It looks as if this whole bizarre inquest into Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed is coming to a close at last, with the official verdict putting conspiracy theories to rest and blaming the paparazzi and drunk chauffuer Henri Paul for killing Diana in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
Last night my housemates and I were exchanging our "where were you when Princess Diana died?" memories. I recall quite clearly that I was running around the quadrangle at my brand-new university, the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, playing get-to-know-you games with the other first-year students during our college orientation. It was a hot and muggy day made warmer by the games we were playing, and as we stopped to take a breather someone came out of a building and whispered something to our leader. Soon we were all buzzing with the news that Princess Diana was dead.
I didn't think I cared that much about Princess Diana, and yet that moment is emblazoned in my mind as clearly as when I learned about 9-11, so her death obviously impacted me as much as it did the rest of the world. What I haven't really understood, though, during my time in England, is why the details of Diana's love life have been splashed across the front of every newspaper as an inquest costing taxpayers 10 million pounds has proceeded.
I haven't given any credence to the various conspiracy theories stating that the fatal car accident was staged by British intelligence and overseen by the Duke of Edinburgh (the Queen's husband Prince Philip). And yet, the Daily Telegraph reports in the article linked to above that almost one-third of Britons believe Prince Philip masterminded Diana's death. For the record, the official coroner at the inquest stated there is "not a shred of evidence" supporting the conspiracy theories.
I find this all incredible and also very sordid. I don't think very often about Prince William and Prince Harry, but I felt for them when excerpts of Diana's love letters to her boyfriends were prominently displayed on front pages across the country. For their sake, and for the rest of us who have more important matters to pursue in the world, I hope this is the end and that Princess Diana's memory can finally rest in peace.
Amen. The fact that the only survivor of the crash was also the only one belted into his seat should tell Mr. Fayed something.