‘It’s a myth that Blair convinced Palace to give Diana proper funeral’

Robert Hardman has dismissed claims the Blair government had to persuade Buckingham Palace to give Diana her 1997 Westminster Abbey funeral.

Speaking on the Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, the royal biographer said he has since interviewed many of the key players involved in organising the ceremony – seeking to correct ‘myths’ about the week following the Princess’s death in Paris.

Hardman revealed it was actually members of the Spencer family who initially wanted a smaller, private service, whilst the royal household ‘to their credit’ quickly realised a major public funeral was necessary.

He told co-host and historian Kate Williams that he has seen a memo from Lord Airlie, the Lord Chamberlain, issued on Sunday 31 August – the day Diana died – instructing officials to begin work on the funeral before anyone from the government attended a planning meeting.

This runs contrary to the version of events depicted in the 2006 film The Queen and later in Netflix’s The Crown, where the government took the initiative in pushing for a large public ceremony.

Hardman told the Daily Mail podcast: ‘I have interviewed all the people who were involved in this at length, including people in the Labour government – a lot of myths have arisen from that week.

‘Lord Airlie and his team had already drawn up plans for the funeral at Westminster Abbey – Blair’s aides weren’t even on the case.

‘I have seen the memo, written on the Sunday – the Blairites didn ‘t get into their first meeting till the Monday.

‘Some of the Spencer family, very understandably, felt that as she’s not royal anymore, let’s have a nice, private service.

‘Helped by Diana’s brother-in-law, Robert Fellowes, who was the Queen’s Private Secretary, the Palace knew this was going to be huge. That it had to be a proper funeral.

‘Lord Airlie was a very wise man… his phrase was this has to be de novo, meaning from the start. This has got to be a uniquely Diana event.’

An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide watched Diana’s funeral on television, with more than a million lining the streets of London.

The service at Westminster Abbey was attended by 2,000 guests including world leaders, celebrities, and representatives from the charities Diana supported.

The massive undertaking was coordinated by a planning committee that included representatives from the royal palaces, the Spencer family, Number 10, and the Metropolitan Police – all under the oversight of Lord Airlie.

Williams noted that Hardman’s version of events contradicts numerous accounts suggesting it was Charles, not the Palace, who pushed for a major public funeral while the royal household initially resisted.

‘A lot of accounts say it was really the royal household who were resisting,’ Williams said.

‘They wanted a private funeral – but it was Charles who said, I must go and collect her. She must lie in state. She must have a ceremonial funeral.’

‘Your research suggests that actually, the Palace was accepting early on that this was going to be a huge funeral for Diana – right from the beginning.’

To listen to the final episode of The Diana Years, where Robert Hardman and Kate Williams chart the Princess’s divorce, charity work and death, search for Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things now, wherever you get your podcasts – or watch on YouTube.