The “People’s Princess” as gold digger – lessons in the humanity of our hero(ine)s

Diana Spencer: Princess of Wales would have clocked 50 this year if her life had not been so ultimately cut short in Paris on an August night in 1997. So I found myself reflecting on the near apotheosis that was going on in the media about what a Princess Diana at 50 would have meant. So I asked myself: who was Princess Diana & what is the appropriate narrative for her life? Is it that of an intellectual lightweight, a lady who took her husband “to the cleaners” in a divorce receiving $28 million upfront & $600,000 annually and who seemed to have a less than ideal taste in men (some of whom were married). A possible “home wrecker” and a member – after her divorce – of the jet setting, hard partying crowd with the likes of Dodi Al Fayed (playboy extraordinaire still on an allowance from “daddy” at 42). Or is the proper narrative that of the “people’s princess”: who publicly hugged an AIDS sufferer, highlighted the horrors wrought by landmines and showed genuine interest in poor & oppressed people all over the world. A princess who brought people closer to royalty and demonstrated warmth often lacking in that institution. In reality, my question is sort of a “trick question” as she fit both of the above narratives. She was a good person but also an acknowledged adulteress (with James Hewitt) and I think this does not in any way remove or distract from all the great things she did for so many people.

This trend of us deifying our heroes: expecting them to be something other than human and subjecting them to unrealistic standards is disingenuous, naïve and unrealistic. George Washington was the father of his country, refusing to rule for life as a quasi-monarch when he could have done so. But he was also a man of limited military abilities & success and who was frankly not a very bright fellow. Martin Luther King was alleged to be an adulterer but he inspired a whole nation to seek change and justice in a non-violent way. These people – and many more of their stature – were giants among men and they all lifted the generations in which they lived. Their indiscretions or moral failings did not make them any less great but it demonstrated that even the noblest of humans is after all still human and that perfection is neither necessary nor sufficient for greatness.

I believe setting the records straight about great historical figures is not about “speaking ill of the dead” or even about striving for historical accuracy, it is rather to help us as citizens to have a more balanced and nuanced view of our leaders. Recognizing and discussing the flaws of people referred to as “founding fathers”, “queen of hearts” etc will enable us cut our less illustrious political leaders the required slack they deserve and need! Time after time, political candidates – especially in the United States – must continually bow at the altar of the false gods of piety and unrealistic expectations. Is it really important for us to know whether Bill Clinton smoked marijuana as a college student barely out of his teenage years? Did that have any bearing on his qualifications to lead wisely and make good decisions 30 years after? Adultery should not be condoned but isn’t there something weird in ascribing a consensual affair as “high crime & misdemeanor” (the criteria for impeachment)? Must everyone striving for political office have a wife, kids and dogs that look like images out of Christmas cards?

I think these are questions citizens and electorates need to ask themselves as they elect their leaders. The world is becoming increasingly complex with near intractable problems, so we need leaders willing to plunge headlong into discussing these problems and finding workable solutions. We don’t need them distracted by fears that someone will publish pictures of them at a fraternity party 30 years ago or unearth sordid details of amorous liaisons now confined to the dung heaps of history. We need to stop the deification of our leaders, accept their minor failings and concentrate on their abilities & passion for solving the great problems facing humanity. As the “great” political comedian: Bill Maher once said when comparing Presidents Bill Clinton & George Bush: “there is more to the presidency than not getting blown”.