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Diana taught Royals 'a harsh lesson'
16/ 4/2006
THE Royal Family learnt a "very harsh lesson" following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, a former aide told a BBC documentary being screened tonight.
Mary Francis, who was the Queen's assistant private secretary in 1997, talks of how the royals had to recognise that their grief was not merely a private matter.
The Queen At 80 looks back over the monarch's life, assessing both the impact of the Princess's death and 1992, the `Annus Horribilis'.
The series followed the Queen on her daily duties, engagements and overseas tours over the past year in the run up to her 80th birthday, which she celebrates on Friday.
Bowed
Mrs Francis spoke of the the moment when the Queen unexpectedly bowed to the Princess's coffin.
"I was standing quite closely behind her as the funeral procession came along," she said.
"And I recall that she bowed, I wouldn't describe it as nodding her head, she actually bowed, it was completely unexpected I don't think there had been any discussion of it, certainly not with her advisers beforehand.
"But instinctively she'd done it and it was the right thing to do and it was a wonderful gesture.
"I guess that The Royal Family and their advisers learnt a very harsh lesson that week that you have to communicate grief, that you have to communicate sorrow and you have to recognise that when you're The Royal Family other people are feeling that grief - it isn't just a private thing."
The Queen, who was in Scotland with Princes William and Harry, was criticised for failing to return to London quickly and for taking too long to address the nation.
Mrs Francis recalled the mood in the capital at the time.
"I was inside Buckingham Palace the afternoon The Queen came back from Balmoral.
Atmosphere
"There was a very ugly atmosphere in the crowd that was lining The Mall and as her car came down Constitution Hill you could suddenly hear a ripple of applause from the crowd.
"The fact that she had come back was all right, it wasn't completely over with, but you could feel the atmosphere change.
"And I can remember the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh spending a long time talking about what the mood was and what was in people's minds.
"And wanting to understand but not quite being able to be out there and hear as private individuals."
Another ex-aide, Simon Walker, who was the Queen's communications director between 2000 and 2002, said of the monarch: "She's not an actor, she is what she is, she behaves as she does and what you see is what you get.
"There's no putting on of a face in order to be more popular because it just wouldn't work."
The programme also examines the relationship between the Queen and Philip, who celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary next year.
Countess Mountbatten of Burma recalled how news of their romance first broke when the Duke was seen holding Princess Elizabeth's fur coat.
Wedding
"I think the first time the media caught onto it and decided to make anything of it, as it happened, was at my wedding in October 46," she said.
"There's a famous photograph often published of him taking her fur coat at the door ... and sort of looking at each other.
"I think that started a real interest because by then she was much older. So I think people thought "Aha" at that point."
Nelson Mandela paid tribute to the Queen's role as head of the Commonwealth.
The anti-apartheid leader and former South African President said: "The fact that she's able to keep the Commonwealth together is a very impressive political scale."
* The final part of The Queen At 80 will be broadcast on BBC One tonight at 9pm.
DO you think Diana's death taught the Royals a 'harsh lesson'? Have your say.
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18/04/2006 at 00:04
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