an accident?

[beautiful121]

THAT WOMAN HAD MORE CLASS AND STAYING POWER THAN ANY OF YOU THAT HAS RESPONDED TO THIS ARTICLE.

MAY SHE REST IN PEACE FOR HER AND HER SONS!!!

SHE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMEBERED, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SMALL LOWLY PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY

[infidel_us]

"so that a king can have more than one wife"

Technically, it was so he could remarry.....you made it sound like he wanted to be a Mormon. LOL

[infidel_us]

Are Di''s Legacy And Memory Fading?

One can only hope. I mean, if libs can forget about 9-11 in 6 years, what has Diana done that should outlast an event like that?

If she had been home with her sons instead of w*horing around Paris with Dodi, she''d still be alive.