This Article is From Jan 17, 2011

Royals feared attack on Prince Charles at Diana's funeral

Royals feared attack on Prince Charles at Diana's funeral
London: British royal courtiers feared Prince Charles would be attacked by a member of the public at Princess Diana's funeral if he walked behind her coffin without his sons accompanying him, a new account has claimed.

Alastair Campbell, former British prime minister Tony Blair's ex-spin doctor, disclosed that fears for the Prince of Wales's safety became clear during a conference call on September 4, 1997 with courtiers for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Balmoral, Scotland, the Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

A senior official was sent by Buckingham Palace to warn Prince William of the perceived threat, according to Campbell's diaries.

Sandy Henney, then press secretary to Prince Charles, was included in the call and was sent to Balmoral to advise Prince William that his mother would have wanted him to follow her coffin.

Robin Janvrin, then the Queen's deputy private secretary, was with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Balmoral and was also in on the call.

Campbell was at Buckingham Palace with Robert Fellowes, the Queen's private secretary.

Campbell writes in "Power and the People" that the courtiers were divided over whether the Prince of Wales should walk behind the coffin with his two sons.

"Robin said if William did not do it then Charles couldn't 'for obvious and understandable reasons'."

In extracts from the diaries, published in The Guardian, Campbell also writes that Prince William had a "total hatred" of the media after the relentless press harassment of his mother.
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