20221223

DIANA

In the March 1996 survey of attitudes by PPP Healthcare, Britain's Princess Diana was voted the most caring person. As Diana returned to public life, heart patients at London's Royal Brompton Hospital told how Diana's regular bedside visits had raised their morale and, they were convinced, helped healing. World renowned heart transplant surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, then 60, called Diana an inspiration to desolate patients. 

On March 6 1996, Diana, who was patron of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in central London, toured the £32 million new Chandler wing and the revamped Queen Mary wing. A crowd of about 100 royal well-wishers gathered outside the hospital to see Diana, who officially opened the new wing in 1992. The new development was initiated in 1988 as part of an upgrading program replacing out-of-date facilities with larger and more modern technology. 

Heart and lung disease accounted for a quarter of the annual deaths in the U.K. On March 7 1996, Diana attended another public engagement where she was the guest of honor at a charity reception and dinner held in honor of Professor Yacoub. The event raised £230,000 which went to the Harefield Hospital Science Centre in west London. It was there Professor Yacoub led research into the prevention of heart and lung disease. 

The patron of Harefield Hospital was Egyptian ambassador Dr Mohamed I Shaker. The evening was hosted by Harrods owner and chairman Mohamed Al Fayed in the Egyptian Hall and Georgian restaurant of his London's Knightsbridge store. The then Hill End Road hospital chief executive, John Hunt, described the occasion as "quite spectacular." 

In April 1996, Diana successfully raised the profile of the Paris-based Chain of Hope charity both nationally and internationally when she accepted the invitation to witness a four-hour heart operation on then seven-year-old patient Arnaud Rambo from the west African state of Cameroon. Diana underlined her support for Chain of Hope which helped sick children from developing nations. Arnaud Rambo was brought to Britain for the surgery which was carried out by the coronary surgeon Professor Yacoub at Harefield Hospital, Uxbridge. 

Diana: "I'm here today (in April 1996) as a supporter of Chain of Hope and I hope that will develop more and other children will benefit from the Professor's magical talent. I do gather information much more from visual contact - not from reading books. So when I stand up and speak about the various subjects, whatever it is, I find it much more beneficial if I have seen it myself." 

Then Chain of Hope spokeswoman Claudia von Platen told the press, "We didn't expect the publicity that the princess got because of the visit. We invited her because she has taken a special interest in our charity and because Sky TV wanted to make a program about the operations. Most of the criticism of her (that it was a publicity stunt) has been unfair, but it has helped create a greater awareness of what we do." 

Hans Murmann, a close friend of Professor Yacoub and the trustee of the Ealing-based charity Chain of Hope told the press, "We didn't want to talk about the operation until afterwards when we knew Arnaud would be okay. Then all the Press were just interested in Princess Di. It was dreadful. It actually was the sixth operation she had attended, a point which was not made anywhere. 

"Her concern for Arnaud was obvious. She was very kind and so down to earth. She did not give the impression she was the Princess of Wales. She even considered fostering a child herself for us (Hans and wife Uschi) but her schedule is far too busy. The 'Times' later said Arnaud had no idea who she was, which was completely untrue. He knew who she was, but never seemed overawed by that. He seemed to take all things in his stride." A week after the operation, Arnaud, Hans and Uschi were invited to Kensington Palace. "She even had heart-shaped balloons for Arnaud, which he loved." 

In October 1996, Diana attended a charity reception hosted at Harrods to launch the book 'Heart of Britain' in aid of research into heart and lung disease. Diana, who wrote the special foreword in the book, said she was "fascinated by the workings of the heart" and fund raised for research would give a "second chance to those who will be in some need in the future."

20221219

DIANA

On July 4, 1996, Britain's Princess Diana was seeing leaving Kensington Palace to attend the charity banquet hosted by former Pakistan Test cricket captain and politician Imran Khan. The £200-a-head Mughal-themed dinner (three course meal) was held at the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane, central London. Some 500 guests helped raised over £100,000 for the bomb-shattered Shaukat Khan Memorial Hospital in Lahore. 

Diana was the guest of honor at the gala ball. She wore an ivory shalwar kameez - silk pants and tunic. Count Paolo Filo Della Torre told the press: "It was quite a moving occasion. She talked about the hospital and she seemed very relaxed. She was looking beautiful and seemed very pleased to be there." The hospital was built in memory of Imran Khan's mother who died of cancer in 1985. Diana stayed until 12:45am and spent most of the night with close friend Jemima, the daughter of Sir James and Lady Annabel Goldsmith. Qawwali legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was specially flown in from Pakistan to attend the Imran Khan Cancer Appeal. 

By July 1996, Diana had well and truly evolved into a super royal. Her future role, though, remained uncertain. There was no precedent for Diana's new role as there never had been a royal divorcee who once could claim to one day being queen of England - the premier place in the royal hierarchy. As understood, it was not easy being a star royal but Diana had all the credentials: an aristocratic pedigree, a country estate upbringing, mixing with the Royal Family from an early age, she was the nice little rich girl next door. 

In examining Diana following her 1995 TV interview, Huddersfield University professor Pauline Stafford, then 49, whose publications included 'The King's Wife In The Middle Ages' and 'Emma And Edith, Queens And Queenship In The 11th Century' believed Diana's best parallel was Queen Caroline of the early 19th century (who was married George IV). Contrast to Diana was Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir. 

"Margaret Thatcher is completely the opposite (of Diana). She came to power through election. Diana gets her power through her family roles as a wife and mother. Diana is presenting herself (in the TV interview) as the mother of a future king. Certainly if we look into the past these have been among the most powerful women - Elizabeth I for example. Motherhood is always a great source of power for women. A very underestimated source of power.

"Diana talks about herself as the mother of a nation. A lot of very powerful women have presented themselves that way. Queen Emma of the 11th century and German empress Adelaide of the 10th century both presented themselves as mothers of the nation and it worked. Adelaide was one of the most powerful women in medieval European history. The royal family's influence depends on how popular they are in the country. Diana has got that popularity by playing on her femininity and maternal side.

"She represents the feminine side of the monarchy. We have had a very feminine monarchy for a long time, that is probably one of the reasons it has survived ... The monarchy has never been so open. It has never quite been the soap opera that it has been over the past 20 or 30 years (or since the 1970s). And very few women have gone as public as she has. She was taking a big risk. The interview was a very clever step in some kind of power game. I think she has defined her position." 

Given Diana's superstar status at the time, there was suggestion she may consider a parliamentary future by standing for election as a Member of Parliament in 1997. As suggested, no longer being addressed as Her Royal Highness would see many doors closed but others would open. Diana could choose careers that would have been unthinkable for a fully fledged royal and a job which would maintain her public profile, would contribute to Britain's well being and would give Diana a platform for her views on social issues of the day.

Diana was determined to continue her fund-raising charity work in Britain and abroad, and to travel the world in the media spotlight as she also had access to the Royal Squadron Flights for official air travel. Political correspondent Chris Gray believed the choice of party would be a difficult one for Diana - Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives (or Tories), or the fringe parties. 

As pointed out, the rough and tumble of parliamentary life would be too much for Diana in the end. Diana would not be the type of MP who would sit in the House of Commons until the early hours to demand a minor change to an obscure amendment on an uncontroversial piece of legislation. The work of the Government could be complex and detailed and often extremely dull. 

Buckingham Palace: "As she will be regarded as a member of the Royal Family, the Princess will, from time to time, receive invitations to state and national public occasions, as for any other member of the Royal Family, at the invitation of the Sovereign or the Government. The Princess's public role will essentially be for her to decide. 

"However as for any other member of the Royal Family, any representational duty, whether Royal or national, at home or abroad, will only be undertaken at the request of the Sovereign, acting where necessary on the advice of ministers. It has been agreed that her style and title will be Diana, Princess of Wales. She, may retain any orders, insignia and other titles, consistent with her being known as Diana, Princess of Wales." 

Diana's honours included the Royal Family Order, Egypt's Order of Al Kamal and the Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange. 

Robert Hartman, 'The Daily Telegraph': "The Government refrained from commenting on what it regards as a private matter. Lambeth Palace issued a statement on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The title Diana, Princess of Wales is unusual in that the Christian name is not normally used except to avoid confusion. Because of the exceptional circumstances of this divorce, and global recognition of the princess's Christian name, the convention has been set aside."

20221216

TENNIS

"I just want to finish off the year playing a good tournament at the end. I haven't done it the last few years (1990-1992), so I'm going to try. Hopefully I'll play well." Playing like the Steffi Graf of old, the then 24-year-old German tennis star, closed the door on 1993, her 11th year on the women's professional tour, with a win at the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships. 

It was Steffi's 79th career singles title, tying her with Margaret Court of Australia. "It's been a great, great year (winning three of 1993's four Grand Slams). I'm incredibly happy to end the year winning this tournament (in New York). It couldn't be any better. I’m happy to have a break now. I'm looking for some time away from tennis." 

The total attendance at Madison Square Garden in 1993 was 100,784, the fourth straight year the event exceeded 100,000. Only the top 16 singles players and the top eight doubles teams qualified for the $3.5 million Virginia Slims Championships. 1993 marked the beginning of the end for Virginia Slims' sponsorship of the sport, which began in 1971. Kraft General Foods sponsored the women's tour. Both Kraft and Virginia Slims were divisions of Philip Morris. 

WTA's then executive director and chief executive officer Gerard Smith told the press shared sponsorship created recognition problems. "We want to simplify marketing of the tour. Right now (in 1993), we have the Kraft Tour, the Virginia Slims rankings, the Virginia Slims information system, you earn Kraft Tour bonus points to get into the Virginia Slims Championships, which is the culmination of the Kraft Tour. 

"Yet, how you're seeded in the Virginia Slims Championships is on the basis of your Virginia Slims rankings, even though it has nothing to do with the Kraft Tour bonus points. It's very confusing. I'm not sure I know what I just said. What we're trying to do … is really trying to simplify the whole concept. We're looking for a relationship where we have one sponsor who's going to work with us in that regard."  

The format of the weeklong run event held in November of that year featured Round of 16 tournament-style draw, unlike men's tennis which played round robins with two groups of four players and the top four would then play for the title. The women's singles final offered the best-of-five-set match. In 1992, Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, then 20, played a record 167 matches. Steffi and Arantxa played seven times in 1993. All but one, the Australian Open, came in a final. "This is the first time I will go best-of-5. Probably if I would play two out of three, I would not even win the third set (6-3). It would be over in two sets (6-1, 6-4)." 

Steffi had missed two tournaments (Brighton, England and Essen, Germany) to recuperate from surgery in early October for bone splinters on her right foot which she had sought treatment during Wimbledon. Steffi's first tournament back was Philadelphia which was won by Spain's Conchita Martinez (6-3, 6-3) ending Steffi's 45-match winning streak. 

"The Italian Open was really unbelievable but beating the No. 1 in the world I think is more important and also that I beat her on the Supreme Court (indoor carpet), which is not my surface." In May 1993, Conchita Martinez, then 21, finally broke through and won her first major tournament at the Foro Italico defeating Gabriela Sabatini ("the queen of Rome") 7-5, 6-1.

Steffi also suffered from aching back since mid-August. Before the final, Steffi received a prematch injection to ease the pain of an inflamed sacroiliac. "Knowing my back wasn't perfect and not knowing how it was going to be, I didn't try to pace myself. I knew every game would be important and to take every point as early as possible. That's how I played the first set (6-1) and won that quickly (28 minutes)." 

Arantxa: "When Steffi plays well, she doesn't make aces, she just uses her serve to set up her forehand and hit a good shot. You just have to be ready to keep running and hit the ball back. I haven't seen her play as good in a long time. Steffi won a lot of free points with her serve and in the first set she didn't make any mistakes at all. 

"I thought I had to do something different, so I started hitting the ball a little harder, taking more risks. I was very proud to win the third set. I'm not disappointed. Today I had a very tough opponent. Steffi played great. She played so many good shots on the lines. She served better than any day before against me. Her forehand is the best. When she plays well she just waits for her forehand and hits a good shot. That's what she did today. She was just too strong." 

The key to Steffi's game was her excellent footwork. Steffi served seven aces and hit 27 forehand winners either deep into both corners or down the lines. Her backhand helped set up points won by the forehand. "Arantxa knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun me or play long points against me today, and that's why she went for a lot (in the third set) and she did it well. I needed to be more aggressive and I didn't serve that well (in the third), so I was trying to concentrate a little better on that as well as stepping into the balls. I also wanted to play more forehands. I had a lot more control over the points in the fourth (6-1)." 

In the 36 hours before the singles final, Arantxa defeated Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic in the 2:57 quarterfinals (6-7, 7-6, 6-4) and in the semifinals defeated then 18-year-old Mary Pierce of France in 2:34. The final lasted 2 hours and 14 minutes. Arantxa, one of the quickest players on the tour and usually could run down almost any shot, also played in the doubles. In the third set against Steffi, Arantxa sought courtside medical attention for fatigue from long matches during the week. 

"I feel a little tired. I played a lot of tennis the last few days. At one point my legs were very dizzy, so I had to lean on my racket. I just think I've been playing a lot. But also, I have my period, it's not an excuse, but everything came together. At one point, I thought I was going to fall to the court." The second set of the semifinals match (7-5) took 1:10. "Mary is a player that hits the ball harder than anyone. She can play some great points, and then make unbelievably easy mistakes. So you just have to be patient. It doesn't matter if she hits three winners in a row because she can then make four mistakes in a row. You just have to concentrate and keep playing (6-2, 5-7, 6-2)." 

In the first round, Mary Pierce, who was born in Canada, defeated Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina 7-6, 6-3 in two hours. On her winless year (for the first time since 1985, Gaby did not win a title in 26 tournaments played over 18 months): "It's kind of hard to finish the year like this. I was very mad (at match point) because I thought it (Mary's backhand which clipped the baseline for a winner) was clearly out. 

"I'm glad this year is over. It is a matter now of winning some matches, that's all. I'm glad that the season is over and I'm looking forward to next year. This has been a very - I don't know - a weird year. It is kind of tough, but I can't look back now. I don't think I have played my best tennis." Gaby suffered her biggest loss at the 1993 French Open to Mary Joe Fernandez after leading 6-1, 5-1 with five match points. 

At 37, Martina Navratilova by far the oldest in the field had won five titles in 1993. Mary Pierce was less than half Martina Navratilova's age defeated the sport's biggest winner (at the time winner of 166 singles titles) in the 1:56 quarterfinals (6-1, 3-6, 6-4). "She hit a couple of forehands as hard as anything that I have seen. I know she's going to smack a few. She's tall and she's got a lot of leverage and she's strong so when she connects, it is a bomb. Not only was she hitting them hard, she was placing them well. The pace doesn't bother me - but when she hits it in the corner, the point is over." 

Steffi reached the final of 14 of the 15 tournaments played in 1993, winning 10 with a 76-6 record in singles. Arantxa had a 77-14 record. Steffi finished 1993 the world's No.1 female player and Arantxa the No. 2-ranked tennis player in the world.

20221215

DIANA

On June 19 1996, Britain's Princess Diana was flown to Rome's military airport, Ciampino, where she was then whisked away from the ever-present paparazzi. Diana was guest of honor for the European cancer research benefit dinner and fashion show held at the French Embassy based at the Palazzo Farnese. That night, Diana, in a pale blue evening dress, surprised onlookers with a change of jewelry, wearing a large aquamarine ring with matching bracelet and earrings. 

It was the first time Diana had appeared in public without the USD$37,750 large oval sapphire ring surrounded by 14 diamonds and set in 18-carat white gold. The ring, made by Garrads, the Crown jewellers, had been a constant in Diana's life since the age of 19. Kensington Palace advised the visit was private. A friend told the press, "I have never seen her leave it off for an official function, but she does sometimes privately." 

Diana was among 250 high society guests at the £6,500-a-head or £4,000-a-table banquet. The proceeds went to the Charity EORTC. Armed carabinieri controlled the crowds. The gala ball, billed as the event of the season, was organized by Krizia. Diana met fashion designer Mariuccia Mandelli when she stayed at the Italian's hotel on the Caribbean island of Barbuda. 

After Diana arrived, she headed for the Antico Caffe Greco, near the Spanish Steps. Well-wishers, hearing of her presence, gathered while Diana was in one of Rome's most famous restaurant. Diana was practically mobbed by paparazzi and curious onlookers as she left. 

Italy's largest-circulation quality daily, 'Corriere della Sera', informed readers that the cancer benefit dinner and fashion show was too society-orientated or frivolous for the governing centre-left Olive Tree coalition to be seen attending. As understood, no minister or party leader or significant political figure apart from Lamberto Dini, then foreign minister, attended the charity dinner. Rome's centre-left mayor Francesco Rutellim who was said to have offered Diana the place of honor beside him, backed out at the last minute.

20221209

DIANA

At 6:30am local time on October 31, 1996, Britain's Princess Diana, a health campaigner, stepped off Qantas flight QF006 at Sydney Airport after a brief Singapore stopover. Her four-day Australian trip had no constitutional significance as it was not an official royal visit (unlike Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's five-day state visit to Thailand or Charles' nine-day diplomatic tour of the Ukraine and Central Asia - Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) so did not require post-colonial deference. 

Diana was expected to attend a series of fundraising events. As reported fundraisers calculated Diana was making more than AUD$17,708 an hour for good causes and hailed her public engagements as a success. The visit set in motion the biggest security operation since the Dalai Lama and the Pope visited Sydney. Although still "a member of the Royal Family", it was Diana's first visit to an original Commonwealth nation since the Wales's divorce. The trip came under the gaze of the international media. 

Over 200 members of the international press checked in at Sydney's Hotel Intercontinental in preparation for Diana's arrival to New South Wales's biggest city. The charity dinner dance in which Diana was guest of honor was regarded Australia's most exciting social event in years. As the Toyota Lexus LS400 drove Diana to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Double Bay in Sydney's harbourside eastern suburbs, royal reporter James Whittaker observed, "How anybody can look quite that good after flying non-stop for about 24 hours is extraordinary but she did." 

Diana was traveling with just her lady-in-waiting. "That's it. No hairdresser, no butler, no valet. I mean, how deprived can you get?" On her arrival in Sydney, Diana left the Ritz-Carlton Hotel via a back door and went for a work-out at City Gym. Months earlier, the then 47-year-old Marie Sutton, a former nurse at St Vincent's Hospital and formidable charity worker, was credited for playing an instrumental role in persuading Diana to come to Sydney. "Even the Prime Minister said I pulled off the coup of the century."

Diana was the honored guest at a fundraising dinner dance given as a benefit for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, a respected charity involved in the fight against heart diseases. Diana, who had followed developments in the pioneering world of heart surgery, agreed to lend her support to the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. 

As understood, the late Dr Chang had acted as a second father to Hasnat Khan, then 36, one of Britain's leading cardiac specialists, when he was struggling to establish his fledgling medical career in Sydney. Diana impressed staff and patients at the Victor Chang Institute Hospital with her knowledge of the human heart. Fiona Koote who became Australia's youngest heart transplant patient in 1984 told the press, "It's amazing. She really does have a great knowledge of it. I was really impressed." 

Sydney's social and business A-list bought 810 tickets for the exclusive gala charity ball. On the menu: beef and lemon curd tart. Around £530,000 was raised for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Sydney’s clothes (Gianfranco Ferre dress, Gorgio Armani suits, Jonathan Ward frock) and hairdressing (Joh Bailey did Diana's hair) industries were said to be experiencing a boom as the town prepared to show its best side to Diana. 

More than 300 reporters and around 500 onlookers waited over four hours behind barricades outside the Sydney Entertainment Centre, a venue more used to basketball games and pop concerts, to catch a glimpse of the visiting VIP. Diana did not disappoint. Dressed in an understated Versace electric blue satin, off-line-shoulder gown, Diana made a point of stopping her Toyota Lexus well short of the red carpet so that the public could have a lingering look as she walked past McDonald's to get to the entrance. 

Sting gave a special performance of his songs 'Every Breath You Take' and 'Fragile' shortly after Diana arrived. Host, then Chairman of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Neville Wran, also the former New South Wales premier, was known for his endless supply of anti-monarchist jokes. "I'm sure members of the British Royal Family are not so fragile that the word republic can't be mentioned in front of them. I find no inconsistency at all with being a republican and being involved in the Princess' dinner." 

The following day, Diana visited the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute after touring the cardiac unit at the nearby St Vincent's Hospital. She was then guest of honor at the Commonwealth Day Council charity lunch at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour (£125 per head) in aid of disadvantaged children throughout the Commonwealth. Some 1,100 guests munched their way through a selection of native flora and fauna including smoked emu and Illabo lamb. 

Valentine Low, "Evening Standard': "This was informality, Australian-style, and perhaps one should not be surprised that most people started eating their first courses before Diana had even sat down. She was having drinks in the VIP room while the rest of the guests were halfway through their smoked emu, and one local journalist was shocked enough to remark: 'If we started eating at home before my mother-in-law she would have a nervous breakdown.' At the end of the lunch, in aid of the Commonwealth Day Council, Diana made an impromptu speech praising the sense of belonging enjoyed by Commonwealth nations and said: 'That sense of belonging is today (in 1996) focused on the children of the Commonwealth. There can be no better reason for gathering in this way."

Diana concluded her four-day public engagements with a 90-minute meeting with 100 patients at the Sacred Heart Hospice's day care unit and two other wards. Marie Sutton: "She visits the hospices in London a lot and I've been told by people who have seen her in the hospices that she's just magnificent. Her whole presence lifts patients enormously." Diana also made 300 well wishers very happy with an unexpected five-minute walkabout. 

Hours before Diana was due to leave Sydney on a Qantas flight to London, via Bangkok, Diana visited the Mooring spinal unit at the Royal Rehabilitation Centre at Ryde in Sydney's north western suburbs, which was not included on Diana's official itinerary. Diana had asked to visit Ben Robertson, the son of a former equerry to Charles and Diana during the couple's first visit to Australia in 1983. Brian Robertson, who was also an Australian navy officer told the press Diana's visit had put the international focus on spinal cord injury and the desperate need for more funding to be given to research.

20221202

DIANA

In June 1995, Britain's Princess Diana departed from Heathrow and landed at Marco Polo airport, on a two-day (8-9) official visit to the historic Adriatic city of Venice. The Duchy of Cornwall paid for the accomodation expenses of Diana's Italian trip. As patron of the Serpentine Gallery in London's Hyde Park, Diana was in Venice for the centenary Biennale art festival, one of the most famous contemporary art exhibition in Europe, staged in 27 pavilions and locations around the lagoon and St Mark's Square. 

Over 70 nations including Taiwan brought hundreds of artists to show the cutting edge of modern art. Artists, critics and wealthy patrons from all over the world gathered in Venice for the controversial Biennial modern art show. The focus of Biennale (1995 theme "Imprints of the Body and Mind") had always been political (in 1995 it was the former Yugoslavia pavilion) and artistic (in 1995 Taiwan artist Wu Mali shredded Western and Asian literary masterpieces inside plastic videocassettes as a symbol of the censorship of print by video). Diana spent 40 minutes touring the Italian, Taiwan and British pavilions, before going sightseeing in the motorboat. The Italian government tried to keep the exhibit austere and impartial by appointing Picasso Museum curator Jean Clair from France as commissioner. 

Accompanying Diana to Venice were her then private secretary, Patrick Jephson, then press secretary, Geoffrey Crawford, her dresser and two bodyguards, including officer Insp David Sharp. Press vessels pursued the royal boat taking Diana, wearing a smart pale blue skirt and jacket, along Venetian waterways, a restricted route through narrow canals, on the way past some of the finest sights in the city and re-emerged into the Venetian Lagoon heading towards the five-star Cipriani Hotel, a well-known haunt of the rich and famous. Four police escort boats had to shield the royal boat from the press vessels. 

After arriving in Venice, Diana went off sightseeing in St Mark's Basilica. Julia Peyton-Jones, then director of the Serpentine Art Gallery, joined Diana strolling around the San Marco cathedral with thousands of other tourists. To Diana's relief, very few tourists recognized her. That night, Diana was the guest of honor of Hong Kong magnate David Tang, at a glittering high-society fund-raising banquet for the Serpentine. 

Diana had met David Tang earlier in 1995 on a visit to the former British colony. Diana arrived by VIP motorboat on Venice's main waterway, the Grand Canal. Scholar Dr Paolo Viti welcomed Diana as she came ashore. David Tang, who was organizing the Chinese exhibits at the Biennale reportedly paid the bill for the evening which included an al fresco reception in the grounds of the Guggenheim art gallery where guests were offered aperitifs. 

Diana, a star guest at the 18th Century Palazzo Grassia, stole the show wearing a red beaded, silk organza cocktail dress which sparkled like her diamond and ruby necklace. The dress was designed by Jacques Azagury. The Serpentine Gallery Appeal dinner hoped to raise £1.2 million for improvements to the Serpentine Gallery. 

Gervase Webb, 'Evening Standard': "The beaded, silk organza cocktail dress she wore to the Serpentine Gallery Appeal dinner at the Palazzo Grassi would never have found favor with Charles, while the red satin 'tart's trotters' with their gold heels would have induced apoplexy. But for the Venetians they were a fashion triumph, drawing gasps of admiration. The cream of Venetian society and visiting American and British dignitaries paid dearly for the privilege of being with the Princess, and the consensus was that they got their money's worth. Among the 120 guests were Conservative MP Winston Churchill and former Tory Party treasurer Lord McAlpine."

20221111

DIANA

In 1995, opera star Luciano Pavarotti, one of the patrons of the British-based charity, War Child (other patrons included David Bowie), organized a benefit concert to raise funds to build a Music Therapy Centre for traumatized children of war-torn Bosnia. 

The war-relief effort outdoor event was held at Parco Novi Sad in Modena, near Bologna. Italian state television RAI broadcast the benefit concert live nationally. Robin Stringer, 'Evening Standard': "A cantilevered television camera continually swept across the audience as bats flitted through the darkness, their sensitive navigation systems severely tested by the flashing lights and thundering beat." 

Pavarotti extended a personal invitation to Britain's Princess Diana for the benefit concert. The world's most famous woman flew in from London to support the War Child concert, dressed in a white cocktail dress designed by Versace. Kensington Palace issued a statement informing it was an official engagement for the then Princess of Wales who arrived without an escort or lady-in-waiting. The event drew scores of dignitaries.  

Pavarotti was waiting to welcome Diana as she stepped from a black Mercedes limousine in a motorcade of Italian police cars with blue lights flashing. Pavarotti stood side by side with Diana as the world's Press captured the moment on film. 

Although Diana was not called upon than to watch the show in the front row, Pavarotti gave her a private dressing room next door to Bono's and across a corridor from Meat Loaf's. "Of course we gave her a proper rock'n'roll dressing room!" one insider explained. Diana was clearly the star among stars.  

The September 12 benefit concert (a 60-piece classical orchestra and rock) was attended by an estimated audience of 15,000 (who paid between US$20 (standing) and US$155 (seat) for tickets). All receipts, plus donations from Italian television viewers and proceeds from sales around the world of audio and recording of the benefit concert would go to War Child. 

Luciano Pavarotti had assembled a who's who of big names from the international rock world to perform at the benefit concert. Of the highlights were duets featuring Pavarotti and Meat Loaf ('Come Back to Sorrento'), Pavarotti and the pink-haired, clear-voiced Dolores O'Riordan (Schubert's 'Ave Maria'), Pavarotti and Michael Bolton (Leoncavallo's 'Vesti la guibba') and in the final climatic rendition, Italian rock star Jovanotti had trouble locating the first note of Puccini's 'Nessun Dorma'.  

Pavarotti told the crowd, "We believe that when this war is over for the children, they will want to sing. I know because when I was ten (in 1945) when the war (World War II) ended here (in Italy) and the first thing I wanted to do show we were alive was sing." Benito Mussolini's ("Il Duce") reign also ended 50 years earlier.

War Child started in 1991 by two cameramen shocked by what they saw in the war in Croatia. At the time, War Child had raised US$1.5 million from sales of a charity record album by some of Britain's best young pop bands and Paul McCartney in British stores. 

Pavarotti, Bono, Brian Eno and The Edge teamed up to perform a new song, 'Miss Sarajevo'. The night ended with Pavarotti and his friends singing the new song, 'The Bridge Is Broken' and 'Nessun Dorma'. The first song was inspired by the famous Ottoman Turkish bridge in the Bosnian city of Mostar. Having stood for centuries, the bridge was destroyed in fighting.

After the 2½-hour concert, the performers and dignitaries (about 200 guests) joined Pavarotti at a dinner costing another £100 a head in the town's magnificent 18th century Military Academy which began at 1 in the morning. At 2:45, Diana finally leaned over her table and said, "Luciano, do you mind if I go to bed?" Diana had been at the event for over 7 hours.



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