Ill admit it. I loved Diana, Princess of Wales. I got up early on the morning of July 29, 1981, to watch her fairytale wedding along with the rest of the world. Over the next several years, every magazine seemed to have her picture on the cover, and I bought them all. I loved reading about her clothes, her jewels, the wonderful homes she lived in, the beautiful little boys she gave birth to. I even liked hearing about her disagreements with Charles; it proved she wasnt perfect.
When she died in 1997, I felt a tremendous sadness at the loss of someone whom I thought, illogically, that I knew rather well. The next year, when I went to the UK, I made it a point to visit Althorp, the family home where Dianas buried. You cant go to her grave, of course; shes buried on an island in a lake, like an Arthurian princess.
Now Kate Middletons come along, the next possible queen, and shes not a bit like Diana. When she marries Prince William next year, Kate will be 29 almost a decade older than Diana was at her own wedding. And that means Kates been out in the world a lot longer, working as an accessories buyer and taking photography classes from the legendary Mario Testino. She and William have broken up and reconciled; theyve lived together for a few years. Theyre about as prepared for marriage as any couple can be.
As for Charles and Diana, they seemed to barely know each other even after they were engaged. In a televised appearance a few months before their wedding, the interviewer said that he assumed the two were in love. Diana answered, Of course. Charles harrumphed, Whatever in love meansPut your own interpretation on it. Why did anyone (including me) ever think this was a fairytale romance? It was an arranged marriage. But we believed what we wanted to believe. And there was something else, something that very few people knew at the time: Charles was in love with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he had met about ten years earlier. Camilla was much more Charless style than Diana: brisk, practical, an excellent horsewoman and hunter. She wasnt high-strung like Diana, and she was always discreet. And thats where the Kate connection comes in. Shes not a shy aristocrat like Diana; shes a confident and self-possessed upper-class girl with a good education. She doesnt play hide-and-seek with the paparazzi or court them; Diana did both. Kates much more like Camilla, whom Charles finally married in 2005. Both women know the value of discretion and public restraint; unfortunately, Diana never learned that lesson. Nonetheless, Diana is a presence in Kate and Williams world. The Prince gave his fianc the same diamond-and-sapphire engagement ring that Charles gave Diana. Theyre going to be married in Westminster Abbey, where Dianas funeral was held. Could her memory ever overshadow her sons marriage? Anything is possible, but given the couples practicality, its extremely doubtful. No one will ever idolize Kate; theres already some media buzz that she wont be selling nearly as many magazines as Diana did. Thats all right, though. Its much better to be a somewhat uninteresting, contented woman than a beautiful princess trapped in a luxurious cage. Even Diana would probably agree with that. About the author: Anne Callaghan is a freelance writer who lives in New York City.
