Sixteen.

Sixteen.

Paul had over slept! That was the first and only time. I said, “Don’t worry, I’ll drop you off at work, you won’t be late.”  He got himself ready as I prepared his sandwiches and flask. He wanted me to stop off at the local corner shop so he could buy his fags, I said, “OK”. Paul returned to the car and said, “The Asian shop keeper is crying, he said that, “Princess Diana has been killed in a car crash!"  I told him, “Don’t be silly, he is joking!” Paul said he was going to tell his work mates when he arrived, I begged him not to as they would laugh at him. But as he got out the car he said, “Princess Di has been killed in a car crash!” Anthony, Stephen and Joe who was standing outside smoking said, “We know!” I was gobsmacked! I don’t know, to this day, how I drove home! I ran into the house and at 6am I rang my Mum and blurted out, “Princess Di has been killed in a car crash” Mum said, “Not just Princess Di but Dodi too, all four in the car was killed!” It was more than I could take in. I turned the TV on and it was THE news.

I was seven months pregnant.....

As time went on we were told all four had not died, that was what was originally said. My Cousin was just about to go to bed when it came on the radio that he’d been listening to it was around 4am!! He’d woken his Mum, my Auntie and told her and she had phoned her Sister, my Mum straight away! It was THAT important! THAT urgent!

About two weeks earlier Paul and I had been on holiday in Austria I had bought a British newspaper every day, the papers there were always a day late, but it was good to see Princess Di on the yacht, with Dodi, and finally happy.....

After Paul came home from work, like everyone else in the world, we watched the telly. Paul sat with long tears rolling down his face I said, “You never liked her when she was alive!” He replied, “I know, but I would never wish death on her.”

I grew up with Princes Di, she was lovely. I remember when she got married, at work we were allowed to have a TV in and we were all allowed to stop work and watch it! Nothing like that at work had ever happened before or since!

I remember when her lovely children were born and the happy times she had with them. I love it when she was at the fair with her kids, the smiles on their faces was priceless.

I remember she made news by shaking the hand of an Aids victim and walking the minefields...

That photo of her sitting alone on holiday at that religious building, all sad.

When she spoke about Camilla, “Three in our marriage.....” Prince Charles, his love for Camilla before he married Princess Di and his lack of love for her eventually drove her into other men’s arms..... Then just when we thought she had found love, she was murdered!!

I remembered Charles going to France to bring the body of the Princess back! I was angry with that! What did he have to do with her now? He should not have been allowed to see her dead, for he hated her! It was because of him, she was now dead!!!  

I remember the time before the funeral we all wanted to see the Queen, and then they came out to the crowds the Queen, Prince William and Harry. Years later I worked with a Woman who said she HAD to go to the gates where crowds from around the world had gathered, that she would never forget the loud crying and the wonderful smell of all those flowers.

I watched the entire funeral; it was SO sad the people throwing their little bouquets of flowers onto the Hurst, Prince Harry’s sealed envelope with the words, “Mummy” on the car.

I remember years later, watching the wedding of Camilla and Charles, not because I was happy for them, but I just watched it. I wondered what Princess Di would have thought; really it was a sad day.....if only he’d have had the guts to marry her in the first place. I want William to be the next King after the Queen.

It was a fantastic day when Prince William got married and great to see his Mum’s ring on his Wife’s hand! My ring is the same design, but a lot smaller and nowhere near as expensive. She would have loved her first grandchild. She would have been a lovely Nanny.           

My views about Camilla and Charles, my kids have the same views and they were not even born at the time of Princess Di’s death! My views have not changed one bit!

Rest in Peace, it’s been sixteen years ... gone but never forgotten.  X