H.R.H. Diana, Princess of Wales: A voice from eternity

Photo credit: Mario Testino

Last week I stumbled across Sara Mitchell's book Voices From Eternity, in which five deceased celebrities talk candidly about life after death. One of those channeled was H.R.H. Diana, Princess of Wales, who spoke about her life and death, her love for her children, offered some advice to humanity, and revealed what she's been up to on the Other Side. Providing an unorthodox and intriguing insight into a life that has been studied and analyzed in minute detail, the book offered the following tidbits:

The Accident

• Diana and Dodi WERE engaged. They were planning a good and happy life together.
• The car they were riding in was being driven at high speed by an intoxicated Henri Paul, trying to escape the paparazzi, when it lost control after hitting another car. It was an accident; neither Prince Charles nor the Queen had any hand in it.
• During that last ride, Diana was scared and terrified, and had asked Dodi to tell Henri to be careful.
• She knew she was going to die before the crash happened; she saw her life flash before her eyes.
• Her death was drawn-out and tortuous: "I knew I couldn't come back to life, and I couldn't die completely.....It was so miserable. I was so unhappy." (p. 16).
• After she died, Diana was in a confused, lonely state. She remained connected to the Earth; she roamed around the crash site (and Paris in general), watched her sons at Balmoral Castle, Fergie, and saw her brother and his family. Spirit guides eventually helped Princess Diana transition over to the Other Side.
• At Balmoral, Prince Charles tried his best to comfort his sons. Although, according to Diana, he no longer loved and cared for her, he didn't want Princes William and Harry to lose their mother. On the other hand, the Queen "is really quite ruthless and cold and was pleased that I was gone and out of the way" (pp. 21-22).
• Prince William was very close to Diana, and instinctively knew that his mother had died. Although he was shaken and felt shattered, he felt a responsibility to take care of Harry, and to be brave and to carry on.

Life on the Other Side

• Diana is "studying, contemplating, thinking, living and serious a lot of the time in my contemplation of things I need to study and learn" (p. 28).

Advice to Mankind

• God is always with us and loves us very much, and provides comfort and advice, if only we would be quiet and listen to Him. In His Eyes, we are all royalty.
• Love "is the glue that holds everything together".

Diana's Message to William and Harry

• Diana is very much alive.
• She loves William and Harry so very much, and they will all be reunited one day.
• Although her time with her sons was short, Diana was able to teach them how to do their jobs.
• The boys must love each other and use their royal statuses to make the world a better place.
• She is always with them in their hearts and memories. She visits them and talks to them in their dreams. When they miss her, they must pray, and Diana will hear their prayers.
• William and Harry must place their trust in God.

Wherever she is, I hope that Diana is with Jesus, who "sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24), the Perfect Man who will never abandon, betray, or disappoint her.

Prince Charles and Camilla: My weird dream

I had an interesting dream last night about Prince Charles and Camilla. It started with me and Camilla in the back of a car, being driven to a rectory/church. She was wearing purple, and was upset, although I didn't quite know why. When we arrived, Camilla started crying inconsolably.
She walked down one path to the rectory/church; I took another path. I kept on looking for her and calling out her name. I was fiercely protective of her.

Next thing I knew, I was seated in the audience at a talk show. William and Harry were also in the audience somewhere. During the show, it was revealed that Charles had been cheating on Camilla with one of her closest confidants. There were videos and photos of him and his mistress cuddling, hugging, and playing footsie. I thought how ironic it was that Charles was cheating on Camilla with another woman, just as he had cheated on Diana with Camilla.

Then, when I looked down, I realized I was naked, and slouched forward as much as possible to hide my nakedness...

*End of dream*

(Social) location, location, location: The importance of being in Prince Harry's social circle

The Daily Mail's website has an intriguing article about Prince Harry and his "golden circle of...closest friends," who have been described as "Britain's most privileged clique." In the article is the following chart which shows how whom is socially connected to whom:

The article masterfully illustrates what I've been thinking for a while now: social ties and socioeconomic class are important factors that (rightly or wrongly) determines who Prince Harry dates, and who he may eventually marry.

 It makes a lot of sense, right? Within his social circle, Harry feels relaxed and able to be himself; they have similar backgrounds and worldviews. They hang out at the same social venues and have similar experiences. More importantly, most people end up marrying partners from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. This is especially true amongst the Royals, who have historically valued social status and rank in marriage partners.

For all those women who hope to date and/or marry Harry, what does this mean? Statistically speaking, the average everyday woman-on-the-street has a slim chance of dating him, as opposed to the girls who run in the same social circles as him. Although Harry has dated ordinary girls-next-door, these have usually been one night stands and casual hookups, not substantial relationships.

So how can the girls-next-door equal the playing field? Stay tuned and find out in an upcoming blog post!

What do you think? Leave comments and questions below!

Video Pick: "The Queen" (2009 docudrama)

Today's video pick is "The Queen" (2009 docudrama), in which five leading contemporary actresses portray pivotal moments in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Outstanding performances, combined with actual interviews with royal insiders, create a compelling watch. Videos are below:

Episode 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ibCjfL5Ga8&feature=related

Episode 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiRsbAxgx1I&feature=related

Episode 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i9eEKam9Xc

Episode 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSlyzwefR1Y&feature=related

Episode 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUkMsWm4jhI&feature=related

The Australian: "Prince Harry looks to uncertain future"

I want to share an interesting article about Prince Harry I stumbled across in The Australian. The piece, by Kate Mansey, does an excellent job analyzing Harry's strengths and making historical comparisons. The link is below:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/prince-harry-looks-to-uncertain-future/story-fnb64oi6-1226296349536

What do you think? Leave your questions and comments below.

The traits needed by Prince Harry's future bride

In an earlier post, I discussed the daunting obstacles that would face Prince Harry's future wife (assuming, of course, that he gets married). A logical question might then be "what qualities would she need in order to succeed?" In no order of importance, those traits are:

(1) Discretion. The golden rule of life within the royal family, whether upstairs or downstairs, is discretion: "never complain, never explain." Indiscretion is the kiss of death for any royal relationship, as many paramours have found to their surprise.

Trust is linked to discretion; lose the Royal Family's trust, and it's all but impossible to regain.

(2) Being grounded. The adjustment to life as Prince Harry's (hypothetical) wife would be difficult and confusing. As Princess Diana aptly put it:

One minute I was nobody, the next minute I was Princess of Wales, mother, media toy, member of this family and it was just too much for one person to handle.

A woman who is self confident, has adequate levels of self esteem, a relatively stable background, and a good support network would stand a better chance of dealing with the far-reaching changes inherent in marriage to Harry.

(3) Adaptability. In both her public and private life, Harry's wife would face new experiences. Among other things, she would eat unfamiliar cuisine, press the flesh with total strangers, and have her life scheduled in excruciating minutiae. And not everything in life goes according to plan. This is the case even in the Royal Family. Tour schedules might be adjusted. Transport vehicles may break down or be deemed unsuitable. Being adaptable would definitely make life easier for her.

(4) Having a sense of humor. Being able to see the absurdity and humor in situations would be an effective coping mechanism. Laughter is indeed the best medicine.

(5) Assertiveness. As a member of the Royal Family, Prince Harry's wife would be building relationships with numerous parties, balancing a meaningful public role with a fulfilling private life, maintaining her own style, and trying to avoid exploitation and manipulation by those with ulterior motives. Being assertive would help her stay true to herself and what she believes in.


(6) Perseverance. Being new to the game, Prince Harry's wife would make mistakes. Whether she sinks or swims would depend on her ability to hang in there and learn from her errors.

(7) Empathy. Being empathetic would help Prince Harry's wife be more down-to-earth, more compassionate, more approachable, more likely to touch people and relate to them, and more likeable. That's always a good thing, no?


What do you think? Leave comments and questions below.

Book Pick: "Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics"

Title: "Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics"
Author: Eleanor Herman
Published: April 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins



"Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics," explores the love lives of Europe's queens from the Middle Ages to the Diana years. A tantalizing and scholarly read, the book provides an intriguing window into a rarely discussed aspect of historical royal life. It convincingly shows how the combination of desire, duty, power, politics, diplomacy, and social norms influenced the actions of monarchs and their consorts, many times changing the course of history. The same factors are at play in today's monarchies, which just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same...

Sex with the Queen" certainly made these distant figures come to life.One eye-opening discovery was reading about the (allegedly) gay kings. Although I know that homosexuality is not a modern phenomenon, it was still interesting to read (in colorful detail) about all the guy-on-guy action going on in the kings' bedchambers.

For me, the most memorable story was that of the young Maria Luisa of Savoy. On her deathbed at twenty-six due to tuberculosis, her husband King Philip V of Spain:

 "jumped in bed with her and humped her several times a day….Finally, after the priests administered last rites, and the death rattle rose in her throat, the king tried to jump in bed one last time and was only with difficulty restrained." (pp. 21-22)

 I certainly had an enjoyable time devouring all the breath-taking and page-turning details. "Sex with the Queen" is a highly recommended read.

Reblog: A Fangirl’s Guide: Prince Harry’s Caribbean Tour

Courtesy of the lovely Kiki over at Dirty Royal Confessions:

Video Pick: "Diana: Her True Story"

Today's video pick is "Diana: Her True Story," the movie adaptation of Andrew Morton's biography about Princess Diana. The movie covers Diana's life from childhood up until 1992, when she separated from Prince Charles.

I like this movie because of its in-depth examination of the dynamics between Charles and Diana. It masterfully depicts the implosion and unraveling of their marriage and relationship. Without further ado, here's the video pick:

Diana: Her True Story - Part I

What are your thoughts and comments?

The daunting walk down the aisle for Prince Harry's future bride

On his Diamond Jubilee Tour Prince Harry has collected legions of female fans, such as Miss Bahamas Anastagia Pierre, who has expressed a desire to marry him. 

The lucky lady who finds herself engaged - and eventually married - to Harry will marry not just a person, but an institution and a way of life. Besides the changes and adjustments that marriage normally brings, joining the British Royal Family presents several unique challenges she will have to overcome:

(1) Press intrusion: This is the most daunting aspect of Royal life. Although the British monarchy needs the media to remain relevant, the constant press attention is claustrophobic and obsessive. Everything Harry's wife says, does, and wears will be front page news. She will always be photographed and videotaped. Staff will leak stories, and media pundits will take snipes at her. In the words of Princess Diana:

I had a very bad time with the press - they literally haunted and hunted me.

(2) Family traditions and rituals: The British Royal Family has quirky traditions and practices which are landmines for the uninitiated. Safely navigating them will require a quick ability to learn and adaptability.

(3) Meddling courtiers: Each member of the royal family has their own retinue of staff. As in any bureaucracy, employees try to influence the royals' actions and decision-making, and try to increase their power by playing royals off each other. In short, Harry's wife will have to wonder if her staff have her best interests at heart instead of their own.

(4) Public role: Harry's wife will likely be expected to be a dutiful, quiet, "ladylike" clothes horse who carries out the charitable and social duties expected of her. She will not be allowed to tackle controversial issues, and she will have to reconcile social norms of what a princess looks like with her actual body size and attributes. She will inevitably find herself compared to Prince William's wife and Princess Diana. She will have to fight to carve a unique public role for herself

(5) Elitism: British society is very class-based. If Prince Harry's wife comes from a lower socioeconomic class than him, it will attract unfavorable commentary from those, both among Harry's family/friends and the wider UK public, who will see her as a gold digger and social climber.

What do you think? Please leave comments and questions below.