The Queen and Di

The Untold Story

The Manchester Evening News declared, it took "a biographer like Ingrid Seward to unleash a sober, challenging glimpse into the one relationship of such scrutiny." That relationship is the complex, troubled, and often turbulent association between Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth. According to conventional wisdom, the Queen and Di were at odds almost from the start, but as the author of this "explosive book" ( London Daily Mail) reveals, the Queen was for a long time one of Diana's staunchest defenders, from the moment the future princess set foot on the royal turf of Balmoral Castle as a weekend guest in the 1980s.

In this work, best-selling author Ingrid Seward, the longtime editor of Majesty magazine and perhaps the most authoritative writer on the royal family, takes the listener behind the palace gates of Buckingham, Balmoral, and Sandrigham, and shows us how the royals really live and operate among themselves.

Elizabeth herself as a young bride had to learn how to deal with all sorts of personal problems, including a sometimes difficult and wayward husband, so she was especially sympathetic to Diana's many idiosyncrasies and difficulties. From an insider's perspective, the author charts Di's ups and downs: her difficult childhood, bulimia, depression, and sometimes even paranoia, offset by her innate charm, compassion, and common touch. Diana just wanted to be loved . . . but love isn't part of the royal vocabulary. A few weeks before her death, Princess Diana called and invited Ingrid Seward to come to her house.

Drawing on her long association with Diana and what turned out to be Diana's last conversation with a member of the press, Seward provides astonishing insight into the Camilla Parker Bowles affair, as well as the views and opinions of one of the most adored and vilified women of the 20th century.

©2000, 2011 Ingrid Seward (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Good Audiobook

Learned some new things about the royal family and that’s always a great read for me.

Interesting but bias

Interesting information but very clear the authors opinion of Diana wasn’t terribly high. Interesting non the less

The Queen an Di are so different

Both of these women dealt with husbands who were cheaters. Phillip was a womanizer and had an ongoing affair with an actress for over 20 years. The difference was clear in how each of these women dealt with the problem. Diana became pretty disgusting with many men. I think the Queen was helped by Porchy, the Earl over at the Downton Abbey establishment and the man she should have married. They really cared for each other. The Queen would sneak out in a head scarf and meet him in the back of a close by restaurant.

The Queen and Di

I found this book to be an engaging narration of the relationship between two remarkable women. In most books on the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana the author has a bias so obvious that you know immediately who's "side" they are on. I think the whole story is tragic and so sad I think it is a case study in how not to. behave in an unfortunate marriage and divorce. Although the princess had endured the trauma of growing up in an unstable family and carried it all her life ironically she seemed to put her own sons through that same trauma. Worst than that she put especially William in the role of confidant and counselor on his young shoulders, children do not need nor should they be placed in such situations.
Charles is also not placed on a pedestal by the author. It seems as if being Prince of Wales is not an enviable position. Edward VII as Prince of Wales was a play boy who seemed to have very loose morals and got involved in scandals all the time. Edward VIII as Prince of Wales was even worse. It is definitely worth your time to listen to this book

Insightful

I really enjoyed that both the Queen and Diana were featured in the book. You get a fuller picture of Diana as she, herself had been interviewed