By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Although dubbed the ‘people’s princess’, the public was kept away from a memorial service Friday on the 10th death anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales, who continues to engage the hearts and minds of millions across the world.
Speaking at the service at the Guards’ Chapel near the Buckingham Palace, her son, Prince Harry said she was “the best mother in the world”. The service was attended by a select gathering that included members of the British royal family, Diana’s friends and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Without mentioning the continuing spin of conspiracy theories in the media about the cause of her death in 1997, the Bishop of London said it was now time to “let Diana rest in peace”. The Right Reverend Richard Chartres said the princess’s memory should no longer be used to score points, and urged: “Let it end here.”
Also in the audience were former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major and former members of the princess’s staff, all of the bridesmaids and page boys from her 1981 wedding, and over 110 representatives of charities and organisations with which she was associated.
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was invited to the hour-long service but decided not to attend, saying her presence would be a distraction.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the venue and many others placed flowers at the gates of Kensington palace, Diana’s former home.
Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died in the crash alongside Diana, laid flowers at a shrine he has built at his upscale London store and a two-minute silence was held.
Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, who wrote the prayers at the service mentioned Diana’s “vulnerability”, her “tragic and untimely death” and the “hope and joy” she gave to many.
Meanwhile, Diana’s death in Paris continues to excite conspiracy theorists. A French journalist this month claimed to have seen hospital details about Diana being pregnant when she died, a claim discounted in Britain.
Stories continue to be published regularly in the British press about new angles to her death. A BBC analysis of articles in British newspapers and magazines over the past 10 years shows that Diana still regularly attracts more than 8,000 mentions a year.
By August this year, there have already been over 7,000 mentions, and more are expected due to this being the tenth death anniversary. Television and radio continue to broadcast special features on her while several books can be seen jostling for space in bookshops.
The Daily Express editor Peter Hill, whose paper is seen to be obsessed with her story, told the Independent newspaper: “My job is to produce newspapers that people want to read and I can tell you that people want to read about the Diana conspiracy because the figures tell me that they do. People are fascinated.”
Sally Cartwright, director-at-large of Hello magazine, told the BBC that the publication saw a 15-20 percent boost in sales of two issues this summer, when they ran a Diana supplement and a cover story on the two princes at her memorial concert.
She said: “No-one sold magazines and newspapers like Diana. When she was alive she could comfortably boost sales by anything from 20-50 percent. No one since has had the same effect, no one has replaced her.
“It was a symbiotic relationship. She used the media to put her case across, and we used her to sell millions and millions of magazines and newspapers. For her, it proved a very expensive relationship.”