Princess Diana

Fascination with the Princess of Wales has always been due, in part, to her seeming perfection. Remarkably charming, impeccably photogenic, innately sympathetic, eternally stylish—did those size 10As of hers never touch feet of clay?

This year they did. Tales of Diana’s loveless marriage, her bouts with bulimia, her battles with the palace and rumors of romances—all became grist for the press and gossip for the masses. After the publication in June of Andrew Morton’s tattly best-seller, Diana: Her True Story, the Princess with the perfect image suddenly seemed to be waging damage control. Then this month came the nonshocker: Charles, 44, and Diana, 31, announced their formal separation, adding that they had no plans for divorce. “There is no reason, “Prime Minister John Major told the House of Commons after reading the official announcement, “why Diana should not become Queen.”

In fact there are plenty. Judging by polls, the British public seems to agree with MP John Bowis, who noted, “It would be absurd to think of two royal processions coming from different directions to Westminster Abbey for a coronation.” Diana’s compromise—dump the Prince but keep the perks—is not sitting well, and divorce may in fact be only a question of time.

The book may have sped the pace of the split but was itself a reaction to a previous indiscretion. It’s said that Diana tacitly nudged chums to tell Morton of her marital woes when she heard that embarrassing details about her private life were about to become public. These included a taped conversation between her and dashing buddy James Gilbey, a onetime secondhand-car dealer. Parts of that 1989 Dianagate tape were splashed across the London tabloid The Sun for two days last August. How damning was the Squidgy tape? Consider these excerpts from the now infamous exchange:

She: I was very bad at lunch. And I nearly started blubbing [crying]. I just felt really sad and empty and I thought, “Bloody hell, after all I’ve done for this ———- [expletive deleted by The Sun] family…”

He: You don’t need to. ‘Cause there are people out there, and I’ve said this before, who will replace emptiness with all sorts of things.

She: I needn’t ask horoscopes, but it is just so desperate—always being innuendo, the fact that I’m going to do something dramatic because I can’t stand the confines of this marriage.

He: I know…

He: Did you go to church today?

She: Yes, I did.

He: Did you, Squidge?

She: Yes.

He: Did you say lots of prayers?

She: Of course.

He: Did you? Kiss me, darling [sound of a kiss being blown over the phone].

She: Sound of laughter as she returns kiss.

He: I can’t tell what a smile that has put on my face. I can’t tell you…Darling, I will be back in London tomorrow night.

She: Good.

He: Alright?

She: Yes.

He: Back on home territory, so no more awful breaks.

She: No.

He: I don’t know what I’d do. Do you know, darling, I couldn’t sort of face the thought of not speaking to you every moment. It fills me with real horror, you know.

She: It’s purely mutual.

Diana introduces the subject of the Queen Mum.

She: His grandmother is always looking at me with a strange look in her eyes. It’s not hatred. It’s sort of interest and pity mixed in one. I am not quite sure. I don’t understand it. Every time I look up, she’s looking at me and then looks away and smiles.

He: Does she?

She: Yes. I don’t know what’s going on.

He: I should say to her one day, “I can’t help but ask you. You are always looking at me. What is it? What are you thinking?” You must, darling. And interestingly enough, one of the things said to me today is that you are going to start standing up for yourself.

She: Yes.

He: Mmm. We all know that you’re very capable of that, old Bossy Boots.

She: I know, yes.

He: What have you had on today? What have you been wearing?

She: A pair of black jodhpur things on at the moment and a pink polo neck.

He: Really. Looking good?

She: Yes.

He: Are you?

She: Yes.

He: Dead good?

She: I think it’s good.

He: You do?

She: Yes.

He: And what on your feet?

She: A pair of flat black pumps.

He: Very chic.

She: Yes. [Pause in tape] The Redhead [Fergie] is being actually quite supportive…. I don’t know why.

He: I just worry that she’s sort of…desperately trying to get back in.

She: She keeps telling me.

He: She knows that your PR is so good, she’s trying to tag on to that.

She: Jimmy Saville [a television personality and fund-raiser] rang me up yesterday, and he said, “I’m just ringing up, my girl, to tell you that His Nibs has asked me to come and help out the Redhead, and I’m just letting you know so that you don’t find out through her or him. And I hope it’s alright by you.” And I said, “Jimmy, you do what you like.”

He: What do you mean, help out the Redhead, darling?

She: Sort her out. He said, “You can’t change a lame duck, but I’ve got to talk to her, ’cause that’s the boss’ orders and I’ve got to carry them out….

He: Darling, when he says His Nibs rang him up, does he mean your other half or PA [Prince Andrew] rang him up?

She: My other half.

He: Your other half.

She: Yes.

He: Oh [sigh], I get so sort of possessive when I see all those pictures of you. I get so possessive, that’s the least attractive aspect of me, really. I just see them and think: “Oh, God, if only….”

She: There aren’t that many pictures, are there?

He: Four or five today.

She: I’m always smiling, aren’t I?

He: Always.

She: I thought that today.

He: I always told you that. It’s the old, what I call the PR package, isn’t it? As soon as you sense a camera—I think you can sense a camera at a thousand yards.

She: Yes.

He: You don’t mind it, darling, when I want to talk to you so much?

She: No, I LOVE it. Never had it before.

He: Darling, it’s so nice being able to help you.

She: You do. You’ll never know how much.

He: Oh, I will, darling. I just feel so close to you. I’m wrapping you up, protecting.

She: Yes, please, yes, please.

Gilbey asks if Diana has seen “him” (Charles) today.

She: I have. We went out to tea. It’s just so difficult, so complicated. He makes my life real torture, I’ve decided…

He: Yah! Did you talk in the car?

She: Yes, but nothing in particular. He said he didn’t want to go out tonight…

He: Did you have the kids with you? She: No.

He: What, you just went by yourselves?

She: No, they were behind us.

He: Oh were they? How did he enjoy it?

She: I don’t know. He really didn’t comment.

He: No. Oh, Squidgy.

She: Mmm.

He: Kiss me please. [sound of kisses] Do you know what I’m going to be imagining I’m doing tonight at about 12 o’clock? Just holding you so close to me. It’ll have to be delayed action for 48 hours.

She: [giggles] He: Fast forward! She: Fast forward!

There is a long goodbye precipitated by her need to put the children to bed. At one point they talk briefly of Fergie again, and Diana says something that may be quite prophetic.

He: I tell you, darling, she is desperate to tag on to your coattails.

She: Well, she can’t. If you want to be like me, you have got to suffer.

He: Oh, Squidgy!

She: Yeah. You have to. And then you get what you…

He: You get what you want.

She: No. Get what you deserve, perhaps.