Prince William's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales

Prince William has incorporated a touching tribute to his late mother in his newly unveiled crest to mark his inauguration into the world's oldest order of chivalry.

The Prince, who last month became the 1,000th Knight of the Garter, has included a small red escallop or sea shell in the centre of the design.

It is a poignant touch to honour the memory of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales who died in 1997.

Since the end of the 16th century the scallop has been the symbol of the Spencer family coat of arms and it was also used by the Princess.

The decision to recognise his mother is a break with tradition as it is highly unusual for members of the Royal Family to include maternal symbols in their heraldic emblems.

The scallop was included at the insistence of the Prince, 26, who took a keen interest in the design.

The crest will now be mounted above his seat at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle where the Prince was formally appointed to the elite order by the Queen in a ceremony last month. .

It was carved in lime wood as has been the tradition since the Order was established by Edward III in 1348.

In medieval times they were worn on top of knight’s helmets in battle and lime wood was used because it was light, strong and durable. There are several layers of 24 carat gold leaf and they are designed to last 1,000 years.

Membership of the Order of the Garter is traditionally given to those who have held public office, have contributed to national life or who have served the Queen personally. The Prince has become one of the order’s Royal Knight Companions, which recognises his seniority within the royal family.

The origins of the Order of the Garter, whose symbol is a blue garter worn below the knee, will probably never be known for certain because the earliest records of it were destroyed by fire.

Ian Brennan, the sculptor from Hampshire who worked on the design for four weeks, said: “It is a really nice gesture that Prince William has acknowledged his late mother in the design. It is also fairly unusual in royal circles.

”It is made of lime wood, as is the tradition, and there are several layers of 24 carat gold leaf. They are designed to last 1,000 years. Each crest is unique to each member of the Order of the Garter.”

The three scallop shells on the Spencer family Coat of Arms are in white but Prince William’s is in red to make it stand out on the white band around the lion’s neck.

Peter Gwynn-Jones, garter principal King of Arms at the College of Arms, said: “It is a welcome innovation to incorporate maternal symbols into the Royal Family’s arms and it is something that Prince William and his family wanted to do.

“In the fullness of time, Prince William’s Arms will change as the Prince of Wales’ shall, but a precedent has been set here that others in the Royal Family may well follow.”

The Order consists of the Queen who is Sovereign of the Order, Prince Charles who automatically became a member when he became the Prince of Wales in 1958, and 24 Knights Companions.

The Duke of Edinburgh joined the Order in 1947 on his marriage to then Princess Elizabeth, the Princess Royal in 1994 and the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex in 2006 to mark the Queen’s 80th birthday. Other members include Baroness Thatcher.


Source: telegraph.co.uk

Prince William and Kate Middleton aggressively pursued in their car by the paparazzi

The Prince was left concerned by the threatening behaviour, his spokesman Paddy Harverson, said.

The couple, who have rekindled their relationship after splitting up earlier this year, were leaving London's Boujis nightclub in the early hours of Friday morning.

Mr Harverson said: "Prince William was concerned by the threatening behaviour of the paparazzi. Having already been photographed leaving the club, he and Kate Middleton were then pursued in his car by photographers on motorcycles, in vehicles and on foot.

"The aggressive pursuit was potentially dangerous and worrying for them. It seems incomprehensible, particularly at this time, that this behaviour is still going on."

The incident happened in a week which saw the start of the inquest into the death of the Prince's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, whose car crashed in Paris in 1997 as she was being followed by photographers.

Ofcom shows gross disrespect to Lady Diana's memory

Channel 4 has been insensitive and disrespectful. Ofcom shows lack of responsibility.

A controversial television documentary about the death of Prince Diana was not insensitive, disrespectful or in breach of broadcasting standards, Britain's media watchdog Ofcom has ruled.

Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.

Ofcom rejected more than 60 complaints about the Channel 4 documentary, "Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel", about the events surrounding the 1997 death of the Princess of Wales in Paris.

The documentary, broadcast in June, focused on the paparazzo's role in the accident that also killed her boyfriend Dodi Fayed.

Channel 4, which welcomed the ruling, was at the centre of a bitter row after it was heavily criticised for airing the documentary -- watched by 3.8 million people -- that contained several pictures of the fatally injured Princess.

Her sons Prince Harry and Prince William wrote to the broadcaster pleading with it not to publish the poor quality, black and white pictures of their mother after the crash -- a request Channel 4 dismissed.

One image showed the Princess receiving oxygen from a French medic, which was used in his testimony about the fatal accident. Her face was obscured and her injuries not visible to viewers.

The Princes had described the film as a "gross disrespect" to their mother's memory.

Channel 4 aired the documentary saying it was in the wider public interest.

Ofcom on Monday rejected the complaints that Channel 4 had been insensitive and disrespectful and said the decision to air the documentary was "clearly a matter of public interest".

It said the controversial photographs were not used in a "gratuitous manner and were not sensationalised".

"The subject of this documentary is a highly sensitive issue and such photographs can understandably upset viewers and cause offence," it ruled.

"However, this was a serious piece of investigative journalism examining issues and events which remain firmly in the public consciousness.

"The photographs included in the programme were integral to the credibility of the argument being made and the corroborated first hand testimony."

'Media To Blame For Princess Diana's Death'

By Sky News SkyNews - Tuesday, August 21 11:54 am

The former editor of a tabloid newspaper has said he feels "huge responsibility" for the accident that killed Diana, Princess of Wales.

Ex-News of the World editor Phil Hall told a TV documentary: "I felt huge responsibility for what happened and I think everyone in the media did."

He added: "It's difficult because we knew the full story, we knew that Diana was helping newspapers and yeah, the driver was drunk.

"But my view is that if the paparazzi hadn't been following her the car wouldn't have been speeding and, you know, the accident may never have happened."

The ITV documentary, Diana's Last Summer, focuses on Diana's "love-hate relationship with the photographers who followed her every move".

It includes interviews and pictures from the photographers who followed her before the fatal crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris.

Patrick Jephson, Diana's former aide, tells the programme: "The Paris paparazzi were a well-known phenomenon. They were a kind of circus.

"They would chase the royal motorcade on motorcycles. They had pillion passengers carrying heavy television cameras.

"It all contributed to the sense of being inside a Wild West stagecoach while bandits were attacking it."


Following is a chronology of the life and times of Princess Diana, who died aged 36 on August 31, 1997. Reuters is running a package of stories to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.

July 1, 1961 - Born into an aristocratic family, third of four children of Lord and Lady Althorp.

1977 - Meets Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, at the family home, Althorp.

February 24, 1981 - Engagement to Charles is announced.

-- July 29 - Charles and Diana marry in sumptuous ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

June 21, 1982 - First child born, William Arthur Philip Louis. Diana suffers post-natal depression.

September 15, 1984 - Second child born, Henry Charles Albert David, known as Harry.

1985 - First reports of difficulties in royal marriage.

1986 - Charles renews his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a woman he later refers to as "the love of his life". Diana develops eating disorder bulimia. Royal couple continue public duties but lead separate lives in private.

June 1992 - "Diana -- Her True Story", by tabloid reporter Andrew Morton, is published. Diana cooperated, through friends, in the writing of the book which shows her trapped in a loveless marriage and attempting suicide to attract Charles's attention.

-- August 25 - Newspapers publish excerpts of taped telephone conversation between Diana and James Gilby, who calls her "Squidgy" and tells her repeatedly that he loves her.

-- December 9 - Prime Minister John Major announces formal separation of the couple in parliament.

September 1994 - "Princess In Love", by Anna Pasternak, published, telling of an affair between Diana and cavalry officer James Hewitt. Book is condemned but Diana later confirms she had had an affair with Hewitt and says she adored him.

November 20, 1995 - Diana gives television interview in which she admits adultery with Hewitt and says she doubts Charles's ability to handle the responsibility of being king.

-- December 20 - Buckingham Palace confirms Queen Elizabeth had written to Charles and Diana urging them to divorce.

July 12, 1996 - Charles and Diana agree divorce terms. Diana is to get a reported 17 million pound settlement, but is stripped of the title "Royal Highness".

-- Aug 28 - Charles and Diana granted a decree absolute ending their 15-year marriage.

August 7, 1997 - First media reports that Diana has found a new love, Dodi al-Fayed.

-- August 31 - Diana is killed in Paris car crash with al-Fayed.

Diana's brother considered writing princess's biography

AFP - Friday, August 10 08:03 am
LONDON (AFP) - The brother of the late princess Diana revealed on Thursday that he has considered writing a biography about his sister, in the run-up to the 10-year anniversary of her death.

Speaking to the BBC, Spencer said that he thought many of the books chronicling the divorced royal's life were "very inaccurate" and thought that a good historian needed to confront the subject.

Asked by the interviewer if Spencer himself would do so, he replied: "I've thought about doing one but never have (it) published in my lifetime, maybe 20 years after I'm dead or something."

Spencer is perhaps best known for his emotional and outspoken eulogy at Diana's funeral, which provoked an unprecedented wave of applause through Westminster Abbey in London.

Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and his chauffeur Henri Paul were killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

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