Some call it a fairytale, others an industry. Few want to describe it as a cult, with all the negative connotations of a hidden, delusional devotion that that entails. Still, the renewed fascination with Diana, princess of Wales, 20 years after her death has reached extraordinary levels.
Millennials, many of whom were too young to be properly aware of Diana’s life and death, are now following Instagram accounts that have streams of images of the late princess. The 29-year-old fashion editor of a major British newspaper has confessed that Diana will always be “my go-to style icon”.
There is a clutch of new TV documentaries, some of them salacious. A shelf's worth of new books offer either frank admiration or a forlorn "what if" look-ahead had Diana survived the August 31, 1997, car crash in Paris. Collectible magazine editions are there to be had by fans. There are even fashion shows inspired by some of Diana's signature looks, which include, we are told, heritage checks, mom jeans, gingham, white shoes, oversized coats and activewear.
In the royal palace in which Lady Diana lived, there is a specially planted “white garden”, which claims to be “inspired by memories of the Princess’s life, image and style” and which will only last this one fleeting summer. In it, there is a variety of pink Japanese anemone, named years ago as Pretty Lady Diana.
The pathos is intense. Around the global village, there is an aching sense of loss – for the death of beauty, of charity and of the mother of two royal princes. But how did this maudlin reliving of the Diana legend come to pass 20 years on? More to the point, should it be happening?
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Read more
What haunts Prince Harry most about the death of his mother, Princess Diana
Princess Diana brought popular passion to the royal stage
Princess Diana and her impeccable fashion sense — in pictures
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The answer is: not like this. There is a manifest unhealthiness about what one British writer recently called the “princess myth”. Hillary Mantel, who won the Booker Prize twice over for her historical fiction about the storied Tudor period of English history, has described Diana as being akin to that other great national treasure, the English Romantic poet John Keats, only “more photogenic”. The princess is, Ms Mantel added, “a collective creation…(and) also a collective possession”.
She has a point. Britain exported a manufactured reality that defies all evidence about Diana's actual personality and predilections long before Donald Trump's administration offered "alternative facts" for a post-truth world. Some might say that such myth-making is not unlike the nativism espoused by president Trump and his core support base. It rests on a fairytale about the past when humans with God-like traits and immortal virtues walked the Earth. Some suggest that Brexit Britain's nostalgia for an imagined golden age somehow ties in to "England's rose", in the words of the song Elton John sang for Diana's funeral.
Even so, why is Diana-mania happening now? It’s not just because her death has become a “where were you when…” globally shared moment, like 9/11, and, for an earlier generation, John F Kennedy’s assassination. And it’s not only because a 20th anniversary moment is a good one – neither too close up nor too far off – to look back on a significant event.
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Also read
Diana: In Her Own Words divides UK viewers as never-before-seen footage is aired
Twenty years on, Diana's hold over the British public remains unbroken
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There is much evidence to suggest that Diana's sons set off the extravagant memorializing by announcing their participation in two television documentaries. William and Harry's intention may have been worthy and understandable – to take control of the story told about their mother and, in their words, "to remember all the good things". But the dredging up of the past and their uncritical reverence for the dead parent while refusing even to mention their father in one documentary appeared to encourage a partisan alternate reality. One in which Charles might ascend the throne one day but Britain would forever be the kingdom of Diana.
By helping return their mother to national (and international) television, Diana's sons may have unwittingly given permission to all the other sensationalised commemorative fare. Anyone with a tape of Diana's voice, or a memory of her, no matter if true or false, merrily added to the elements of the myth.
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More on Diana
William, Harry remember their final call with Princess Diana
British princes open up about their mother Diana in new documentary
Brother of Princess Diana in battle to stop video diary broadcast
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The sense of "unreality" about the Diana legend has only heightened by the persistent contradictions of her life and death. She used the media to her own ends, letting favourite tabloid photographers know her whereabouts, giving secret interviews to be turned into bestselling books and becoming a global celebrity on account of the exposure. And yet, she complained about the media and its relentless pursuit of her life. Her sons rail at the media for hounding their mother to her death and yet, they turned to television, the medium of the masses, to ensure she is remembered and mourned and sighed over all over again.
Isn't it time to give the Diana memory machine a rest? Last month, William said on television: "We won't be doing this again. We won't speak openly or publicly about her again".
If only they hadn’t done it this time either. Britain should be preparing for the future, not obsessing over the past.
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Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
if you go
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BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
