Portraits of a Princess: Travels with Diana
The anniversary of Princess Diana’s death on August 31, 1997, serves as occasion for yet another tribute, this time exploring her travels. Jephson, Diana’s private secretary, was denounced by Prince William in 2000 for exploiting his connection to Diana and publishing Shadows of a Princess, a highly critical look at her character, but this book is considerably more flattering. "To omit mention of... her failings would be to dismiss her as a saccharin invention—but they were not the whole person," Jephson writes. "The Diana I knew overcame these traits every day she stepped out of her palace and used her talents to brighten the lives of others." According to Jephson, the book’s purpose is to remind readers of the "brilliance" of the work Diana did for so many good causes. Yet, while the images provided by Royal Photographer Gavin document Diana’s dealings with various world dignitaries and charity organizers, they also show the evolution of her hair and wardrobe. She was, as Jephson puts it, "an unbeatable combination of fashion and compassion." If short on gravitas and substance, Jephson nevertheless shows how Diana leveraged her celebrity status for the public good, drawing the eye of the world to such causes as AIDS, ballet companies and land mines. Though Jephson sometimes adopts a patronizing tone and intrusively inserts himself into his own narrative—describing how he disapproved of her occasional "scheming" and proclaiming that her appearance in the Panorama interview "sealed the fate of her royal career. And mine too"—Diana’s devotees will likely make room on their shelves for this memorial.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.