|
In the year since Diana died, some of the people associated with her have gone through big changes in their lives, or attracted new notoriety. An update:
CHARLES SPENCER: Diana's 34-year-old younger brother and the ninth Earl Spencer, who delivered a moving speech at her funeral, has endured bad press since. His marriage fell apart last fall amid accusations of infidelity. He has been criticized for the way he has turned the family estate, Althorp, into a Diana memorial museum, and a documentary about his sister, produced by a friend and aired on the BBC in late June, was seen as an attempt to promote the museum.
MOHAMED AL FAYED: The Egyptian-born father of Diana's companion Dodi Fayed, who died with her, has dedicated himself to honoring his son's memory, often controversially. He attacked Earl Spencer for not including any reference to Dodi at the Diana memorial at the Spencer family's Althorp estate, and he made claims that the British Establishment was behind the accident until the French investigating judge told him to desist. He plans to build a memorial to the couple, encasing their images in a dove symbol, at his flagship department store, Harrods.
TREVOR REES-JONES: The former paratrooper and ex-employee of Al Fayed was Diana's bodyguard. He survived the crash, but has undergone several operations to rebuild his shattered face. Rees-Jones, 29, works part time in a sports shop in his home town of Oswestry in northwest England. He told the French inquiry that a conscious Diana called for Dodi after the impact.
TIGGY LEGGE-BOURKE: The 33-year-old former royal nanny, whose close relationship with Princes William and Harry irked Diana, remains an employee of the family and an influence in the lives of the boys. She helped them organize their father's 50th birthday party in July, but irritated Prince Charles in mid-August when she allowed the boys to try shinnying down a steep rock face on a rope without proper protective equipment.
PAUL BURRELL: Diana's former butler and the man she called "my rock," has become events and fund-raising manager of the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund, set up to raise money for the charities she supported. Burrell, 39, has antagonized fellow employees with his highhandedness; many of them also worked for Diana. His wife, Maria, has left him and the Queen ordered him to vacate his home on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
FRANCES SHAND KYDD: Diana's 62-year-old mother told an American television interviewer in July that she mingled anonymously with mourners outside Kensington Palace for three nights after her daughter's death. Royal watchers say Diana and her mother were not close, but the princess's will stipulated that Shand Kydd be consulted over Diana's sons' "education and welfare." Al Fayed branded her an "English snob" for failing to acknowledge him at a Paris inquiry appearance.
SARAH FERGUSON: The Duchess of York, Prince Andrew's 38-year-old ex-wife, was a close friend of Diana and fellow exile from the Royal Family. Now, nearly solvent again after paying off $10 million in debts, she is chief spokesman for Weight Watchers, and in October will begin hosting a morning talk show called Surviving Life, which will air on a British network owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. She also authored a cookbook, although she freely admits she can't cook.
|