The people`s reaction on Diana`s death

The people's reaction on Diana's death

The nation and the world still grieves for the loss of Diana. And the time has come for serious questions to be asked, and serious actions to be taken by all who loved Diana, cherish her memory and wish to continue making a tribute to her life by involving themselves with these Issues. The paparazzi have been blamed for driving the Princess to her death, and whatever their actual direct involvement on the tragic night of the crash were, there is no doubt that Diana has been hounded by photographers and the press, in an ever-increasing frenzy to reveal aspects of her 'private life'.

Even at the funeral the photographers actions were dispicable. And they were 'generous' enough to mention a couple of newspapers they were involved with; "The Telegraph" and "The Observer" - 'quality' papers. The were constantly taking photos of nothing in particular. They did not even have the respect to stop taking pictures during the funeral service - instead they took photos of the most upset people they could point a camera lens at. Constantly during the service they were still clicking away. Even during the minute silence, they continued. To my mind, this proves that these photographers were not present for even the slightest sense of paying respect - indeed I don't think they knew what respect was. I wholeheartedly agree with the delivery of Earl Spencers oratory. True goodness as was seen in Diana, was always a threat to the lowlife that dare to photograph 'in the public interest' and yet are not sensibly reporting news but deliberately stirring up antagonism. The press certainly did not improve their reputation with the public.

Earl Spencer: "It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today. Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity, a standard-bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a truly British girl who transcended nationality, someone with a natural nobility who was classless, who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic But your greatest gift was your intuition, and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your wonderful attributes Without your God-given sensitivity, we would be immersed in greater ignorance at the anguish of AIDS and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of land mines The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability, whilst admiring her for her honesty There is no doubt that she was looking for a new direction in her life at this time. She talked endlessly of getting away from England, mainly because of the treatment she received at the hands of the newspapers My own, and only, explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest is this; that a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age. She would want us today to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys William and Harry from a similar fate. And I do this here, Diana, on your behalf. We will not allow them to suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born, and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role. But we, like you, recognize the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible, to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. ... I would like to end by thanking God for the small mercies he has shown us at this dreadful time; for taking Diana at her most beautiful and radiant and when she had so much joy in her private life. Above all, we give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister: the unique the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds."

The Queen spoke to the nation live at 6,00 p.m. on Friday, 5 September, from the Chinese Dining Room at Buckingham Palace: "Si nce last Sunday's dreadful news we have seen, throughout Britain and around the world, an overwhelming expression of sadness at Diana's death. We have all been trying in our different ways to cope. It is not easy to express a sense of loss, since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension, anger - and concern for those who remain. We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart This is also an opportunity for me, on behalf of my family, and especially Prince Charles and William and Harry, to thank all of you who have brought flowers, sent messages and paid your respects in so many ways to a remarkable person May those who died rest in peace and may we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy."

As the nation and the world mourned Diana, Princess of Wales, Charles, William and Harry went to church on the Balmoral estate. The two boys, grief stricken but calm, filed sombrely inside with the Queen and other members of the Royal Family to pray for the dead Princess. The Queen and the Prince of Wales are "deeply shocked and distressed by this terrible news", said Buckingham Palace.

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, speaking from Manila said: "I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Princess on her international charity work. I believe what has happened is a tragic loss at a young age to someone who had shown great courage and determination in drawing attention to serious issues."

Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "I am utterly devastated. The whole of our country, all of us, will be in a state of shock and mourning. Diana was a wonderful, warm and compassionate person who people, not just in Britain, but throughout the world loved and will be mourned as a friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, particularly her two sons, and with all the families bereaved in this quite appalling tragedy."

Dodi Fayed's father, Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, said the deaths were "appalling and quite needless. The world has lost a princess who is simply irreplaceable".

Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown said: "Like, I suspect, everyone else in the nation, I am speechless with shock at the horror and sadness at this terrible tragedy. "My thoughts and prayers go to her family both near and far."

The Duchess of York said she had "lost a sister". A statement from her office stated: "The Duchess has lost someone she has always considered a sister and a best friend."

Tributes to Princess Diana have been coming in form all over the world. President Nelson Mandela spoke for many as he paid homage to Diana outside his private residence in South Africa: "I had the honour of hosting her a few months ago and was tremendously impressed by her. She was undoubtedly one of the best ambassadors of Great Britain." he said.

President Bill Clinton said Diana was someone whose good deeds, including her crusade against anti-personnel land mines, he admired very much.

President Boris Yeltsin expressed his deep sorrow on hearing the news from Paris: "She was well known and loved by the Russian people. All know of Princess Diana's big contribution to charitable work, and not only in Great Britain." it said.

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti said: "My heart is full of grief and pain, Lady Diana was the most beautiful symbol of humanity and love for all the world. She touched my life in an extraordinary way...She can never be replaced and I will always remember her with deep love and joy." German Chancellor Helmut Kohl was dismayed at the sudden death of Britain's Princess Diana and blamed the media for the tragedy. "It is with dismay and great sorrow that I learnt of the tragic death of Princess Diana. Many people in Germany loved her because of her openness and humanitarian engagement. Princess Diana has also become the victim of an increasingly brutal and unscrupulous competitive fight of a section of the media. This terrible accident and her death should finally give those responsible in the media something to think about." he said.

French President Jacques Chirac mourned the princess as a woman who was "warm, full of life and generosity" and said her death would be deeply felt around the world. "I learn of the brutal death of Princess Diana with profound grief," a spokesman quoted him as saying. "She was a young woman of our times, warm, full of life and generosity. Her tragic death will be deeply felt because she was a familiar figure to everyone." Annick Cojean of the French daily newspaper Le Monde who recently published a controversial interview with the princess said: "She was not afraid of showing compassion and we talked about that. She told me how important it was to touch people of any age. She said at any step in their lives, people want to have someone feeling close to them," she added. In my opinion Princess Diana will always be one of the persons, who everybody will keep in their minds. She was a woman, who tried to make a better world and a lot of people are thankful for her commitment and her cooperativeness to be there for the poors, who need her help.