Will Paparazzi Hound Kate as They Did Diana?
The paparazzi relentlessly pursued Princess Diana from the day she was linked to Prince Charles until, literally, the moment of her tragic death.
Will they also make life - and maintaining privacy - extraordinarily difficult for Kate Middleton, whose engagement to longtime boyfriend Prince William was announced Tuesday?
Two longtime observers of the royal scene in Britain say - not likely.
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"Nobody really knows who's ready" for that kind of spotlight and limelight, CBS News contributor, Neil Sean observed to "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill Wednesday. "I mean, you know, when you join something like the Royal Family, how could you possibly know? There's nothing to compare it with. But I do think what's, not easier for her, but… A) She's older, certainly a little bit wiser (than Diana was when she married Charles), and I think she has the beauty of looking at history and seeing what sort of direction she wants to go down. (In her joint news conference with Prince William Tuesday) you could see she's quite a feisty girl, beyond that sort of niceness. There' a bit of feistiness there."
"She's come out in the past when she was unhappy with photos taken or information that was out there, armed with her lawyers and said, 'This is not OK," Hill pointed out.
"That's right," concurred Arthur Edwards, a royals photographer for the British newspaper The Sun. "Also, we have human rights laws here now where people can do that (stop what they see as unfair public treatment). And, you know, she's protected by those laws. And the paparazzi know, if they go over the mark, if they do anything that interferes with her privacy, she can take them to court. I'm sure the palace will do that.
"They can't have what happened to Diana (who died in a car that crashed while paparazzi were in hot pursuit) happen to this girl. This girl is 28. She's ready for this job now. It's going to be a tough, tough job. Joining this family is not easy. Look at the history.
"But, you know, she's determined. And I think, looking at William and Kate yesterday, he's left it (until) this late because he wanted to be certain for both of them, and I think this couple will be married forever. I really do. And he'll protect her. And the palace will protect her."
The biggest thing Middleton is likely to have to worry about is any gaffes she makes in public, Neil Sean added.
To see the entire interview, click on the video below:
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