Today is the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, ex-Princess of Wales. There is a service today where her family and friends are going in remembrance. The papers have been filled lately with details, who is going, who wasn't invited, why Camilla isn't going. Supposedly invited, apparently she decided her presence would detract from the event so she is off on some holiday with girlfriends. Detracting? I would say so. The woman was, admittedly, the mistress of the Prince of Wales during pretty much the entirety of his marriage to Diana. Not to say Diana was an angel. But I just think it goes to show how "normal" this mistress thing is, when it doesn't even occur to the Royal family that she shouldn't be there until there is some kind of public outcry. (You do kind of get caught up in it!)
So yesterday, I decided to take a jaunt over to Kensington Palace and see what, if anything, was going on there. Diana was residing at Kensington when she died. I had heard that people were dropping off bouquets and such at the gates. I remember when she died seeing the pictures of yards and yards of flowers there and at Buckingham Palace. That phenomenon has always surprised me. I can't imagine going out and buying a bunch of flowers for someone I didn't know and leaving them at some particular point that I have no connection with. I have seen it at accident sites, crime scenes etc. Never understood it. I don't know if I am unsympathetic or cheap or what but I am interested in the type of person that does that.
So off I go. The first thing I notice when I get there is that there are many
more
people milling around the front gates then when I last was there in March 2007. But I am not sure if that is because it is close to the anniversary or if it just more tourists because it is still tourist season here in Europe. But as I get closer I can see there are television trucks in place, and camera crews running around trying to interview people. Off to the right side under the tree, is Diana's ex-protection officer being interviewed by a television morning show. People are arriving and putting up collages, pictures, cards,etc. Some of the arrangements are simple, flowers from someone's garden, a collage of pictures from a magazine. Others are floral arrangements from a florist. Some include cards.
The news crews were scrounging around looking
for people to interview. "Do you remember where you were when you heard?" type of questions. There was one woman I saw getting interviewed by two different news organizations. Based on her appearance I think she was Diana obsessed. From afar this outfit doesn't look too bizarre but up close you can see her little 
"Diana" rosette. 
Take a closer look at that purse. She either bought a Diana purse with all these pictures on it or she had it made that way. Either way - a little disturbing.
I think what we (I mean US people or maybe just myself) can't understand is that the English people feel "ownership" in a way of their Royal Family. So when they do something "bad", they chastise them and tsk, tsk,tsk - just like your grandmother would. When they do something good, there is a real sense of pride. So to them, this is not strange, they are paying their respects to a geniune, full fledged member of their own family. It is what you do. I expect the crowds will be huge today at Kensington Palace and the little rosette lady will do interview after interview. I suspect she has a whole new outfit picked out for today and I am going to check it out on the news later.
So yesterday, I decided to take a jaunt over to Kensington Palace and see what, if anything, was going on there. Diana was residing at Kensington when she died. I had heard that people were dropping off bouquets and such at the gates. I remember when she died seeing the pictures of yards and yards of flowers there and at Buckingham Palace. That phenomenon has always surprised me. I can't imagine going out and buying a bunch of flowers for someone I didn't know and leaving them at some particular point that I have no connection with. I have seen it at accident sites, crime scenes etc. Never understood it. I don't know if I am unsympathetic or cheap or what but I am interested in the type of person that does that.
So off I go. The first thing I notice when I get there is that there are many
morepeople milling around the front gates then when I last was there in March 2007. But I am not sure if that is because it is close to the anniversary or if it just more tourists because it is still tourist season here in Europe. But as I get closer I can see there are television trucks in place, and camera crews running around trying to interview people. Off to the right side under the tree, is Diana's ex-protection officer being interviewed by a television morning show. People are arriving and putting up collages, pictures, cards,etc. Some of the arrangements are simple, flowers from someone's garden, a collage of pictures from a magazine. Others are floral arrangements from a florist. Some include cards.
The news crews were scrounging around looking
for people to interview. "Do you remember where you were when you heard?" type of questions. There was one woman I saw getting interviewed by two different news organizations. Based on her appearance I think she was Diana obsessed. From afar this outfit doesn't look too bizarre but up close you can see her little 
"Diana" rosette. 
Take a closer look at that purse. She either bought a Diana purse with all these pictures on it or she had it made that way. Either way - a little disturbing.
I think what we (I mean US people or maybe just myself) can't understand is that the English people feel "ownership" in a way of their Royal Family. So when they do something "bad", they chastise them and tsk, tsk,tsk - just like your grandmother would. When they do something good, there is a real sense of pride. So to them, this is not strange, they are paying their respects to a geniune, full fledged member of their own family. It is what you do. I expect the crowds will be huge today at Kensington Palace and the little rosette lady will do interview after interview. I suspect she has a whole new outfit picked out for today and I am going to check it out on the news later.
P.S. You should be able to "click" on the collage to see any of the pictures larger.
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