Disturbing legacy

It’s that time of year again, the last week of August, and people are already jockeying in order to cash in a year from now,  the tenth anniversary of Diana’s death.  Tina Brown, a lady who would dumb down Big Brother, was first out of the blocks, her book promising to reveal unheard-of-before secrets. Incidentally, Tina Brown never met Diana and does not know many people who did, but is nevertheless considered a Diana expert. As far as I’m concerned, the only person outside Di’s family who is qualified to write about her is Rosa Monckton, Dominic Lawson’s wife, who not only was a good friend to the tragic one, she also knew about the charade that was Diana & Dodi.

I, too, am cashing in. I am a contributor to the Larry King book on Diana; Larry King being a very popular TV chatshow host based in Washington DC. About 15 years ago, while on a book tour, I appeared on his programme and let it drop that the Chuck and Diana marriage was practically over. King forgot all about my book — the third bestseller in history after the Bible and Mein Kampf — and pumped me non-stop for info. In fact, my segment lasted one whole hour, to the annoyance of some minor celebrities waiting to go on. Mind you, it seems everyone knew about the bad marriage except for 300 million Americans much too busy eating hamburgers, memorising television ads and watching American football.

Never mind. Diana died for a blurry picture, a real insult to a nice but tortured woman who used her fame well. As Bill Deedes correctly said last week, what a disturbing legacy she left behind. The idea that a couple of self-publicists are trying to involve Prince Philip in her death is not only bizarre, it’s an outrage which should be prosecuted.