No it was not the best thing for the 'Royal Family' as the Royal Family envelops Harry and William who I'm sure do not think that. The answer can never be yes!

David Fellows, Nottingham, England

Of course her death was a tragedy, as would any death if a young woman with young children be. However, the death was so sordid and unnecessary - She was fleeing from the very media that she courted, but was with a totally inappropriate partner whom she was seeing just to irritate the royals even more than she already had....

Paula, Melbourne, Australia

I cannot understand why those two boys find it so necessary to demonstrate their "grief" in public with maudlin speeches.People are always losing their loved ones and think their world has come to an end but realise that life goes on and their deep grief is a very private thing. These two boys are very ill advised as to their very public "social" lives and behaviour which leaves a lot to be desired and then we get this "memorial" service with speeches which show complete immaturity . I though the whole thing was in gross bad taste with Charles sitting there after all his appalling behaviour and to be the "defender of the faith" having broken every church rules and his wedding vows. Lets hope we will never have to put up with any more of this hypocracy. Camilla hadnt the good grace to decline the boys invitation but had to be told it wasnt appropriate to attend making the excuse that she would detract from the reason from the service. Lets stop all this hypocracy now and tell the truth

Mrs Marian Oakley, Abbeyfeale Limerick, Rep. of Ireland

Diana was only human. Some people said, her biggest mistake was marrying Prince Charles. But personally I think she loved it, and she showed it by manipulated the press. How could she became so popular if she wasnt the wife of Prince Charles, member of he royal family? Thats the basic, and then people forgot abut the royal family because of her popularity, and on the other hand she forgot to stay on the ground. Yes, she was flying high above the castle and palace becuse of all the popularity through the marriage! But lets not forget that she always very charming. It was a lesson to us all, that marriage on some cases will be so cruel to our children. My prayer always for the two sons of Charles and Diana!

johnny f tamaela, bandung, INDONESIA / jawa barat

Micky, I do not see when and how you could put up "these people", because the kings of England are like popes. The Brits will be shocked and they like the melodrammas of Royal Family. England is a medieval country, without any constitution, but they Brits are nice.

luigi, milan, italy

diana was not just the princess of wales, she was the princess of our hearts. the british royalty died the same day that diana died. without her their is no royalty at all.

samantha, brroklyn, united states of america/new york

Sorry to stray off-topic a bit, but... "the possibility of Posh getting a state funeral" will be keeping me up nights now.

G.P. Burdell, Atlanta, GA

She worked tirelessly without fear of aids from children or landmines that she walked around and for her stead fast hope that one day Wars will not be important but her dream to help the dying children of our own doings, man has that bad quality of doing these things and even acts of nature leaves our own in question of needful help so...Others will take her place to fight for the little childrens voice that has been silenced by the fighting. We know she was winning support every day she was alive. lets not forget that and work for solutions My name is Anthony Charles Paul wish us all good luck

Margaret Jane McConnell, anchorage , USA /Alaska

Is the Roayl Family better of without this serial adultress?

Not just yes, but "HELL, YES" !!*

Allan, Bellevue, WA, USA

i should hope it would go without saying that what happened 10 years ago was a tragic accident that left two boys without a mother. however, i greatly agree with those of you who have said here that some perspective is needed. diana did do a lot good work for charity, as many others have done before her and continue to do now. BUT she certainly was not a saint, or a victim for that matter. she knew how to manipulate the press and people should not be congratulated for endorsing charities - it should be something we want to do anyway.

i think that the public needed 10 years ago, and unfortunately still needs now, the realisation that her death had nothing to do with them and was completely hyped up for the purpose of selling newspapers. what ever happened to private mourning? it isn't a case of a 'stiff upper lip' here - what is really required here is common sense. ms righter, thank you for a very brave and insightful article. i really appreciated it's honesty.

Grace, UK,

Having just read all of the comments posted here I feel compelled to say that it is quite obvious that Diana was, is, and will remain a very controversial personage.

r. bonne, warwick , ny usa

Still of today Diana's death echos everywhere around the world, as a person she's fine and she torches the heart of the people,Living in catogary of a princess she has it all,we people as from our emotional prospective we mourned for years, so who to Blame the Royal Monarcy because of her death. remember to became a member of a Royal Family its not a pen pushing job they run the Nation,so today people accussing The Royal Family, if Diana had one thing in mind respect her position instead of fighting with her inner feeling and emotion her name would never been more discussed today . for the last of all she died in the wrong place with the wrong man.

Josh, Suva, Fiji Islands

When you will elect your first politician-President, or have it elected by the Parliament, you will understand why you should "put up with these people", Micky.

Marco, Venice,

Diana was the royal that showed she cared, she was glamorous but what do you expect she was royalty. People liked the royal family because of her, she was caring and compassionate and did a tremendous amount of charity work. Her death was tragic and the public outrage felt by the people towards the royal family for their lack of action was right, Diana lived her life in the public eye. She had to put up with knowing her husband did not truly love her and when they divorced, was she expected to go quietly into the night? Diana did more for the royal family then they would ever admit, its possible we the people would never have put up with them this long if she had never been. Now that she is gone her husband got his true love and they no longer have to worry about being upstaged by someone who was far more beautiful and human then they will ever be seen, The royal family may think there better off when in fact the day she died people began to care less for them.

Ranbir , london, United Kingdom

Im sure ''The Firm'' would have loved Diana to just perpetuate ''ACTION MANS '' loins, shut up , and be a dutiful, silent, mother, hospitals and supermarkets opened by appointment.It was obvious the heir could sow his wild or awfully well controlled oats as he wished, well done the lady!, she used the best cards in her hand, i for one do not blame her .

tobius, ofcolaco, South Africa

It is a very cold hearted person who says anyone's death is a blessing. I never saw anything that would name Princess Diana Morgan le Fay. Maybe Ms Righter is the modern day Morgan le Fay. She certainly is a nasty sounding person. Princess Diana was a very beautiful woman who was treated very badly. Her biggest mistake was marrying Prince Charles. But, if she had not married him, Prince William and Prince Harry would not have been born. So, something good did come out of the marriage. The "Royal Family" should think of that when they are so busy making cutting remarks about her. People should think about how remarks such as that are affecting the future "King of England". That was his "Mother". I would be very upset if someone was to speak of my mother as this "person" spoke of Princess Diana.

S. Stringer, Foxworth, Mississippi USA

The death of the Princess of Wales once again showed very clearly how out of touch the Royal Family is with the British people. It also clearly depicted Queen Elizabeth as the cold and unfeeling woman that has been clearly evidenced throught her reign. She would have denied the Princess a state funeral if she had been able to get away with it, with no regard for the feelings of two young boys who had just tragically lost their mother. The Royal Family was out of touch with reality to the point that the public outpouring of love and sympathy for the Princess came as a complete shock.

If Her Magesty had really cared for her two grandsons, her time would have been better spent explaining that adultry does not make for a good marriage to her son, rather than trying to downplay the relevence of Princess Diana.

Perhaps the better question would be, would Britian be better off without Queen Elizabeth.

Pamela Becking, Toronto, Canada

Royalty finished the day Diana died.

Quite why we put up with these people I do not know, they are a total embarrassment to our country.

Micky, shrewsbury,

Princes William and Harry are part of the Royal Family whose future you are so kindly thinking about. William, in fact, will be as top of the Royal Family as can be one of these days.

Do you think they agree with you?

Hazel Kernoghan, Thatcham, UK

I was going to comment, but then realised that this is just more media hype to perpetuate sick headlines.

JF, Newcastle,

Diana brought a new perspective to the monarchy that had never been seen before. Touching the hands of the sick, digging up land mines, and a genuine care for the down trodden. Diana will never fade as long as Prince William and Prince Harry (and down the family line) remind us of her charm and grace as a mother and a humanitarian. It is sad that her trusted "friends" betrayed her before and after her death. It sickens me that tabloids used her image to sell papers, and it sickens me more to see her image used even now to market every type of item imaginable. Whatever her troubles were she was a person with a heart and soul and she touched millions. We should respect her memory as the mother of two beautiful children who are the future of the monarchy.

Panayiota, Peach bottom, USA/Pa

Princess Diana will never be forgotten by the people of Britain and other countries because she certainly was treated very badly by the Royal Family, and had two lovely sons whom she would have been very proud of., She was not the person who did wrong, she married Prince Charles and gave him two lovely sons Prince William and Prince Harry to whom she was "The Best Mother in the World", and her sons were given a love which only a Mother can give. I for one will never forget Princess Diana and she will never be replaced by anyone else, she will be remembered forever, and she died in such tragic circumstances just when she was beginning to have a new life herself, she deserved to find love but sadly she was killed at such a young age, In my opinion Prince Charles was the one who committed adultery, as he was having an affair with "Camilla" when he married a beautiful Princess Diana and in my opinion he should never become King of England with being divorced and not widowed..

Janet Ellerton , Midlands , England

Was Diana's death good for the Royal Family?. Yes of course it was.Her death was an absolute necessity for its survival.
How could the Royals maintain their line with her alive,and being universally loved,as she was,as a loving mother.and a very caring person. Princess Diana was a direct challenge to the very existence of the Royal Family.
The sympathy felt by the populace was very genuine and heartfelt,I truly believe that her marriage was a sham, whether history will be able to unearth the truth, only time will tell.
Was her Death an accident???. You tell me!!!

Frank Earl, Tyne&wear, Britain

As a tv news presenter In France on the day of the death, my reaction exactly. The entire Di life story, proving classic tragedy still exists, made me feel sordid. On return to London, I refused to cover the funeral & add to a 'deification of Di.' The whole, horrible, affair was Britain at its worst. I saw vile, open manipulation by media of a simple public, her sons & 'Brand Di' while she lived & felt it must end in tragedy. Di was ultimately consumed by often nakedly evil people, some of whom 'friends'. All too human, she ended a vengeful, spiteful, diseased wreck of a once apparently delightful, shallow but good young woman. She played the media as a virtuoso, outperforming a tired Royal Family, but it was empty victory. Her public events often over stage managed. Where did real compassion start & end? I couldnt watch artifice sometimes paraded as quivering real emotion. As for Blair's 'Peoples' Princess', ugh! I left Modern Britain to work through its noxious bile.Has it?

Patrick, stavanger, Norway

The death of Diana may or may not have benefitted the royals, but it must go unsaid that the Daily Express have benefitted far more from it, having a story about her every day for 10 years without fail is amazing.

Oh my apologies, she didn't get the main story when saddam hussein was hanged, she got a little section about it.

Are people going to complain that dictators are more highly favoured than the Royals now? It wouldn't surprise me...

Michelle, oswaldtwistle, uk

When Diana died I didn't care about Diana: she seemed me a little irrational. Now I don't care about if she was manipulative ( who is not?) or if she was victim of a plot, she interested me like historical actor. She wanted changed the monarchy because she loved monarchy. May be she was less irrational than I thought, because she changed Royal Family at the end.
Diana was the best business of the RF because of William and Harry and because she modernized the istitution.

luigi, milan, italy

Diane brought to light the kind of people the windsors really are . how the the british taxpayer puts up with them i cannot
understand . only for the press the public would still be ignorant about our so called royal family

marie murphy, Birkenhead, england

Diana was, like most of us, a mixture of good and negative qualities. She was an excellent mother and, basically, a caring person.
Unfortunately, she was emotionally needy and immature. In her marriage, she seems to have been obsessed with her own emotional needs. She did not support her husband in his public role, but set herself up in competition, in a child-like quest for revenge. A more mature person would have handled the situation in a more constructive and subtle way.

She was glamorous and knew how to use the media, to her ultimate detriment. She was a loose cannon, politically, and the Royal Family is definitely better off without her.

Carol Hansen, Vanderhoof, Canada

If the royal family wanted a good name, I think that this was the best thing that ever happened to them. I believe that God took her life away because she was commitig adultery.

Saralyne, Calargy, America

After the way the Royal Family treated Diana, I have no respect for them and nothing but contempt for the way they now behave.

They are out of time and out of date and the one person who could have salvaged their role has gone, betrayed by a dreadful man and his insensitive mistress. Cold-hearted doesn't even begin to describe the whole lot of them.

After the Queen, no more of this nonsense.

M.Williams, Sutton, UK

Diana was not a beauty by most standards, an asymmetric face, a fairly big nose but very charismatic, even at her worst. She became very popular from the beginning. Popular is not a choice for royalty, mainly in Britain, more of an institution The Firm, with endless displays of power and artificial symbolism, a perfect stoned face and just right amount of smile. Looking at Queen’s picture, one may wonder what lies behind that mask if anything. Unfortunately, when not posing, the British royals look painfully common having no backing of some inner motion.
In her tribulations, Diana challenged them many times and they responded, validating her power. One cannot discard the cold war made so public between the two parties. She was winning!
Rosemary Righter might have a case of stiff upper lip!

Alexa Ditka, Toronto, Canada

Diana was not a beauty by most standards, an asymmetric face, a fairly big nose but very charismatic, even at her worst. She became very popular from the beginning. Popular is not a choice for royalty, mainly in Britain, more of an institution The Firm, endless displays of power and artificial symbolism, a perfect stoned face and just right amount of smile. Looking at Queen’s picture, one may wonder what lies behind that mask if anything. Unfortunately, when not posing, the British royals look painfully common having no backing of some inner motion.
In her tribulations, Diana challenged them many times and they responded, validating her power. One cannot discard the cold war made so public between the two parties. She was winning!

Alexa, Toronto, Canada

Here in the States, and I'm sure in the UK as well, many younger people show themselves above all else to be extremely self-aggrandizing egomaniacs who are incapable of either making any kind of mistake whatsoever. That ``Look at me, I'm perfect'' is becoming the ``in thing'' these days. As I was reading both the article and the responses, it appeared that both Ms Righter (appropriate name) and those who agree with her would be a perfect fit for the group of obnoxious litte weasels I've just described.

Mark Nolan, Saratoga, NY , USA

Rosemary, I fear, sounds a little bitter and still wrapped up in her own personal grief. To Americans, it was quite obvious that Diana and the Royal Family "used" each other. She brought a "star quality" and vibrancy to the British monarchy that was sadly lacking--they provided her with a spotlight to stand in. Charles was unfaithful from the beginning and she struggled with that, so yes, perhaps her human frailties took over. She appeared to us to be a responsive, caring mother much more so than the very stiff and rigid Elizabeth ever did. Did she make bad decisions? Absolutely, but who among us hasn't? The bottom line is, whether you admired or detested her, you read about her and bought all those magazines and newspapers. After all, the paparazzi doesn't chase after people that aren't worth the chase. The media doesn't create the star--it only responds to what their consumers seem willing to feed on--even Rosemary!

Denise, Manchester, , USA

My mother's death was also sudden and tragic. She left two sons, one a baby of only 3 months , another aged eight and a daughter aged six.

The media had no interest in this mother of three, taken whilst still so young. It merited about 3 paragraphs on the inside of a local paper. Likewise, beyond close friends and family, the local community had no interest, no freely flowing tears or bouquets of flowers for a real life tragedy on their doorstep.

Why? Because my mother had not been manufactured into a ' fairytale princess' by the media, so her story, though sad, would not sell newspapers. And, as she was just a normal human being and not a 'fairytale princess’, the public had no need to mourn for somebody they did not know.

Who is worse - the media who deliberately 'spin-up' celebrities, only to knock them down, because it sells papers. Or the gullible public, who 'buy into it’ celebrity, but are largely unmoved by the real tradegies occuring in the word

Lesley , Lancashire , UK

Diana was not a beauty by most standards, an asymmetric face, a fairly big nose but very charismatic, even at her worst. She became very popular from the beginning. Popular is not a choice for royalty, mainly in Britain, more of an institution The Firm, with endless displays of power and artificial symbolism, a perfect stoned face and just right amount of smile. Looking at Queen’s picture, one may wonder what lies behind that mask if anything. Unfortunately, when not posing, the British royals look painfully common having no backing of some inner motion. In her tribulations, Diana challenged them many times and they responded, validating her power. One cannot discard the cold war made so public between the two parties. She was winning! Ms Righter might have a case of stiff upper lipia!

Alexa Ditka, Toronto, Canada

Can we have a paternity test on Harry?

Claire, Bracknell,

Diana was not a beauty by most standards, an asymmetric face, a fairly big nose but very charismatic, even at her worst. She became very popular from the beginning. Popular is not a choice for royalty, mainly in Britain, more of an institution The Firm, with endless displays of power and artificial symbolism, a perfect stoned face and just right amount of smile. Looking at Queen’s picture, one may wonder what lies behind that mask if anything. Unfortunately, when not posing, the British royals look painfully common having no backing of some inner motion.
In her tribulations, Diana challenged them many times and they responded, validating her power. One cannot discard the cold war made so public between the two parties. She was winning! Rosemary Righter might have a case of stiff upper lip!

Alexa, Toronto, Canada

Diana was not a beauty by most standards, an asymmetric face, a fairly big nose but very charismatic, even at her worst. She became very popular from the beginning. Popular is not a choice for royalty, mainly in Britain, more of an institution The Firm, with endless displays of power and artificial symbolism, a perfect stoned face and just right amount of smile. Looking at Queen’s picture, one may wonder what lies behind that mask if anything. Unfortunately, when not posing, the British royals look painfully common having no backing of some inner motion.
In her tribulations, Diana challenged them many times and they responded, validating her power. One cannot discard the cold war made so public between the two parties. She was winning!

Alexa, Toronto, Canada

She's dead. She has been dead a long time. Is there any chance we can all get over it now?

Sally, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Her death was convenient and mourned less by those who knew her.

Ripstop, Shanghai, China

Let the dead be dead.
I can't believe she has been front page news every day in newspapers like the Daily Express since 1997 - I can understand on the anniversary... but this is becoming tiresome.

Iain, Leicester,

NO WAY,
DIANA WAS THE BEST THING IN GENERAL FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY.

chris costa, white city, ORRGON

no noone deserves to die

corinne , sydney, australia

Would you please drop this topic? She's dead so let her rest in peace. Apart from the fact that I dearly hope that no one is ever going to ask me if the death of a beloved family member might have been the best thing to happen. Hello? How cruel can you be to ask such a question at all.

Katharina , Berlin ,

Diana's death was the worst thing for the royal family. She is now enshrined in eternal youth and as a victim of a monarchist state. The reality is that she contributed to her own death by her own reckless behaviour and relationships. She followed a largely hedonistic life style and, as a consequence, ensured that two little boys grew up without the mother, whom they loved. Had Diana been alive today, time would have ravaged her only modest looks, and the real Diana would have shown herself. And the royal family - and Charles in particular - would have been vindicated.

K Miles, Macclesfield, UK

Diana fulfilled her duty to the Queen and the monarchy by providing both with an heir. In that respect Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother proved to be a good judge of royal progeny. However, even a cursory look at Diana's upbringing should have alerted the Royal Family to her human frailties and that oversight may be the monarchy's Nemesis. If Charles ascends the throne as George VII, even as an octogenerian, he will bring controversy and division with him. I can't see the British people accepting Camilla as co-regent given her role in Diana's alienation from the Royal Family and that may well be the end of that. As for Diana's final days, it is often forgotten that she spent some time on a Greek island before her fateful return to Paris. I shall never forget her response to a photographer who tried, slyly, to catch her while she sat alone on the beach. She gently slid into the sea, like a beautiful mermaid, and kicked her legs in the air in a V-sign. For me, that was the essential Di!

Dr David Green, Athens, Greece

Diane had her fling and spoke about " three of us in this marriage" and it was the Queen who insisted on the divorce.
Diane was treated with disdain by Prince Charles and he should be passed over and allowed to move off into the sunset. It would be fantastic if the Queen can go on long enough so that Prince William, Diane's son ,can take over and then we will have a new start

Gerald Morris, Chester, England., Cheshire.

You have to take your hat off to the woman, she hoodwinked one hell of a lot of people for someone who was of very limited intelligence , quite how she managed it & still manages to has long been a mystery to me. Equally you have to admire her questionable brother for turning a tidy profit from charging her broken hearted public a small fortune to visit her grave so conveniently sited on an island on his estate.
Post marriage to Charles her whole life was a well orchestrated photo shoot. She was not beautiful merely considerably more attractive than most Royals & made the most of herself, had she remained an ordinary citizen she would not have stood out. It's no secret that the Royal family never managed to adapt to the 20th Century & quite how they intend to deal with the 21st boggles the mind but they are still of value overall & an asset. Read up on Diana's family folks they really wern't & aren't that fantastic.

Mark Field, Norwich, England

The overly emotional public response to Diana's death was first whipped up by the press so as to sell more papers. An immediate, calm statement by the Prime Minister or the Queen of intention to prioritise her childrens' needs and to keep the funeral within the family was needed, together with a sharp request for the tabloids to mind their own business. It would probably have been accepted and calmed the situation.

Instead, Blair chose to whip up public feeling into a storm, so as to show himself to be 'in charge' and representing the common people. His advice to the Queen was that of a grandstanding politician and demeaning for a sovereign.

As in much else, he has much to answer for.

Peter Lloyd, BLACKER HILL, South Yorkshire

I couldn't agree more.
Well said, Ms. Righter

chinyere vivian, Ikoyi, Nigeria/lagos

What is so hard to stomach about all those who emote so violently about Diana is that they are so sure they know her, but actually, haven't a clue who she really was behind closed doors.
Try being the 'trusted friend' who delivered the tapes to Andrew Morton - with strict instructions not to mention Barry Manakee, James Hewitt et al - who was then dropped like a hot brick when the stuff hit the fan.
Diana loved her boys so much that she shamed their father in public with no thought of how they might be affected, first with the Morton book, and then with her 'there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded' red herring. Three? We're not counting her adultery, then, because of the accepted belief that his came first - which in reality is only because she got to the press first with the dirty laundry?

All this I could forgive if the Dianaphiles would let it remain in the past, but if we're going to have it recycled and added to every decade, then the gloves are off

Elizabeth, Oxford,

It seems like articles such as this one on "why I detested the mass hysteria after Diana's death" are now becoming as commonplace as the excruciating "People's Princess" ones were at the time. I was utterly bemused by the latter (as a lifelong republican, it certainly didn't make me question my anti-monarchist beliefs) and am getting just as fed up with the former. Had Rosemary Righter or any other writer had the courage to make these wholly valid criticisms of Diana while she was alive or to publicly question the whole ghastly post-mortem media circus following her death while the mass hysteria was ongoing, I'd have applauded them, but there seems to be something particularly nasty and cowardly in waiting till someone's been dead ten years before attacking them, be they princess or pauper.

Oh, and Ivan Goldman, I hadn't heard about the Iranian, do tell us more. There was Dodi Fayed, who was Egyptian, but this previously unknown Iranian angle is a revelation.

Rose, Hawalli, Kuwait

A decision was taken on that fatal journey, perhaps consciously ,NOT to bother with seat belts by all but one, whose life was saved.
To finish this revitalisation of the mass hysteria
in a proper way, to take it out on a note of intelligence and responsibility, away from the sickening enlarged fairy-tale aspects, to deflate the hoopla and put logical and critical thinking back into the rightful slots, emphasis might be made to the public in general, for themselves and for their children as to the possible consequences of neglectful safety practice.

The seat-belt laws are there for everyone. Those who are above this law may pay a price for their choice. Period.

Chris Dugdale, Montreal, Canada

Diana was beautiful, charming and has left us two fine heirs to the throne. But her public baring of her soul in interviews, reciprocated by her husband, was a disaster for the royal family and for the country as a whole. After the divorce, she was clearly not going to go away quietly, and in many ways her death must have been a relief for the monarchy.

However the frenetic public wave of emotionalism was damaging in the extreme, and has only gradually ebbed away. Now for the sake of her sons and for the whole institution of the monarchy, which is so important to the country, it is to be hoped that this tenth anniversary does not reignite the hysteria.

Jane Parks, Cambridge,

"Why is it so hard for some Britons to give this woman credit? "

Yeah, i agree Rosemary Righter should be given credit for speaking her mind...

Mohammed, London, UK

What a bitter lonely woman Rosemary seems to be, I am sorry for you.

Lindsey Cooke, Sheffield

Lindsey Cooke , Sheffield, England

Congratulations for your excellent article. I cannot understand the hatred shown towards someone who questions a myth. It
is analogous to questioning their God.
Truly, there must be some very sick people out there. People who are so intellectually challenged they are unable to realize that there is enough grief in life without wallowing in the manufactured grief of a celebrity. It is a masturbatory grief, always available but never quite fulfilled.

Venise Alstergren, Melbourne, ViC. AUSTRALIA

Fantastic piece by Rosemary Righter re Diana and the aftermath of her death-a shameful period in out history. Nothing needs to be added-she said it all perfectly and congratulations to her for having the guts to go against the sentimental flow.

Martin Ogilvy, Abu Dhabi, UAE

I am so glad that atleast one person saw through the whole manipulative process. The media makes one and can also unmake- so much is the power and it is being used for trivials.

G.Sreedhar, Bangalore, India

I had a dream last night. I was reading a newspaper and there was no picture or article about Diana.

Ben, Maidenhead, Berkshire

I am not a Diana orshipper in any sense of the term, but for someone to respond to the death of anyone with such cruelty leaves me with a sense of horror at such heartlessness. This was a young mother with two sons who were left bereft at her death. Whether you like her or not that fact alone should at least soften such a vitriolic outpouring as this column presents. As John Donne said “Any man’s death diminishes me”. It is too bad that his vicious women does cannot abide by such a noble statement.

Emily, Overland Park, Kansas

Beuatifully said Joselyn, people also have to remember a lot of the nastyness [ & lies] at the time, came from none other than Clarence house & Highgrove.
Plus of course all those jealous ' friends '.
There was a time we thought Diana would be no more, the dark forces hoped she would crack , thank God it didn't happen, she showed strength & such courage to survive for her boys, & what a good job she did .
She thwarted evil plans, untill the crash.

maggie millington, Brittany , France

MY GOD! Rosemary Righter has a "cheek", as do those who apparently agree with her grotesque insinuations .........

The fact of the matter is that Righter (and all those who agree with her) didn't even know Diana, or her circumstances at the time .......it's pure "supposition" ......and ALWAYS will be ...

...which means that NONE of you (and that includes Righter herself ) has the right to criticize that which you know absolutely nothing about ...............

From an ex-pat, currently living in Denmark.

Elizabeth Ann Wodstrup, Aalborg, Denmark

Many of the above mention how the Queen "took the boys under her wing". I cant imagine that cold fish of a woman hugging anything, maybe her dogs.
Ive seen the film of her making Charles and Anne wait to be formally greeted after coming back from a trip. Diana ran open armed to hug her boys. The Queen makes her own children bow to her.
Charles is his mothers son. They dont understand the rules of the world, only their own.
Dianna was the princess of the people.
Margaret liked her drink, so did the Queen mother, champers for breckie. No wonder, its how they got through their otherwise sterile day.
Stop telling us not to grieve how and when we need to. Even 10 years on is not enough, my father died 23 years ago and each year I remember him, specially on that day. I agree that Dianna should be allowed to rest in peace. However, if we want to put flowers or weep, let us. Men died so we had this right. She was human, not a royal puppet, thats why we loved her

A. Human, london, london

Diana's death was a disgrace waiting to happen one way or another. The London Press and Papparazzis around the globe crave for exciting situations involving Diana. The Prince (The real loose canon here) got engage and then married to her we don't know for what reasons, but there was not love at all. She was not from "Real Blue Blood" descendance, therefore, Diana was not what Queen Elizabeth wanted for her son. Infidelity, humilliation, Verbal and emotional abuse were constants. Diana tried hard to insert herself in the world stage by leading noble causes in favor of the poors and attending to relevant activities in that direction. The problem is, she was emerging at the speed of light while the public image of the crown was taking a beat. She was depress most of the times but never gave us a glimpse of someone who wanted to die. There is no proof the crown was behind her death, but that corrosive thought was fixed in the minds of the Queen and her vagabund son untill the last minute.

Damián Ramos, Bronx, NY, USA

"Much will be forgiven her, for she was not a bore"

Hein Maassen, Leidschendam, The Netherlands

- but that was in another country, and besides, the wench is dead...

Nicholas Lee, Windsor, UK

I am appalled at most of the contributers here, the boys organised this memorial when they were of an age to do so, to commemorate what their beloved mother meant to them and for what she achieved/changed in her doomed "arranged" marriage to charles,and beyond.

i don't think he (charles) in any way wanted this outcome and he does undoubtably love the boys and camilla but diana did not force charles to propose and was not given much support,either before the marriage during or after, at the end of the day has any one who has made a comment met diana? did any of us really know her?
who are we to make comments about a woman whose children have nothing but wonderful memories to pass judgement? Through no fault of their own this is all in the public domain - none of us are saints but we do have the benefit of some privacy, It is only right that her sons have the opportunity to have their say - this is after all a democracy and we all have that right.

julie caldwell, winchester, united kingdom

It seems that the Royal Family certainly believed so.

Stuart, Tokyo, Japan

Let the poor girl rest in peace! Geez, these female posters are so mean and spiteful. What did Diana ever do to them?

kitty hogan, seaside, usa

I see the majority here have decided to completely ignore the wishes expressed on Friday, by Prince Harry & the Bishop.
If you are all sick of the hysteria , why are you here spilling nasty venom about our future Kings mother , William & Harry can read all you have written about their dead mother.
Shame on you all.!

maggie millington, Brittany , France

Sharon, from Mesa, AZ, please learn to spell and learn proper grammer before commenting.

AG, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Perhaps she should have worn her seat belt !

Mike, Kenilworth, Warwickshire

Her death the best thing to happen to the Royal family? Ask William and Harry.

Ann Tiamisuru, Cardiff, UK

What is wrong or unhealthy with millions of ordinary people still missing and having affectionate thoughts towards a lovely young woman who proved that the Royal Family does not have to be stiff, stuffy and completely out of touch with their lives ?
If anyone had no time for her or thought her relevance unjustified and still think the same 10 years after her death, that's OK with me, a die-hard supporter. But what's the necessity to slag her off at every opportunity as though the rest of us are simple saddos who need to get a life. Say that to the millions who still remember Elvis Presley 30 years after his death and see what they say. If you don't like it, just be more tolerant and respect the wishes of the majority.

Alan and Joan Berry, Camberley, England

Any death at a young age is a tragedy, but will Antonio Puerta, the dead 22 year old footballer, get this treatment? Of course not, because Prince Charlie thinks polo is a popular British sport. I am sure he is not exceptional in the royal family.

Ben, York,

Rosemary wrote a diatribe of sickening cynical rubbish. Written bcause her beloved husband had died and she was feeling bitter. Didnt she grieve her husband? She wrote about the soggy tributes ,all our memorial flowers will become soggy after time. Who is she to mock us? To mock our grief. Her father whos only comment was Ha! She should be ashamed of him, to gloat over a young womans death. Would he have been so pleased if it had been his own daughter? To gloat and to mock is shameful, Rosemary should be utterly ashamed to write such a cold, heartless, bitter piece. You should take note of your elders, who no doubt at some time told you not to speak if you cant say anything nice. Shut up Rosemary. You grieve your way, and let us grieve ours.

A. Human, london, london

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Finally someone with a "voice" has said it.
It still sickens me that she is still revered as the saviour of the poor instead of the publicity seeking media whore that she actually was.
Thank you.

Andy Duffield, Sheffield, England

Ten years on, her sons have taken some time to remind family, friends and Rosemary Righter that the only job constitutional monarchs and their families must fulfill is to stand for something in the public eye—in other words, to give good value for money as role models. Arguably, at the outset of their marriage and for quite a few years thereafter, the Princess of Wales strove to stand for martial happiness and maternal devotion. The sad public spectacle of the marriage’s unraveling was, in the main, the surface evidence of a titanic private struggle for Diana to be able to accomplish the second. Yes Diana was a flawed, imperfect person—aren’t we all? But this ten year anniversary of the end of Diana’s life suggests that the world will continue to note and appreciate Diana, long after those who strove against her are but dimly recollected marginal notes of history.

John Dalles, Orlando, Floirda, USA

Spot on Rosemary. When you really love someone you know and they die the mourning is private and terrible and nothng to do with any of that circus we had yesterday and ten years ago

Janet McCarthur, London,

Rosemary Righter's article on Diana expresses the view our family held at that time, and still do. I write to newspapers very very rarely. I do so today because I think she will get a lot of flak for her article, and I want to show agreement with her.

Margaret Fielden, Bradford, West Yorkshire

"Why is it so hard for some Britons to give this woman credit? "

Maybe because we knew her better than you did or maybe you should ask that question of the wives whose marriages she broke up when she wanted attention and sex with someone elses husband. Diana was beautiful, yes, but she was also a manipulative, calculating and selfish neurotic.

viv, london, england

oh come on people, you know that someone is still alive who survived the accident. i can understand if all parties died in the accident, then everything or anything can be speculated upon. but a witness is still with us, the bodyguard. he holds the key to this mistery, yet he is silent. food for thought or what? errr... just think for a minute.

tibor, london,

rosemary, you seem quite normal, as do most those who have commented. unfortunately, we are not normal. normal people read hello, get excited about a posh wannabe on big brother and take more interest in corrie and eastenders than in their own family and friends. we are just a cynical minority, I'm afraid. my abiding memories of the ridiculous posing after diana's death are of the complete waste of money (not to mention flowers and teddies) on the endless carpet outside kensington palace and - during the cortege through hyde park, whilst everyone's back was turned - the swarms of westminster traffic wardens desperately seeking cars to ticket. as a nation, we should be embarrassed. it seems we are not.

jem, london, uk

I have always thought that Diana was a manipulator of the first degree and like your columnist Rosemary Righter could not and do not mourn her and found all those tributes quite ott. I do feel extremely sorry that the boys were left devastated and without a mother. I also think that whatever Camilla did, attend the service or not, she was in a no win situation. I have always admired the way that she has kept quiet when so many seemed to be slating her, brave woman I say and good luck to her.

Ann Bennett, NORTHALLERTON, North Yorkshire

Thank you for your article Why I could not mourn that modern Morgan le Fay. It was refreshing to read that someone in the media was as fed up as I am about the coverage of Diana. I agreed totally with everything you wrote, it was refreshing and certainly made my day It also restored my faith in the media.

Gillian Gordon, Hartburn Stockton on Tees, England

Thank goodness for you, Rosemary Righter. I was beginning to think I lived in a vacuum. You pointed out, in your excellent and succinct article, what a manipulative and possibly deranged individual Diana was. I had thought that everyone had forgotten that in all this retro-hysteria.
Must go - just off to watch the memorial service. NOT!!!!!

MARGARET MACLEOD, MILTON KEYNES,

Hooray for Rosemary Righter, daring to say what I and all my friends and relatives have thought for the past 10 years. I somehow don't think the wee princes are going to be reading her column, and as for showing sensitivity to those who actually knew the sainted diana, maybe she was pointing out that the millions of mawkish mourners who added to the fortunes of florists didn;t actually know her at all. How can you say how wonderful she was, when all we knew was what she wanted us to know. I loved Rosemary Righter's article, and felt it was much more the standard of journalism i expect from the times than all the soppy people's princess guff we have had to put up with recently.

Helen Graham, Perth, Perthshire

TO: JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO, CANADA: "Diana was actually a very sad figure. Despite her charm and lovliness, it seems clear that she was mentally unbalanced." Clear... to whom? On what basis have you concluded that Diana was "mentally unbalanced" ? Is this your expert opinion...or propaganda? Do you have expertise and qualifications in diagnosing mental illness? Well, I guess one could say that Charles "made her mad" and "drove her crazy" on several ocassions! If you were married to him, no doubt the same would have happened to you! ! !

Garth Rex, Glendale Heights, USA

At last, a rational appraisal of a bout of national hysteria that left many people feeling ashamed to be British, and which has come to symbolise the decline of a great nation. Many congratulations

David Jones, Tring, Herts

Rosemary Righter is just totally jealous of Diana. She is sick

Sylvia, Niagara, Canada

It was only sparsely reported then, and seems to have been completely forgotten now that when Diana split from Prince Charles she decided to terminate her patronage of a large number of small charities, most of whom had no other access to publicity for fund raising other than through her as patron. They were devastated, but she did so anyway. Strangely enough the 50 odd she retained were very high profile and guaranteed her massive publicity. Not the actions of the selfless ministering angel she spent so much time trying to portray herself as, and which so many especially in the press were so happy to help her promote, and so many were almost desperate to believe. She couldn't get enough publicity, unless it portrayed her as she really was, at which point she became surprisingly camera shy. Whatever her travails, they were nothing out of the ordinary. A sad self-consumed woman devoured by her own ego who unfortunately became a mirror of what a celebrity obsessed country we've sunk to.

Jill Dandy, Wednesbury,

It is so sad that Diana was crusifed in life and now in death. From the very people she loved .What a dishonor .She took on a job for her country that no one else wanted to do - The Heir and a Spare for you . Then you stab her in the back . Saying she was only had a ability to VOMIT ! That is shameful. She love her country and her people. The only one of them that conciderd you people not subjects. Thank god you do not speak for them all , but do not criticize them. This is your future King's mother - respect her.

Sharon, Mesa , AZ . USA

I lived in Britain from 1991 to 1999. The week before Diana died, we were all bagging her as being a loose cannon. It was just after that drama-queen interview where she bared her soul, for the maximum amount of publicity. Then the next week she died. Why the communal grief? We all felt guilty that the week after we slagged her off, she was dead. Had to cover our tracks somehow.

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

All the hysteria was bad enough at the time but why on earth we have to go through it all again ten years on is completely beyond me. I threw the "commemorative insert" straight in the recycling.

Emily, London,

Rosemary Righter article "Why I could not mourn that modern Morgan le Fay" - well done - your article was a breath of fresh air
Robin Challans

Robin Challans, Exeter, Devon

Sucking on a lemon whilst writing this article? It oozes bitterness from start to end ("Even if their beauty secret is bulimia"). How petty. Her beauty secret is DNA and bulimia is no joking matter.

The hysteria you speak of, is not one or two or thousands of people being hysterical. It is the fact that millions and millions felt undeniable grief at the loss of a kindly and humane figure.

In fact, its late. And responding anymore to your article isn't really worth the time.

Alex, Reading,

Well done Rosemary Righter for saying all that. I thought I might be the only one who cannot understand the celebrity cult (or flowers obscured by their packaging).
Nick Lear
Sussex

Nick Lear, Lewes, Sussex

It was only sparsely reported then, and seems to have been completely forgotten now that when Diana split from Prince Charles she decided to terminate her patronage of a large number of small charities, most of whom had no other access to publicity for fund raising other than through her as patron. They were devastated, but she did so anyway. Strangely enough the 50 odd she retained were very high profile and guaranteed her massive publicity. Not the actions of the selfless ministering angel she spent so much time trying to portray herself as, and which so many especially in the press were so happy to help her promote, and so many were almost desperate to believe. She couldn't get enough publicity, unless it portrayed her as she really was, at which point she became surprisingly camera shy. Whatever her travails, they were nothing out of the ordinary. A sad self-consumed woman devoured by her own ego who unfortunately became a mirror of what a celebrity obsessed country we've sunk to.

Jill Dandy, Wednesbury,

Pray tell, if the princess was such a fine human being and sterling parent and friend of the poor and etc., what was she doing hanging around in Paris with an Iranian deadbeat ne'er-do-well? Certainly she didn't deserve to be killed for it, but at the very least she showed a terrible lack of judgment.

Curious Yank

Ivan Goldman, Los Angeles, U.S.A. California

Why is it so hard for some Britons to give this woman credit?
She was nothing like Posh, Camilla or any royal before or since her. She had all of the world's cameras on her, she did not have to focus those lens on the less fortunate to have her picture taken. All she had to do was to step out, like all the other European royals continue to do, to have her photo all over hundreds of magazines. She was used by the House of Windsor but was not destroyed by them and she had the courage to take them on, brilliantly for someone so easily dismissed as a silly, stupid girl. She is blamed for her insecurities, complexities and illnesses choosing to ignore the fact that those were the results of her childhood and life experiences. Mrs. Righter admitted to having no room in her heart for her own dying father while Diana had her heart cruelly broken many more times and yet she gave love, joy and comfort to total strangers. She was indeed an english rose with a very stiff upper lip.

Joselyn, Oak Ridge, USA / NJ

"Never speak ill of the dead."
You never learn.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

What a sour piece of writing, And to all those who have left unkind and negative remarks about Diana please think on this - how would you like the same things to be said about your mother, your sister, your wife, your daughter, your friend on the anniversary of their death?

You surely can have no hearts to have done so. Little wonder then that for you, Diana could never be the 'princess of hearts'.

Mike, Corsham, Wilts

...and even ten years later you still don't get it about Diana. The British public LOVED her. When you love someone you over-look their faults. Should they die you are heart-broken. She may have been a worthless trollop for all most of us know but people still loved her.

Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge, England

Yes, they didn't like her because she was loving and down to earth. She knew how to love. She was a real person. They just wanted her out of the way. No one could ever love her boys again like she did.I hope she is watching them.

Josie, Belair,

I do so agree with your article on the death of Diana, like you I still can't believe that English people could revere such a person who so obviously "used royalty as a prop to lend glamour to a sad, self-obsessed, manipulative, self-indulgent life." Diana's death was also the start of this horrible craze for putting flowers in plastic at the scene of road accidents; this happened a year ago at the site of a tragic accident involving a child which happened a few yards from where I live. I looked out on wilting flowers for a month, so did the parents of the child who was killed, I hope they found some comfort from the thoughts that went with the dying flowers.

Margaret Carruthers, Nutley, East Sussex

At last a bit of media sanity what took the Times so long?

AC, LONDON, UK

All this anniversary does is provide yet another opportunity for empty-minded people to indulge in 'Recreational Grief' - something we see now after every sudden and unpleasantly newsworthy tragedy.

Richard Barber, Saltash, Cornwall, UK

Thank you -- the whole Diana funeral thing reminded me of both Evita Peron and the Ayatollah Khomeni, when the crowds almost pulled the coffin / body off the helicopter. I think Britain went BONKERS -- now are you going to have a 10th anniversary memorial for the Queen Mother - a woman of substance who maintained the morale of King and Country during its darkest hours?

It's been 10 years - enough PLEASE.

wendy, Edinburgh,

I have to say I was quite shocked at the tone of Rosemary Righter's piece -dripping in vitriol, and totally inappopriate - given that it was published on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Diana's death. I feel I have learnt more about Rosemary Righter's character than perhaps she might wish to have disclosed. Does she have no sensitivity whatever for the Princes' feelings about their mother? My father always used to say, "Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and prove it". Maybe Rosemary Righter might like to ponder on this for the next 10 years and then, when she has, write a piece for your paper in 2017, which is considerably more temperate and shows sensitivity and sympathy for others who are directly affected and actually personally knew the person involved. Rosemary Righter is one of the sickening, inhumane and distorted faces of the media today.

Tessa Wilson, Southsea,

Hello! Can you please Help me , I wanna find what I have to do to get Madonna's babysitters job...I'm sure I'm the one she needs... but I don't have any infos to get in touch with them (Where and what to do to apply) if you have anythings about that I will appreciate if you can write me back!

josé, quebec, canada

Don't worry, Rosemary Righter, I. Dickson, Tony Whitehead and any more who are going to think that R. Righter has it right: NONE of you are going have people genuinely mourning for your loss ten years after it's happened!!

Jane Coles, Ludlow, Shropshire

The most sensible article on Diana ever. I do not understand this adiction to communal grief. This has of course now spread to local level with flowers etc. placed at traffic death sites. In one local case cigarettes and beer were included much to the delight of the underage smokers and drinkers. Keep these sensible comments comming Rosemary.

Dr WHP Lewis, Tenterden, UK

Diana was the pride of eternity,the reality of fairytales and the greatest curiousty in history,she was the defination of love.

harry, london, england

Princess Diana was a very lucky lady. Lucky that she didn't marry into Royalty during the reign of King Henry the Eighth. He preferred his x-wives without their heads. Diana is history, please let her rest in peace.

Mohammed, London, USA

Barbara Gould - millions of people have been wrong on lots of occasions. The racist attitudes that nearly everybody in Britain harboured 100+ years ago were wrong, but all had them. Millions of Germans thought Hitler had the right idea. I hipe you think that was wrong too. The Queen had a right, in the immediate aftermath of her death, to care for the two boys who had lost their mother. Diana was no longer a member of the Royal family, so there wasn't that much reason for them to return to London. People go dewy-eyed over Diana, but she was not perfect. People blame Charles entirely for the break-up of the marriage, but she too had an affair. She knew how to manipulate the press to show her in good light. That may have been why she seemed to show so much concern for all the charities she represented.

Chris , Epsom,

There was one sentence that summed up my feelings 10 years ago. "This was not my country" As a minister i had conducted 3 funerals that week including the tragic death of a teenager, and had watched people who were so close trying to cope. I recognised that her children would have to try to cope but this mass hysteria of a public nature made me feel an alien

A G Lister, Newcastle upon Tyne,

Thank you for an excellent article - and for the courage to write it. The response 10 years ago was mawkish sentimentality at its worst. To any sensitive families, the nation's hysterical demands for the Queen to return to London showed a deplorable lack of sensitivity. Of course she would want to be with her grandchildren in the relative peace and privacy of her Scottish sojourn.

Roy Palmer, London,

Totally agree with your views on Diana and the mass media hysteria that followed. Lucky for us we were able to escape to S.France before the funeral - we did not watch it even though it was on French TV.

Pauline, Cannes,

Compare the reactions then, and memories now, of two other glamorous royals who died in car crashes: Queen Astrid of Belgium and Princess Grace of Monaco. Diana deserved better than to be remembered for the mass public yukathon now being re-run by the media.

Barney Trench, St Pierre de l'Isle,

If I was writing a melodramatic novel, I might agree that such a death would make a "helpful" conclusion. But in talking about a real person, I would never wish away anyone's chance to learn how to better the world and grow as a human being. After a few years of finding her feet after her divorce, she may have become more of an asset to the Royal Family...or maybe not. Free will makes anything possible.

Katy, Minneapolis, MN

Diana played the part of the abused heroine to perfection. In the public's eyes,she was the beautiful Cinderella, adored the world over, by men and women alike, a rare combination. The media will contiue to make certain that the soap opera that is Diana will continue to run, even though they cannot forgive her for leaving their front pages so early in her life.Like Marilyn, Judy and other tragic heroines, she will never be forgotten
Whether her death was " the best thing to happen to the Royal family" is debatable. True, in her final days, she was playing the part of a loose canon, and her Hollywood style car chase in a dark tunnel by the Seine, was not the intended ending wothy of such a star, but only added to the drama.
The fact that there is a 10th.Anniversary memorial of her death, attended by friends and patchyderms alike, says much for her legacy and indeed much for the Royals, who rather reluctantly have come to accept she was indeed the People's Princess.

M. Fishman, London,

Rosemary Righter, your personal grief must have made you very cynical indeed - the untimely death of Diana "The best thing that could have happened " ? to whom exactly? perhaps best for the newspaper industry which milks a legacy of anniversaries,favourable and damning copy alike.
Diana was surely loved (maybe especially by the poor spellers ) not as any symbol of glamour, royalty or what have you, but as an imperfect person who still showed a sincerity lacking in many public figures.An eye on self publicity but a kind heart too. Your bulimia shot is a cheap one . If she had been Morgan Le Fay would people have sobbed in the Mall ?

Clare Webster, Solihull, England

I absolutely agree with every word of this article. Particularly, her opinion of Earl Spencer and the disgraceful and shaming response to his funeral address. I remember being stunned with disbelief when people applauded (in itself quite inappropriate at a religious service) - did they not understand the import of his speech? I was appalled at someone taking the opportunity, at a funeral, to pay off old scores and begin new feuds. It was aggressive, spiteful and disloyal to the Crown. I think the whole issue of Diana should be dropped. One feels nothing but compassion for Prince Charles - he has been punished for a bad marriage way beyond his deserts.

Savannah, London,

Well done Rosemary Righter. It was a relief to find someone else who agreed with my view of Diana and the circumstances following her death. It is time to let all discussions of her and her manipulative behaviour to be consigned to the past .

J Blunt, Farnborough,

"The best thing that could happen to the royal family"? Isn't that just a little extreme and lacking in balance, not to say sympathy?
Diana was actually a very sad figure. Despite her charm and lovliness, it seems clear that she was mentally unbalanced.
There is some history in her family going back to the 18th century, to say nothing of her bizarre brother.
Families and friends are always deeply hurt by mental illness. The Royal Family suffered terribly for this unfortunate marriage.
I am glad Charles has come through this well. He has his mother's strength and will make a fine king.
However after Charles, it is possible that Diana's troubles may inherit the throne. That is when the real debate over the future of monarchy may arise.
The Princes have both shown signs of poor behavior and not understanding their roles. All the stuff about going or not going to the Middle East and the threat to resign a military commission sure reminds one of Diana's temperament.

JOHN CHUCKMAN, Toronto, Canada

What a sickening article this superior relic writes! The House of Windsor will self-destruct in this century and good riddance to the expensive pantomime . Such familial indulgence and inbred idiocy is too much for the majority and this writer is the disappearing rump of a bygone age.

michael moorhouse, Bazauges, France

Thank you for some truth-telling about Diana and the public reaction to her death at last. What was the nation saying to the Queen? 'Never mind her two sons who must desperately need the comfort that a grandmother can bring. We are the ones who are suffering. You should be with us.'

Good God;, what had we become as a nation but a selfish, unthinking, sanctimonious mob. I felt sick at the time and still do whenever I think of it

John Sims, Leiston,

Of course it was the best thing that could have happened to the Royal family, that's why they had her bumped off the planet.!!!

maggie millington, Brittany , France

How can millions of people worldwide be wrong?
Diana was much loved and most caring--It was she who would hold or hug aids affected people and babies, while the other pathetic Royals would simply hurry by.
The Queen and the Royal family were forced by the will of the people to return to London--they would not have done so on their own volition.

barbara Gould, Welwyn,

I would like to mention and remind everyone that also 10 years ago on 5 September 2007 Mother Teresa of Calcutta died. She did more for this world, selflessly and for no personal gain, leaving longer lasting effects than Diana ever did. Even though Diana's death is sad I feel that Mother Teresa's death should not be over shaddowed and she and her works should be more as she was a much more worthy person.

D Smith, Braintree, Essex

Splendid piece by Rosemary Righter and glad you had the courage to publish it. Pity about the nauseating supplement in the same edition.

J Davis, London,

Like you, I have never been able to understand the mass hysteria that followed Diana's death. It was terribly sad that a young life should have ended so violently. That goes without saying, but I also, cannot understand why there needs to be a tenth anniversary memorial service. All this does, surely, is encourage and allow all those people who still hold her as their icon, to indulge in their morbid preoccupation with her. It also gives the media the opportunity to dig up all the old stuff against the Royal family. Surely, it is time to let Diana rest in peace, and her sons get on with their lives.

Dawn Wood, Chichester,

Personally I think you have a cheek.

"Shocked, and curmudgeonly, and distinclty prematurely, the "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" caricature we journalist have of a certain kind of elderly, mustachioed Daily Telegraph letter writer."

Where's the finite verb?

Are you in any position to comment on the nation's inability to spell?

Alastair Anderson, Harpenden,

also totally agree. i cry at anything end everything - Titanic, Sound of Music, West Wing, (no really) documentaries on Aids in South Africa. but was dry eyed and incredulous throughout Tht Week. Media coverage was totally over the top and most importantly incited behaviour that was completely un - English. (although sadly owed a lot to ghastly East Enders style semi articulate sentimentality) perhaps the new Britishness course ought to include instruction on stiffening the upper lip.

Jane Gould, Borehamwood, uk

Anyone with half a brain went AWOL that week. Or, at least, avoided the TV, radio, and newspapers.

I'm thinking of getting a load of "I didn't cry for Diana" car stickers and T-shirts printed. I have a feeling that there's a tidy sum of money to be made. All the money goes to charity of course.

RJA, Nottingham, England, UK

I also completely agree about the whole Diana hysteria.
I remember finding out about her death and being shocked but only as much as if I'd found out that any famous person that I was familiar with had suddenly died in a car crash.
Up to the point of her death Diana was fast becoming a national irritant with her blatant affairs and press manipulation.
After her death she was virtually canonised.
I would agree that she did a lot of good work for charity but then so does Angelina Jolie, so should anyone in Diana's position of privilege.
The whole national outpouring of grief and outrage was terrible, intruding on a family's loss to get into some kind of macabre street party.
The sad thing was that a woman had been killed before her time and that two boys were now without a mother. How so many people managed to become so emotional about someone who was basically a celebrity I cannot understand.

John, Kent, UK

May be, but simply she was not the ideal queen that would give honour and respect to the royal family.

Nabil, Cairo, Egypt

Thanks for having the courage to express an unpopular view so similar to my own, of course I felt sorry for the two young boys who had lost their mother (as I would for any children in the same situation) but the whole country seemed to have lost all sense of perspective.
This outpouring of maudlin grief, fuelled by the tabloids and television was an appalling departure from the once dignified behaviour of the British people, karoke grief I once heard it described as. People's Princess was what was sold and so many bought it, but was she one of 'us' , the common people who shed tears along her funeral route, no she was ' Lady Diana Spencer the Princess of Wales' born into privilege, who carefully preened her her own image and courted the press and then damned them for intrusion. I bet many of those who were crying could not tell you why they sobbed so much over someone they did not know.

David Jones, Skelmersdale, UK

Tony Whitehead: you certainly were not the only sane person in the UK - either 10 years ago or now. It's simply that our voices of dissent were drowned by the hysterical racket engineered by the gutter press.

Mrs Righter's recollections, and her current views, accord exactly with my own *and* - I can say with absolute certainly - those of my wife.

Michael Rose, Barnet, Hertfordshire

You can dislike her if you want to, but to suggest that it would be better for any establishment for a person to die is sick.

Kim, London,

Ugh. Revolting. How can the death of a young woman with two children in tragic circumstances be a good thing? Horrid.

AJ, Oxford, Oxon

Well said, Rosemary Righter! It needed to be said and you did it. Congratulations.

I Dickson, Edinburgh,

Totally agree with most of your views on Diana and its aftermath. I thought I was the only sane person left in the UK.

I too simply went out for along walk along the Thames on the day of her death and the day of the funeral simply to avoid the hysteria that seemed to have taken over.

I cannot be moved or impressed by anyone whose only real ability is to vomit

Tony Whitehead, london,

Yet more climate nonesense. Even if man-made CO2 is causing global warming (and it's a big if) it has nothing to do with pollution you ninny. CO2 is a naturally occuring gas and the little bit we produce no more pollutes the atmosphere than throwing a bucket of water in the Atlantic pollutes the oceans.

Bill, Sheffield,