Royals feared attack on Prince Charles at Diana’s funeral
January 17th, 2011 - 8:35 pm ICT by IANS
London, Jan 17 (IANS) British royal courtiers feared Prince Charles would be attacked by a member of the public at Princess Diana’s funeral if he walked behind her coffin without his sons accompanying him, a new account has claimed. Alastair Campbell, former British prime minister Tony Blair’s ex-spin doctor, disclosed that fears for the Prince of Wales’s safety became clear during a conference call Sep 4, 1997 with courtiers for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Balmoral, Scotland, the Daily Telegraph reported Monday.
A senior official was sent by Buckingham Palace to warn Prince William of the perceived threat, according to Campbell’s diaries.
Sandy Henney, then press secretary to Prince Charles, was included in the call and was sent to Balmoral to advise Prince William that his mother would have wanted him to follow her coffin.
Robin Janvrin, then the Queen’s deputy private secretary, was with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Balmoral and was also in on the call.
Campbell was at Buckingham Palace with Robert Fellowes, the Queen’s private secretary.
Campbell writes in “Power and the People” that the courtiers were divided over whether the Prince of Wales should walk behind the coffin with his two sons.
“Robin said if William did not do it then Charles couldn’t ‘for obvious and understandable reasons’.”
In extracts from the diaries, published in The Guardian, Campbell also writes that Prince William had a “total hatred” of the media after the relentless press harassment of his mother.
- Royals feared Prince Charles would be attacked at Diana's funeral - Jan 17, 2011
- William wants Kate to be called 'princess' - May 01, 2011
- Prince Philip hospitalised, misses jubilee concert - Jun 05, 2012
- Prince Philip taken to hospital - Aug 16, 2012
- Prince Charles now favoured as next king of England - Jun 11, 2012
- Prince William, Kate Middleton's wedding reception to have just 300 guests - Jan 10, 2011
- Millions to celebrate 'People's Royal Wedding' on April 29! - Nov 24, 2010
- William and Kate to be Duke and Duchess of Cambridge post wedding - Apr 29, 2011
- William - a prince, a pilot and a patron of charities - Apr 29, 2011
- Kate Middleton's first lesson is learning when to curtsey to whom - May 02, 2011
- ISS astronauts congratulate British royal couple - Apr 29, 2011
- We are so lucky to have her: Charles says about Kate - Apr 30, 2011
- Who will pick the Royal wedding tab - Prince William or Brit taxpayers? - Nov 18, 2010
- Over 1,900 people invited to William's wedding - Feb 20, 2011
- Prince William to wear military uniform for wedding - Feb 01, 2011
Tags: balmoral scotland, british prime minister, british prime minister tony blair, buckingham palace, courtiers, daily telegraph, duke of edinburgh, fellowes, former british prime minister tony blair, london jan, minister tony blair, prime minister tony blair, prince charles, prince of wales, prince william, princess diana, private secretary, spin doctor, tony blair, understandable reasons