Not a lot to say, as I'm home again and scurrying to catch up. Watched "The Queen" last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Couln't help but notice that the WSJ did a piece on all the upcoming Diana books coming out this summer in honor of the tenth anniversary of her death.
And I've got to say--in the battle between the Diana and Buckingham Palace, I usually find myself siding with the palace. Diana knew what she was marrying into, she knew about Camilla from the beginning, and she was a master manipulator of the press. The girl had some real problems, but the public didn't see that side of her--though occasionally we were "treated" to transcripts of her cell phone conversations with her lovers.
(Eye rolling here.) In any case, I'm for moving past the sordid mess and getting on with life. Perhaps I tend to side with the Queen because I'm the sort who likes to folllow the rules . . . it's in my nature. And tradition can be a lovely and meaningful thing. In times of stress, it can hold a country together, and the Brits have been examples of courage under fire many times.
On the plane home yesterday, I was reading a book called "Survival of the Prettiest" (research), and I learned/realized that one reason the public loved Diana was because of her beauty. If she'd been plainer, or cared less about her clothes, hair, and makeup, I'll bet my booty that the public hue and cry wouldn't have been nearly as great. Deny it if you will, but research has proven that people forgive beautiful people a lot faster than they do plain folks.
Princess Anne, for instance, has zillions of charities, ditto for Charles, and do they get the publicity Diana got? No.
In any case, beauty--which is often only skin deep--gets forgiven a lot in this life. Don't think it will account for much in the next, though.
~~Angie
