Description:
Say what you will about the author of The Real Diana, but Lady Colin Campbell certainly is no practitioner of noblesse oblige. This is a book for those who like their gossip explicit and in large quantities, and who aren't bothered by little details like verifiable attribution. (The vast majority of quotes in this book are from "a member of the Wales household," "a lady-in-waiting," "a courtier," and most ironically of all, "a friend.") Lady Campbell claims to be the person whom Diana first approached to write the tell-all biography that Andrew Morton was later to author. And though she turned down that opportunity, this is her second publication to cash in on her "insider status" (Diana in Private was her first), which is seemingly a reference to her title by marriage and a casual acquaintance with the princess. With its paucity of named sources, it's probably impossible to authoritatively separate fact from fiction in The Real Diana, though it does seem that what with affairs, petty vengeances, and temper tantrums, Di would have had little time left for her courtly duties. Campbell's style is lively enough, and she has some interesting insights into the modern British aristocracy and its unconventional values. But are you truly curious to learn not only the details of the late princess's lovers' techniques, but also the names of the two therapists Diana went to for colonic irrigation? --John Longenbaugh
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