Queen Mother 'hugely Upset' By Diana Criticism

28 September 2009

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Britain's Queen Mother was "hugely upset" by the criticism of Queen Elizabeth following Princess Diana's death.

The queen mother's former lady-in-waiting, Lady Angela Oswald, has revealed the late royal felt angry when her daughter was slammed for her actions in the aftermath of Diana's fatal car crash in 1997.

The queen was criticised for failing to return to London immediately after Diana's death and for seemingly adopting a 'business as usual' manner by taking the princess' sons William and Harry to church hours after they learned of their mother's death.

Oswald - who worked for the queen mother for 21 years - said: "The queen was criticised for two things. One was taking the boys to church. But they wanted to go to church. If you are a Christian and your mother has been killed, it is a comfort going to church.

She was of a generation that felt that anything that went on in a marriage was private between the couple

"The other thing was that people expected the queen to abandon her two grandsons - whose mother had just been killed - and go to London to mourn with people who had never even met the princess.

"If you stand back and think about it, it is an extraordinarily selfish attitude. The queen mother was hugely upset by the criticism of her daughter because she has always admired her so much. It was such a cruel criticism and it was unfair."

Oswald describes the queen mother as a happy person, but admits the royal - who died aged 101 in 2002 - was left devastated when Diana and Prince Charles divorced and the blonde beauty went on to discuss the split in a televised interview.

She added to Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper: "Her life was full of laughter and sparkle. The one time I remember her losing her smile for any length of time was for a fortnight in 1991, or 1992, after she had been informed that the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales was effectively over. She was so sad, so tense and so obviously unhappy in herself.

"There was a very close bond between her and the Prince of Wales. She was of a generation that felt that anything that went on in a marriage was private between the couple. So it is certainly fair to say that she would have been deeply shocked when private feelings and thoughts were broadcast worldwide."

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