Good Morning Lowcountry

Inquests

A colleague of GMLc's has just returned from a week in London (which is just as expensive at this time of year as it is in the summer, by the way) where she did a very eccentric thing ... for an American.

She attended a session of the Coroner's Inquests into the Deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Mr. Dodi Al Fayed in Court 73 of the Royal Courts of Justice in Westminster.

There, she sat in the galleries and listened as jeweler after Paris jeweler discussed various aspects of a ring Al Fayed was to give the princess the night they both died in an automobile accident in Paris.

There, she saw a die-hard Diana fan (and English eccentric) also sitting in the galleries. How did she know he was such? He had DIANA written in blue ink across his forehead. (For further reading on British eccentrics, pick up the January issue of Vanity Fair magazine.)

Testimony at this thorough inquest has been very personal. Diana's love letters to Dodi; her "Dearest Pa" letters to the Duke of Edinburgh; her former father-in-law; her stepmother, Raine, Lady Spencer; her best friends; and some of her enemies have all been served up to the inquest and the public for inspection or testimony.

The London papers are covering the inquests like cattle at the trough; satirists are having fun with the information; and the families and friends of the two who died are likely embarrassed, appalled or horrified without, of course, showing it.

We realize you have a lot to do and there's more pressing news, but if you like gossip and royal intrigue, or just need mindless distraction, you can read the transcripts of the Diana inquests at www.scottbaker-inquests.gov.uk/hearing_transcripts/index.htm.

GMLc

Call 937-5564. Write gmlc@postandcourier.com. Find the blog at gmlc.typepad.com.