The Queen should tell Prince Philip to belt up and avoid PR disaster after Diana’s death
IF Princess Diana had been wearing a seatbelt, she would probably be alive today.
That’s the verdict of forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, who says in his compelling new book Unnatural Causes: “Had she been restrained, she would probably have appeared in public two days later with a black eye, perhaps a bit breathless from the fractured ribs and with a broken arm in a sling.”
Which, 21 years later, makes the decision of the Queen and Prince Philip to drive without a seatbelt all the more wilfully reckless.
In life, Diana taught her in-laws a lot about public relations, and in death, her influence continued when public anger forced The Queen to break protocol and fly the Union flag at half-mast above Buckingham Palace.
Since then, it’s fair to say that the “PR machine” that supposedly drives coverage of the senior royals has once again ground to a juddering halt, if the aftermath of Prince Philip’s recent crash is anything to go by.
For not only did he fail to personally check on the welfare of the two women and a nine-month-old baby travelling in the other vehicle, he brashly took delivery of a new car the very next day and, worse still, was then seen driving it illegally without a seatbelt.
As PR disasters go, it’s right up there with the appalling mismanagement of the Meghan Markle debacle involving her estranged, and very detrimentally vocal, family.
PHIL THE 'UNNERVING'
But then Prince Philip has always been a law unto himself.
Some might say he’s refreshingly outspoken, others that he’s astonishingly rude.
Having met him a few times, I can confirm that when those gimlet eyes rest upon you, there are no social graces and it’s unnerving in the extreme.
However, out in the real world, a few of “Phil the Greek’s” arrogant edges would have been knocked off by others who gave as good as they got. But when you’re married to the Queen of England, you live in a bubble of sycophancy that enables rather than challenges your sense of entitlement.
On the website of Norfolk Constabulary, it states clearly that it’s the responsibility of adults to wear a seatbelt and “failure to do so will result in a fine”.
Yet despite this golden chance to send out a strong message that driving belt-less won’t be tolerated, the Duke was merely given “suitable words of advice”.
TIME TO CHANGE
In the early days of the marriage, rumours of Philip’s arrogant or errant behaviour could be swept under the carpet by a compliant, tight-lipped coterie of close friends and the Palace tactic of “deny, deny, deny”.
But times have changed. Social media means that, now, everyone is a reporter/photographer and has a platform for their opinion.
And so, within an hour of the accident, witnesses were giving a verbatim account on the television news, photos of his overturned and badly damaged car were running on a loop, and the injured passenger from the other car popped up on a daytime TV sofa.
Even the most junior of PR staff would know that a quick phone call and bouquet of flowers might have prevented the sight of Emma Fairweather, arm in plaster, voicing her dismay at hearing nothing from the Duke himself.
But chances are, it was suggested to him and shot down or, more likely, they were too terrified of Philip’s notoriously volcanic temper to even mention it in the first place.
And clearly, no one in the Royal Family — including the Queen herself — has had the courage to prise the car keys from his hand and say “enough”.
Pity. Because if the monarchy is to survive in the future, it will be thanks to the legacy of public goodwill built up by the dutiful and impeccably behaved Queen who, the day after her own seatbelt transgression, was seen wearing one.
If it was left up to Philip, his stubborn refusal to tone down his arrogant behaviour in the face of such a serious incident would merely serve to hasten the prospect of the UK becoming a republic.
Bralize outfit's pants
BRAD Pitt is reportedly dating Charlize Theron.
Following the “Brangelina” nickname of his partnership with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, the media has dubbed his new coupling as “Bralize”.
Which, rather appropriately given Ms Theron’s outfit choice here, sounds like a range of stretch underwear.
GC's Diva fever is catching
FAR from being the mediocrity that Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner suggested she was, contestant Gemma Collins is very talented indeed.
Her skill set lies in promoting “The GC” brand of diva-like behaviour and she’s done it again.
Following her on-air spat with the show’s “Mr Nasty” she nicked all the headlines, was trending on Twitter and provided the water cooler moment of Dancing On Ice despite the far greater effort and skating skills of all her fellow competitors. Job done.
She’s the columnists’ gift that keeps on giving and, consequently, here I am writing about her.
So let’s all bow down to the queen of media manipulation.
You’re welcome, your majesty.
EU deal, I'm out
FOR anyone still labouring under the misapprehension that the EU is doing whatever it can to help Britain find a suitable exit deal, take heed of this quote from its chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, in 2016.
“I shall have succeeded in my task if the final deal is so hard on the British that in the end they’ll prefer staying in the EU.” And worse, there are all too many of our own politicians who are wilfully assisting him in this ignoble aim.
It's the thought that counts
WHY all the fuss about the £1 engagement ring from Poundland?
It’s a lovely idea . . . I just wouldn’t want one myself.
It's best to test
MILLIONS of women are reportedly putting their lives at risk by failing to have cervical smear tests because they’re too embarrassed.
Ladies, listen carefully.
You probably feel invincible and, truth be known, more than a little daunted at the prospect of a complete stranger rummaging around in your nether regions.
But believe me, we’re all fallible and there’s little more daunting than the possibility of being told you have cervical cancer that’s too advanced to do anything about.
So gird your loins (until someone says: “Now just relaaax”) and get on with it.
Victims should speak up
JULIA Mulligan, the police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire, has revealed she was raped when she was just 15.
Now 51 and a mother of two, she says she can’t keep it secret any longer but doesn’t want the crime investigated.
If the culprit is dead, that makes sense.
But if not, then surely someone in her position should want it investigated to encourage other victims – particularly of more recent attacks – to speak out?
Harrowing the court process may be, but if genuine victims don’t seek justice then the perpetrator could be left free to do it to someone else.
Ignored? may-be
EVERY time I switch on the TV, there’s some pundit spouting on about Brexit who’s captioned as “former adviser to Theresa May”.
There are literally squillions of them.
And, presumably, they’re former rather than current because she didn’t listen to a single one.
High-flyer blow
MINISTRY of Justice adviser Andrew Meads, 52, has been spared jail after drunkenly punching a paramedic who was trying to treat a gash above his eye.
He was given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the medic.
According to one report, Mr Meads blamed job stress for his behaviour, which happened after he was “plied with drinks” at a party in West London.
Can an intelligent, independent adult in their fifties actually be “plied with drinks”?
most read in opinion
WHEN they catch the yobs who defaced several war memorials in central London this week, may I humbly suggest we don’t waste time on an expensive court process after which they’ll probably get a community service order.
Six weeks training with the Paras should teach them a valuable lesson and separate the men from the juvenile morons.