The Diana documentary showed a clash of two paradigms
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Your support makes all the difference.The usual insiders have lined up to condemn the sharing of Diana’s videos with the common people, notwithstanding that she regarded herself as our princess.
The programme revealed a clash of two paradigms for royal marriage: one of conventional Christian monogamy and the other in which it would be the norm for a prince to have a mistress. I don’t share the popular view that there is a self-evidently correct answer to this.
I go so far as to sympathise with the notion expressed by Prince Charles, apparently in jest, that he should have a wife and family in every country of the Commonwealth. I won’t join in the socialist thinking that “I can’t afford this so it must be wrong for anyone to have it”.
Given such an exceptionally tolerant stance, what can I make of Diana’s claim to be a wronged woman? While for me it would still be OK for royalty to separate the ceremonial and childbearing roles from the emotional ones, the critical question is one of informed consent. By Diana’s account this was lacking, which would make it an abuse and one in which many people were complicit.
The tragedy is that Diana might still have been tempted to accept the gig, and enjoyed it a lot more, had they been honest with her.
John Riseley
Address supplied
Welsh Labour
The railworkers’ union RMT is quite right to be appalled at the Labour government’s plans to privatise our rail infrastructure in Wales by transferring Network Rail to a private franchise.
This is the latest example of the Labour government in Wales breaking promises made in their party’s recent general election manifesto. Corbyn’s Labour promised to scrap zero-hour contracts, but in Wales Labour voted to keep them. Corbyn’s Labour promised to scrap tuition fees, but in Wales they’ve raised them to record levels. Corbyn’s Labour promised to scrap the public sector pay cap, but Labour in Wales is still refusing to pay workers such as nurses a fairer wage.
In opposition they talk the talk. But in Wales, where they’ve held power for almost 20 years, they’ve fail to walk the walk. Why should anyone trust a word they say?
Llyr Gruffydd
North Wales
Usain Bolt
It is not right – and not fair – to compare Trump (disaster, yes) and Brexit (well, your choice) to Gatlin’s win.
I am a big fan of Matthew Norman, I read his columns frequently and love his humour. Even on the most serious subjects he is genius.
But to end yesterday’s article like this – “Gatlin has suffered his punishment unlike Trump and Brexit people, and the disgracefully behaved London audience should learn to forgive and move on” – was a disappointment.
Karita Mattila
Florida, USA
My only success at the 100m was a third in the under-12s at the school carnival so I can share the feelings Bolt had as his career finishes.
Dennis Fitzgerald
Australia
Brexit
Will someone please ask the 61 per cent of older voters who are willing to take significant damage to the economy exactly what benefits they are expecting to get in return. I’m struggling to think of one.
Philip Parkin
An older voter from Derby
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