July
Flying First Class
(London) The Princess of Wales made no secret of the fact that she and Oliver Hoare took a private jet together to Australia, where he is assisting a friend in setting up a business and she is going (for the second year in a row) with her mother to visit friends rather than vacation in the sun (this is getting to be an annual mother-daughter vacation). Friends of the Hoares report that Diane Hoare was supposed to go with them, but a friend’s auto crash meant Diane remained in England, helping the friend and her family, rather than accompany her husband to Australia. The Princess of Wales' office pointed out that her mother was also on the jet.
Meeting of the Parents?
(Lahore) Once again, the remarkable coincidence of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dr. Hasnat Khan being in Lahore at the same time. Diana and her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, went to India and then to Pakistan almost immediately after the former’s arrival in Australia. Dr. Khan returned home for a family visit the same day as Diana and her mum arrived, sparking rumors that Mrs. Shand Kydd was there to meet his family. The women returned to Australia ten days later, remaining at Mrs. Shand Kydd’s holiday home (owned by family friends) and flew home to the UK four days later.
Princess and the Movie Star
George Clooney was Diana’s escort to a London Art Gallery featuring children’s drawings of the Princess of Wales. The drawings, done over a period of five years, were all from children in hospital with serious or terminal illnesses, were then auctioned (Diana and George bought two each!) to benefit cancer charities.
August
Summer in Italy
(Laglio) George Clooney has rented a villa near Lake Cuomo after vacationing there last year and is said to be considering making it more than visit. Diana, Princess of Wales and her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, stopped by Clooney’s rental villa for almost three weeks before Mrs. Shand Kydd returned to England, where she checked in hospital for ‘an annual physical’. Diana remained another five days, leaving only to meet up with her sons before they return to school.
September
Interview With a Princess
14-year-old Jessica won a raffle and with it, the right to interview Diana, Princess of Wales. The raffle was limited to non-journalists in school between the ages of 13 – 21 with a birthdate of 1 July. The complete transcript of the interview will be published first in her boarding school’s newspaper (the name of the school, as well as Jessica’s full name have been withheld until the publication of the school paper by Kensington Palace), but we’ve been given a five question preview:
Jessica: My mum says I have to ask your favorite color. So, what is your favorite color, ma’am?
Diana: Blue, more light blue than dark. Periwinkle blue is closest, so periwinkle blue.
J: Question from me dad –
D: That’s only fair, since your mum got the first one.
J: He wants to know what you think of the paparazzi.
D: (laughing) You can’t print that in your school paper….or any other newspaper, for that matter! I think your dad can suss out what I think of them from that, though.
J: Was it fun to date George Clooney? He’s kind of a dish.
D: Yes, it was. And yes, he is, isn’t he? I think he’s going to be a big movie star, don’t you?
J: Do you like being called Princess Di?
D: No. It’s kind of a silly nickname the press gave me and I can’t seem to be rid of it, though.
J: If you got married again, would you still be the Princess of Wales?
D: That is a very clever question. No, I’d still be Lady Diana Spencer, but a woman takes her husband’s title on marriage.
J: That’s not very fair.
D: I agree with you, but it’s the law right now.