With all of the talk about the possible “reunion” of Prince Harry and Prince William for the dedication of the Princess Diana statue at Kensington Palace, I had not put it together that the point of the statue was to honor Diana for what would have been her 60th birthday. Tatler put Diana on their latest cover, and they spoke to Diana’s old biographers and current royal commentators about how different everything would be if Diana was still alive. They manage to not make it too macabre.
In the June issue, five writers celebrate Diana’s many legacies and imagine who she would have been now and what she would have achieved.
Tina Brown writes, ‘Who would Diana have been at 60? I think she would have achieved it all. She was an obsessive communicator – her Instagram account’s numbers would have rivalled the Pope’s. The world has moved decisively in her direction since she died. Everything she said then about the Royal Family’s need to modernise is being reinforced post-Meghan. Everything she felt about the need to promote more empathy and responsiveness is a defining social value today.’
Emma Elwick-Bates reports on the fashion legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales: ‘In what would have been her 60th year, Diana’s style legacy remains colossal, inspiring ingénues; the Starbucks-and-gym trinity in their cycling shorts and oversize sweatshirts; legions of fashion designers; and, of course, the rest of us. She was our princess, and all around us, her fashion hits are on repeat.’
Omid Scobie says that, ‘While Harry and William have lived more of their lives without their mother than with her, the influence of their upbringing by Diana is still evident in both today. She always encouraged those around her sons – be it palace staff or family members – to allow their unique attributes to shine.’
Vivienne Parry talks about Diana’s dedication to charitable work and where she could have been today: ‘It’s interesting to speculate what Diana would have been doing at 60. She could have become a globe-trotting celebrity à la Elizabeth Taylor. But I think she was about to become a significant global presence. I think she would have ended the use of landmines. She would be involved in mental-health causes. She would be a contented grandmother. And, above all, just as her own mother did for her, she would be telling her grandchildren that with privilege comes responsibility. ’
This is honestly one of my favorite gossip games: how different would everything be if Diana had lived? Charles still would have married Camilla, but Diana would have had A LOT to say about it, and Charles would not have been happy about any of it. William would still be a f–king tool but I’m not sure the Middletons would have gotten their hooks into him so thoroughly, I’m sure Diana would have seen to that. She would have haaaaated Carole. But the sad part about this macabre game is that, more and more, I feel like Charles would have found a way to clip her wings, even though they were divorced, etc. I think she probably would have moved to America and maybe remarried at some point. I bet she would have written a book. Done some documentaries highlighting some of the issues she cared about. And her Instagram would be FIRE.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, WENN.
Ooh this makes me sad because she had so much potential.
Agree that her Instagram would be fire. Or she would have moved out of the UK to start anew.
I can imagine her living in the south of France or somewhere like that.
She would have been a citizen of the world.
If diana hadn’t died in that car crash the tabloids, right wing establishment and the royals would have hated her and she would be Britains public enemy #1 right along side meghan. I think some people forget that the establishment wasn’t too found of diana especially not towards the end of and after her marriage. And the tabloids did their best to demonize her right before she died.
Exactly! Her tragic death is the only thing that saved her from the scorn Fergie faces to this day. And Fergie does nothing, so imagine how hardworking, charismatic Diana would be treated! And is everyone forgetting that she was engaged to Dodi al-Fayed? She was well on her way to marry rich and possibly do much more good with the added connections of him and his father.
It’s difficult to predict her relationships with her sons. She would’ve fought for them but I think the media scorn and frenzy (and the fact that she had moved on) would make William really angry (lol) with her and maybe their relationship wouldn’t be so great. Harry is a complete wild card, he could go either way.
I wonder if she and Dodi would’ve had children.
No proof she was engaged. He did not even get a chance to give her the ring that he purchased. I don’t think they would have married at all. And certainly she would not have rushed into another marriage.
Agreed: she had already been to the US and loved what was available to her there in terms of both lifestyle and in philanthropy. She was well received, absolutely adored, in the US. She definitely would have moved there. This is what the idiot Brits seem to be missing, possibly because they’re constantly having Will & Kate shoved down their throats: but the fact is, H&M are the ones truly following in Diana’s footsteps. Diana would have LOVED Meghan, but would have been polite/nice, perhaps loving, but in a very different way with Kate. I agree she would have haaaated Carol Middleton. Nope: she’d be living in the US near Harry & Meghan, and in NY, spending time in Europe. As someone pointed out, if she was alive, the UK would hate her and vilify her as they have done/are doing to H&M, because Diana would have done exactly what they’re doing. She’d never really have gone back…
Well at least they didn’t photoshop her to look older like that one magazine did 10 years ago. That still makes me cringe
Also I don’t think Charles would have married Camilla if Diana lived
I think Charles and Camilla would have eventually married but it would be later than they did and a lot “harder” to do so. With Diana alive, people would be constantly reminded of the “War of the Waleses” and would constantly compare Camilla to Diana which would have made Charles’ PR to improve Camilla’s image much harder.
I think it would have been later marriage to Camilla. Diana would have worked with Charles to see that their sons got attention and she probably would have seen to it Harry was not neglected or scapegoated the way he was.
We can see in Harry’s present what her future might have been.
That’s my thought, too.
beautiful & true
That is exactly what I was thinking. Harry is living the way Diana would have. She may have been the people’s princess, but he is now the people’s prince.
I think she would have relocated to America. I totally believe Americans would have taken her in and protected her like they are now with Harry and Meghan. She would have married a billionaire businessman and leveraged it to become a philanthropic power house. She would have found a true partner in love and philanthropy.
She would have been an early adopter of social media and seen its potential as a force for good and would be killing the game. And she would be hob knobbing with like minded celebrities and powerful women. She’s probably be besties with Melinda Gates and Mackenzie Bezos.
At least Tina Brown isn’t bashing her and Tina is exactly right!! Diana would have accomplished everything and been content, happy and continued her force for good around the world. Diana would have an enormous impact on the world stage and would have delivered the change in society.
This is a hard thing bc it would have changed everything. I do not think William would have turned out quite the way he did, I think he would still be entitled and spoiled and petulant, because he’s the second in line, but there wouldn’t be that added layer of having lost his mother which I think caused people around him to give into him even more. I don’t think Kate would be anywhere in the picture. And I wonder how Harry would have turned out – I think he would have still gone into the military, but would he have pushed so hard to go to Afghanistan?
I do think overall if Diana were here she would be so proud of where Harry is today and what he’s doing, but it’s interesting to think of how different his path might have been.
Camilla’s image rehab definitely would have been a lot messier. I think the image rehab for the royals in general would have been a lot messier. I think Diana would have moved to the US and continued her significant charity work and been a social media sensation.
She was so young when she died, its really sad to think about everything that might have happened.
Becks, I have the same thoughts about Harry. Not sure if he would have joined the army if Diana was still around. The army is a huge part of what he is now and how he is now, and I believe part of his therapy.
I agree with your comment about William. I suspect she would have pushed him to take on more responsibility; that she wouldn’t have tolerated any ‘work-shy’ nonsense from him.
I agree Becks 1, and that Baldimort would be a different person and Kate would never had been in the picture. She was the People’s Princess, that’s is certain. And she would have guided the boys to be forward thinking and thriving towards making the world and their work a much better place in the world.
Diana is just a year older than me and I watched her wedding. Though I did watch Harry and Meghans wedding as well, but I skipped the Keens wedding. The boys would have been different and Diana would have made certain that they towed the line in regards to their responsibilities. Unfortunately, we have two very different grown men raised by the same parents that are two very different people. But I digress. Harry is now the People’s Prince, a role that he happily took charge of and is exceeding in his duty of service.
Diana would have had the world watching her every move and she would have hopefully found happiness and love.
I think Charles would have continued his campaign to destroy her reputation. And I wonder how much influence she would have had on William. From what I’ve read he didn’t seem to like her very much, which is why he married someone completely the opposite of her. I hope she would have married someone who supported and understood her better but I don’t know….
In the doc diana in her own words, diana herself says that harry was the apple of his fathers eye despite charles initially wanting a girl. While william was closer to her, but its hard to say how relationships were when she died because the boys were so young around the time those tapes were recorded.
From the family movies it did look like Charles adored Harry and I get the feeling though they had their ups and downs, (Charles constantly using his children for PR,) Harry and he maintained a closer relationship than the other brother and Charles. It might explain why Harry is still willing to make the effort to mend his relationship with Charles. I think that’s hopeless, Charles can’t change, but Harry has to come to that conclusion himself when he’s ready.
Penny Junor and his pals would probably have slammed her to the media. I think William loved Diana in his own way. Diana would probably have displeased William by discouraging the scapegoating of Harry.
I think that when they were just young kids harry might have been closer to his father while william was closer to his mother but that that dynamic changed right before her death. William was 15 when she died so its natural for a teenager to slightly pull away from your parents while i think harry was growing extremely close to her.
When Diana needed help and support the most, she was being throughly vilified.
Oh I actually find the whole “What would have happened if Diana lived?” game to be quite hard because there’s so many factors. I find it hard with any public figure who died “young” whether it’s Diana, JFK, RFK, MLK etc etc.
But if I had to guess, I would say she would have remarried, possibly living in the US (New York is my choice of destination) and continued her philanthropy efforts. The BRF might not be so popular due to constant reminders of Diana and what she’s doing. She would definitely have a great Instagram.
And I do agree that William wouldn’t have married Kate. The whole appeal of Kate for William (initially at the very minimum) is “surrogate mother” Carole. If Diana was alive, he would not need that so perhaps is interest would have waned and him and Kate would have stayed a college romance and that’s it.
Same with Harry and people may disagree with me. His actions, choice of wife and motivations has been based on Diana and her death. Had she been alive, I think he would have been a nice guy sure but more “Windsorised” in terms of marriage and would not have married someone like Meghan. Or if he did, would not leave the bubble and just went for divorce. Him and his wife would probably have a similar marriage to Edward and Sophie in terms of what it’s like (sexuality aside).
Oh and I think Charles and Camilla would have married but it would take them “longer” than it actually did as the image rehab would be much harder with a very much alive Diana. Talked about this in another reply
I agree with you about Harry. It’s hard like you said because there are so many factors, but I think so much of what Harry has done in the past decade is trying to live up to his mother’s legacy and to make his place in a family where his place is shrinking, so to speak. (since he went from being third in line and fairly important in the pecking order to 6th in line and less important, although you wouldnt know it based on the deranged BM but I digress, ha.) if Diana had lived, would he have that push to continue her work? I think he would in some regards but I think things would be very different.
I think he would have continued to be like her philanthropy wise but in a reduced way and I think he would have been happy with playing “second fiddle” to the more important royals who are higher up in the pecking order because Diana not dying wouldn’t motivate him to make something of himself and to make sure Meghan wouldn’t meet the same fate as Diana.
@Sofia that’s a good point about his determination to protect Meghan. Let’s say everything ended up happening just the same, only Diana didn’t die (we know that it wouldnt have but just for the sake of discussion.) Harry still meets, falls in love with and marries Meghan, and the press still tries to destroy her on a daily basis and the family still fails to protect her. Would he have felt such a strong pull to get her out of there, without Diana’s death hanging over him? I like to think that he would, but of course we don’t know for sure.
I have to wonder though if Harry did marry Meghan and Diana was still alive – would the press be as consumed with destroying her if they still had Diana to attack?
@Becks1 You also make some good points. If Diana was alive and thriving, would Harry have the motivation to leave the royals? I can also see him going “Well my mother is living her best life after divorcing my dad so maybe you’ll be better off if you divorce me?” I’d also like to think he would be since Diana’s death had such an effect it’s difficult.
And again, a good point. If Diana was alive and still the target of gossip columns, would the British media (and international media) care so much about Meghan beyond the “new royal” phase? Maybe not.
I don’t think Diana would have liked Harry marrying “traditionally” I think he’d have been miserable with that sort of marriage. Since possibly Diana would have remarried, she may not have been opposed to him marrying a divorced person.
Oh, I do feel that if Meghan and Harry’s paths still crossed had Diana lived, Diana would have indeed liked her for Harry. Thinking about her personality and the men Diana dated post-Charles, she wouldn’t have been upset at all by Harry falling in love with and marrying a biracial, divorced American woman. My hunch tells me she wouldn’t have had much time for Kate, however.
I think he would have ended up with a more Sophie type. Works hard as a royal, does engagements and just lives the royal life without much noise.
Diana’s death (for better or worse) influenced each of her sons with regards to the wife they’re married too. I don’t see why Harry wouldn’t be affected if she had lived in terms of who he would have married.
True that I think the brothers’ choice of wife was highly influenced by their mother and the tragic loss of her. They both were looking for something very specific that they were missing after her death and while they are completely different women, they fulfill that for each man.
I agree with you.
Harry may not have followed in his mother’s footsteps in a life of philanthropy and service; he chose that path in order to keep her memory and goodness alive. Thus, he may not have met and married Meghan, because their shared interests may have been very different.
William likely wouldn’t have married Kate, or may have done so sooner; Diana wouldn’t have wanted him to string Kate along all those years. She knew what it was like to be married to someone who was unsure of her.
As far as Charles’ campaign to smear Diana in the media…he was unsuccessful in that endeavor. It made him look like a buffoon. Diana was the “people’s princess” and Chuck was never able to overcome that.
I think a lot of what she would have become might have been defined with who she partnered. Diana had so many wonderful qualities but she was seriously messy in love. If she had found someone who anchored her and loved her then she could have been superb. If not then there could have been a series of Dodis or nuisance calling married lovers etc for which the press would have continued to rip her apart.
ETA I’m no royalist but seeing photos of her makes me so sad. Such potential and presence all blighted with unhappiness and an a premature, tragic death.
Oliver Hoare was the one who pursued Diana, and he even went to KP. He encouraged her. There was another woman who came forward and said he got involved with her after she separated from her husband. He was no victim in this. He could not get on his high horse to condemn Diana and he probably knew that. He stayed with his wife and Diana was well rid of him. Diana and Dodi seemed to me to be a fling. Diana I think was in love with Dr. Khan not Dodi. They may have reconnected. Diana made bad choices especially being naive about Prince Charles and thinking the proposal meant he loved her. Hewitt turned out to be a bad penny and sold her out. I think she was used by some of the men she dated. Carling denied an affair and she flat out denied a physical affair with Mannakee. I think the number of “married men” was overstated. She selected the wrong sort of people. I did not care much for her choice of Hoare but the plus side is he did not sell her out to the media like Hewitt did. I think Charles was the messier one in his love not moving on when women he was involved with got married. Cases in point: Camilla Parker Bowles and Dale Tryon. It is messy when a man marries but wants to keep his married ex in his life.
Totally agree, the Hench. Diana was, despite her amazing qualities, a bit of a hot mess in the last months of her life. She was struggling to find her place and making some bad choices. Tina Brown chronicled this in her book about Diana, about how the transition from royal society to international superstar was a weird social change. I hate to be Nelly Negative but I think Diana could have ended up divorced a few more times and flaming out.
I never saw Diana as a “hot mess.” She did not stay in KP feeling sorry for herself and lived in the past like Mrs Havisham of Great Expectations. She was being proactive and wanted a new role for herself. I never “got” the negativity about Diana. She was too good for Prince Charles. Diana died young and never had a chance. She did a lot in her short lifetime though. I doubt Diana would have “flamed out.” I think the family “flamed out” because she was not around. I doubt William would have been able to run roughshod over Harry had Diana been around. Charles seems to have lost control over Will. I think Diana would have focused on charity work and causes. I doubt she would have rushed into another marriage or had multiple marriages. I expected Fergie to marry a few times but she did not. Diana was less likely to and reported told Monckton she needed another marriage like a ‘bad rash.’ I think she may have ended up like Jackie Kennedy Onassis who was widowed twice and she and Onassis were separated at the end and wanted a divorce but died before he could file papers.. she did not rush into multiple marriages, she ended up living with someone and not marrying again at all. I never “got” the negativity over Diana.
Sad to think that if the media and paparazzi had not been chasing her all for some stupid photo and storyline they probably would have fabricated we wouldn’t have to guess.
How quickly people forget.
That we all consumed. We were all at fault. We are still at fault.
Good point, but I didn’t even have cable and truthfully was to worried about medical issues, food and shelter to concern myself with tabloids reading or buying was not a consideration, as for H&M I was recovering from surgery and saw the interview in hospital since I don’t follow any news media or have cable I may have missed all this too. I found this site and stayed since it is not cruel to others and the moderators do an excellent job with keeping it respectful.
I confess to signing into prime to watch Suits, which I soon finished thanks to “Harvey” and the wardrobes the women wore were spectacular.
As much as I complained as a child about only having one channel from antenna if the wind blew right (CBC) as an adult I see it for the blessing it was.
The archives and past comments on this site are fun and knowledgeable I have enjoyed reading through it.
I’d like to think she’d be happy living her life in California. Still a fashion force and global philanthropist.
These ghouls. They support/uphold/feed/are the institutions that were against her, then write mawkish eulogies that neatly absolve themselves of any responsibility in perpetuity to make even more money off her corpse. That’s a hell of a trick.
Brava Lucy!!!
Kate would not have wormed her way into the Royal family with Diana around. Diana would have been in Will’s ear pointing out Kate’s weaknesses and her lack of empathy for those around her that were suffering. There simply would not have been the same emotional hole in William that Carole saw and took advantage of. Also, Diana would have encouraged William to move on from Kate after college if he really wanted that. I believe William kept going back to the Middletons because he had no emotional family seat to return to. Highgrove with Charles and Cams was not doing it for Will, so it was always back to Bucklebury. Anyway, Diana would be going strong at 60 … maybe still parenting her children from a second marriage.
@Haper, I agree. Diana would have picked up on Carol Jenner’s game from a mile away.
Kate takes her direction from her mother and maybe wouldn’t have thrown herself at William so hard if her mother was less of a manipulative social climber. Perhaps William would not have listened to her, but I think Diana would have warned William about women like Ma Middleton.
Diana would have moved to the US and continued her charity work. I’m not sure if she would have remarried. Her treatment by the British press and the Palace would have been exactly like they treat Harry and Meghan now.
After Onassis died, Jackie Kennedy never remarried but she ended up living with someone and not getting married again. Diana could have done the same.
She might not have approved of Meghan. My guess is, she would have liked Meghan a great deal had she met Meghan during a UN philanthropy project. I’m not sure she would have liked Meghan for Harry. Diana was still an aristo with aristo tastes and an aristo upbringing. Even if she liked Meghan personally, she might not have approved of Meghan for Harry. Maybe because she may have been the kind of mother who doesn’t want to be “supplanted” by another woman (no one is “good enough” for my sons) and maybe even due to jealousy (Diana was vain, and was used to being the center of attention). Maybe she would have worried about the racism of the RF and the media–she likely saw the royals casual racism on the regular. I think the loss of his mother is a big reason why Harry was both drawn to Meghan and was so willing to leave the RF for her.
I also think, like JFK, MLK, JFK jr, and others who died young, she has been deified and romanticized beyond what she would have been had she lived. We would have seen Diana aging, and seen how she responded to aging. Perhaps people would not have liked whoever she married next if she did marry again. Even if she had a great social media, many people would have likely seen her as vulgar for participating in social media. People would have had to contend with her as the complicated, contradictory person she would have become. It’s a shame she didn’t get to grow into herself and have the full life we all deserve. I sometimes wonder if people who died young, if their souls still exist in some capacity with sentience, if they get exasperated by the way their deaths are used for image making by others. We all want to be the authors of our own stories, but people who die young don’t get that opportunity.
Diana was not vain IMO. Her husband was though and thought himself center of the universe.Diana was not a snob or put on airs that’s why the public took to her from the very first. The Middletons IMO are snobbish and come from new money. Take for instance Kate’s fussing over protocol for bridal attendants. Diana would have laughed at her. Diana would not have been “jealous” of her sons wives. I think she’d be annoyed with Kate’s workshy ways and lack of interest in anything but clothes and how her hair looks. She would have been amazed at Meghan and probably worked with her on some projects. Charles was the one who wanted to be center stage not Diana. HE moaned about how she was so popular because all she did was marry HIM. Charles and William have displayed jealousy over Meghan. Diana would have taken William down a few notches when he tried to boss Harry around.
True Diana was an Aristo but she never behaved like them.. I think she would like Meghan just fine I read somewhere that she was friends with Michael Jackson and I think she’s ok with Americans and people of color remember she was really in love with Dr Khan and wanted to marry him so I don’t see that she would have a problem with Meghan in any way..
I think she would have appreciated Meghan, her degree, her charitable work, her style. The cookbook and the SmartWorks projects were 100% things that Diana would have also put her stamp on. I think she would have loved seeing her sons spearhead mental health initiatives and I pray that one day Will and Harry will be on the same page again to do that. It was enormously impactful to see two young men talking about those issues.
She also was LGBTQ friendly – Elton John anyone? AIDS? She would have LOVED this century.
Um, saying MLK was “romanticized” as if he would not have accomplished more astounding things if he had not been murdered is worse than strange. He was in the process of accomplishing something amazing with the Poor People’s Campaign, which is why he was murdered.
It’s because of Diana that land mines became a well-known issue. She was also important in demystifying AIDS. She would have continued to do great things. And sleeping with whomever she damn well pleased. Also the idea that she was “vain” and wanted all the attention to herself is bull pushed by Charles pulling DARVO.
That was strange right? The only person who was romanticized in that list was JFK, Jr, whose only accomplishment was being a JFK’s son. MLK accomplished everything we laud him for today. There is no romanticizing.
Everything you said, Kaiser. She is a public figure I miss very much. Her Instagram WOULD have been fire!
One thing is certain, the British tabloids would have pitted her against any of her sons’ wives or girlfriends. They’d have painted her as competitive and jealous and as attempting to upstage her daughters in law, whatever the reality was.
The American journalists would have adored Diana. I don’t know why this jealousy spin came out (it was posthumously done by her critics). Diana probably wanted to be a grandmother and welcomed it playing with her grandchildren. She would be over with Harry and Meghan waiting for the birth of another granddaughter. She would have embraced aging much like Jackie Kennedy did, and she doted on her grandchildren. I think Diana would have cringed with Kate being so workshy and her pursuit of William for years. Not so with Meghan who could have partnered with Diana on projects and causes.
Diana loved babies and littles. She was a natural with them and would be a glorious, loving, fun grandmother. Whatever she felt about her sons’ partners, she would have ensured she was a 100% present grandparent.
Top 3 Things Diana Wouldn’t Do in 2021:
1. Date Ben Affleck
2. Get Kardashian-style lip and butt augmentation
3. Text with Thomas Markle
I like to think she would have put her 1st marriage behind her and was in a healthy relationship with someone who adored her. I would like to think there’d be no Middletons anywhere near William because Diana would have sniffed the desperation and sorted them out before things got too serious. I would hope Harry met Meghan still, but who knows. A lot of who he is now was shaped by the trauma of Diana’s death, which put him in the position to want to be with someone like her. Who knows. I actually think the drama of Charles/Camilla/Diana would have died out from lack of oxygen. She wouldn’t be around to be a battering ram against them nor would they expend so much energy destroying her. Nearly 25 years after their divorce, at this point, who would care?
William might still have married the Middletons, even if Diana didn’t like them. His personality was already “the basher” as a kid. Probably would’ve allied with Charles, as the FFK and Di may have been in another country. I can see Harry leaving the UK even earlier, with his mom as a template for the life he could have outside the RF.
Agreed. I know a lot of people on here say Diana wouldn’t have let the Middletons happen, but if you recall, William was clashing with his mother that summer prior to her death. He was already showing signs of taking sides with Charles. I think he would have married a Kate-esque woman if not Kate herself: subservient, passive wife that doesn’t steal the spotlight and doesn’t compete. Diana alive or not, he would have never married a Meghan-esque woman, even if she wanted him. He doesn’t like the competition (like father like son) I think it’s far more interesting to wonder what Harry would have turned out like.
Kate apparently felt she could not have any real work lest she miss William’s phone calls. I think he enabled her behavior that way.
I think she would have been very tempted to adopt internationally (as that picked up in the late 90’s, early 00’s) but I think she would have stopped herself because of the potential complications to Will and Harry’s futures as heirs. I think she would have had a place in NYC and would have attended the Met Ball a few times in chic interesting gowns but would have put her foot down at some ridiculous theme. She would be a fervent fan of the Williams sisters, Drag Race and possibly a Tracy Anderson devotee. And right now I think she would be quarantining with Harry Styles.
Honestly moved to tears thinking about how stupid and preventable her death seemed. She was such a lovely woman and she did well with promoting important issues while she was with us.
Me too JanetDR. Stupid and preventable are exactly what I say too.
I think that she would have been a fun grandma and would have adored her grandchildren and spent as much time with them as she could. I could see her living in California – maybe married to an American – her third marriage.
We really missed out on her social media. It would have been epic since she would be traveling all over the world and doing interesting things. She would have still been stylish as ever. And photos of her homes. And of course, photos of her grandkids.
I think Diana would not have rushed into any marriage much less two more after Charles. She would take her time.
She supposedly was planning on moving to the Hamptons, if Steve Bing is to be believed. He was trying to help her start again in the US. I think Wm and Harry would have spent time in the US with her and gotten a better view of the world. She would have encouraged Harry to go into the Army if that’s what he wanted. She’d have been a big supporter of military families too.
She would not have married Dodi (their relationship was winding down). Her spouse would have been someone slightly older from old money who would have been content to let her shine. She would have gotten the neccessary therapy for her issues and been just a fun person to follow.
Wm would have married someone else, not sure about Harry.
Something I’ve noticed more and more about a lot of famous women in the 80s and 90s is how they look a generation older than women of the same age today and yet younger. It’s really hard to explain, but Diana in these photos looks more mature and adult than Kate and yet younger in the skin, hair and eyes. Kate looks like an aged girl, whereas Diana looks like a youthful woman who’s older than Kate. Like Cindy Crawford in her 20s looked older than a model such as Kate Moss at a similar age. Is it that this previous generation looked like women earlier, or is it that today’s women stay looking like girls longer, and purposefully so? I wish I hadn’t started down this road – it’s so hard to explain in a couple of sentences!
Completely agree, Robin, I get what you’re putting out there. Hard to explain. Like yes, Diana was beautiful but IMO she always looked “more mature” than her years (at that time of life). Another person that comes to mind for me is Julia Roberts. Beautiful, clearly, but looks a LOT older than 20 or 21 in Pretty Woman IMO. Not wrinkle wise…just…mature? Can’t explain it.
Thank you, Susan, for joining me on that road! It’s good to know someone understood what I was trying to say. Yes, Julia Roberts is a perfect example. Also, the Supers. It’s definitely a phenomenon of the 1980s/90s for young women. I don’t know anyone now of a similar age who looks like Diana did in her 30s, but I can remember pop stars who had that same mature/young look during her lifetime, such as Bananarama. Maybe it’s because people don’t seem to grow up so quickly? Living with parents longer, delaying families and home buying etc. Or simply believing that looking good means looking like a girl rather than a woman, which makes fashion more immature. The weird thing is, you could put someone now in their 30s into the same hair, makeup and clothes, and it still wouldn’t have that look.
I’ve gotta disagree. Kate is in a class all her own with how she looks much older than her years, but puts on that fake girliness. Comparing Diana all made up in princess gear to anyone else isn’t fair anyway.
I totally get what you are saying and agree 100%. Looking at photos of Diana it’s hard to believe that she was only 36 when she died — looking at photos of her she always seemed so much more mature than that. I was 17 when she died and of course 35, 36 seemed ancient to me at that time, but I’m over 40 now and I feel like she looks more mature than myself and other women my age — but not OLD, if that makes sense.
Okay Robin a few others come to mind for me:
—sharon Stone
—Michelle pfeiffer
—demi Moore
What IS it?
Edit: Each generation is hitting puberty much earlier than the previous…
This is brilliant, Susan. I suddenly thought of two things. A younger Cate Blanchett is nearly the same in this young/mature aspect, possibly? Also, the young woman playing Diana in The Crown? I don’t watch it. Does she get the look we’re on about?
I think a lot of it is just that photography wasn’t as clear and crisp as it is now. So anyone that was photographed or filmed in the 80s and 90s looks a little more grey, more shadowed, just not as crisp and clean and brightly lit, and that might be aging. Brightness and light=youth. I also think it has to do with hairstyles and makeup and clothing and even shoes and such being so different today. We see so much more skin today on women of all ages, and that skin is usually waxed, shaved, plucked, tanned, moisturized, glistening, and made up. It just seems like beauty routines get crazier and crazier and more time consuming and meticulous as the years go on. So women in the 80s and 90s might not have every single hair on their entire body waxed off, there wasn’t as much self-tanning and body makeup and blurring/light refracting lotions and creams so you would see the natural skin texture and the natural difference in color. Teeth weren’t as white and as straight. Eyebrows weren’t as meticulously groomed.
I think that a lot of is also that women now continue to look and dress like teenagers even into their 50s and 60s with the long, wavy, colored, highlighted, keratin-treated, shiny, bouncy hair. And younger clothing. Shorter skirts and dresses, more skin on display. Most fashion and clothing styles are geared towards teenagers and young 20s so if we’re buying clothing, it’s meant to look younger and flirtier. I feel like a few decades ago fashion and clothing was geared towards adult women, mature women in their 30s and 40s and 50s. Teens were dressed like girl children and young, unmarried 20s were dressed like their mothers in mature adult clothes. The styles were made for more mature women and their bodies and their skin and what they were comfortable showing. But now, clothing is made for the young, and if we want to wear it, we better keep our bodies and our skin (which will be on display) buffed, and plucked, and shiny, and smooth, exfoliated, wrinkle free, and with an even skin tone. A generic “women’s dress” from 1980 would likely cover the upper arms and the back and the thighs because those are the places where women show age and clothing was made for adult women. But now in 2021 a generic “women’s dress” would likely be above the knees, with thin straps, a low back, maybe even with high slits or cut outs somewhere. Because it’s made for a 19 year old Insta model.
Amy, these are really helpful observations. Thanks.
I dont think Diana would have moved to the States. She was already having less access to the kids than she wanted. She for sure would have married rich for the same reasons Jackie Kennedy did: security. Charles and that whole system would have continued to abuse her, but she would have persevered and likely would have been the scapegoat of choice over Harry. I think her progressive ideas were way ahead of their time, so i do think she would have adopted quickly to social media. She would have liked both of her daughters in law because she was kind, but she absolutely would have kept Middletons at a distance.
She would be beautiful, stylish and joyful, just as she was at 36. Such a loss.
She might have had more kids with someone that wasnt white and it would have been chaos also. But harry would not have been the first with Meghan
You know how Dolly Parton contributed a lot of money for covid vaccine research? Diana would have done that. Diana would also have done exactly what her son and his wife are now doing regarding covid — raising money to get vaccines to the world. This is the sort of thing she would have dedicated her life to.
And in her spare time, she would have banged various rich men, but whether she’d have gotten married again I’m not so sure. It would have taken her a while if she did.
Diana did not want just sex she said she wanted love. She fell in love with Dr. Khan and it was more than sex. Diana also talked about having more children she would have settled own with someone she loved and loved her.
If she wanted love, then why did she marry Charles 🤔 … but she wanted to be a queen, or at least the mother/ grandmother of the king
She was too naive she thought he loved her because he wanted to marry her.Actually, Diana was on Charles’ “list” of prospective brides. She wanted a real marriage and thought she’d have one with Charles.
I’m going to go back and read the article, after this post, but from the title, my first thought was: Pissed off beyond belief that William is awful, and proud beyond belief, of Harry. I don’t even need to look at the comments to know I am not alone.