The Princess Beats A Retreat

But lately the strain of going it alone–and of the relentless torrent of gossip about her–has been showing. Last month she broke down and wept in public, a lapse attributed to a migraine. A few days later she made an unscheduled speech at a charity launch. “I’m supposed to be dragged off the minute I leave here by men in white coats,” she said. “If it’s all right with you, I thought I might postpone my nervous breakdown.” Last week Diana, 32, announced that she would retire from her hectic schedule of public appearances. Said Conservative Member of Parliament Terry Dicks: “The royal mafia has won.”

Diana blamed Britain’s rabid tabloids for her decision to radically scale back her public life. “Twelve years ago, I understood that the media might be interested in what I did,” she said in announcing her retreat, “but I was not aware of how overwhelming that attention would become, nor the extent to which it would affect both my public duties and my personal life, in a manner that has been hard to bear.” The tabloid press has recently trumpeted reports that she is again afflicted with bulimia. Worst of all may have been the publication last month of photos taken with a concealed camera as she exercised in a London gym. “There must be genuine remorse for the distress all that has caused her,” said an editorial in the Mirror, which published the photos. “There certainly is at the Mirror.”

Royal-watchers in the press were quick to see deeper machinations behind Diana’s announcement. “She has simply lost the battle with the big guns at the Palace,” said the Daily Star. “They have been gnashing their teeth at the way she has stolen the limelight from the established royals. They’re the ones who have frozen her out of public life.” With help from a formidable palace press operation, Prince Charles has indeed tried to revamp his reputation by embarking on a series of high-profile ventures and allowing TV crews to film him with his sons. Still, Diana remains the most popular member of the royal family according to a Gallup poll published Saturday. Charles recently complained that his efforts to promote his favorite causes–British trade and the environment–have been hampered by the “soap opera” surrounding his failed marriage. “Since the day I got married, people have chosen to ignore the things I continue to do day in and day out,” he said before the announcement. “Charles drove her to it,” said the Mail.

Will Diana’s request for “time and space” be respected? For the moment, the tabloids are promising to leave her alone after the last scheduled engagement in her public diary, a meeting of a London charity for the homeless next said a heart-shaped logo in The Sun. But the public is still fascinated with the princess, and surely the tabs will be, too–especially if the royal couple gets a divorce. Barring allegations of mental or physical cruelty, that will be possible under British law next December (the second anniversary of the marriage’s “irretrievable breakdown”). Some were already speculating that Diana could become Britain’s Greta Garbo, an even choicer target for enterprising paparazzi. We’ve hardly heard the last from shy Di.

PHOTO: Stepping out of the limelight: “We’re Gonna Miss Ya’ (MARTIN KEENE–PA)

Subject Terms: CHARLES, Prince of Wales ; DIANA, Princess of Wales