KEY POINTS:
- Should the Diana crash photos be shown?
British broadcaster Channel 4 is set to air images, depicting the crashed car while Princess Diana was still in the wreckage, in the documentary Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel tomorrow.
This forum debate has now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the topic.
Sebastian
The pictures are easy to find on the internet, I just tried it. A Google search uncovers many versions of the same disturbing image, an unrecognisably bloodied Diana lying exposed and critically injured in her horrifyingly crushed car. I really wish I had never looked at it now. The inclusion of the photo in a documentary would be both a gross invasion of the families privacy and an act of disrespect to the deceased. Sickeningly, that very photo cost Diana her life as paparazzi recklessly pursued her through Paris streets to capture it.
Surrey
I am one of the millions of people that adored Diana. I was lucky enough to meet her and did place flowers at Kensington Palace and Althorp. I really think it is now time to leave her alone. The thought of that programme turned my stomach. God knows what it has done to "her precious boys". My heart goes out to them and in the book of condolence I signed, I quoted a line from Elton John's song, "How wonderful life is when your in the world". You may no longer be in our world but you will always be in our hearts.
I will follow the tribute this year and my heart will go out to Princes William and Harry, who had the most wonderful mother and guider for the rest of their lives.
Mother of Two
Absolutely not. What sort of sick society want to see such scenes. As a mother of two, if it was me, I would not wish for my children/relatives/friends to be reminded of the tragedy. How about we show that we do care about someone else, other than ourselves. This view is not the ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Nick
I think everyone is now desensitised by all things Princess Di so that nothings shocks us anymore.
Helene Mayne (Gillingham, England)
Let Diana rest in peace - and no the documentary should never have been shown. I did not watch it as I totally respect the Princes' wishes, and so should the heartless people broadcasting it. I'm horrified, just leave her alone now.
Barry Soo
It's over a long time ago. Why are they showing again. Let her and her family leave in peace. Her family have suffered enough. Leave them alone. Those who want to show it again can only want to gain publicity at the expense of others. What a shame. Boycott.
Lala (UK)
Just watched the Channel 4 programme and I have to say it showed nothing, what a load of hype!
The princess was killed by a drunk driver and I think they should show the photos without censoring, maybe it would help the "Don't drink & drive campaigns". Princess Diana and the horrors of 9/11, bombings in parts of the world, to name but a few are seen and no one says anything. People are the biggest hypocrites, just because she was who she was, do not make her any more important than the woman who was killed in a car crash and had the pics in the local paper. A life is a life and if any good can come out of this, I think the photos should have been shown.
Francis James
I'm sure this brings back many painful memories of their mother; partying, shopping, and romancing around the world while the boys were missing her at home. I wouldn't want to be reminded of what really happened either.
Tamaki Makau Rau
RIP - Yeah, right! Tui could use that on one of their billboards.
Nigel Wade
Diana in the throws of death isn't really "in the public interest", but I'm sure it will attract a lot of viewers.
Bev Hinga-Boswell
Why and what purpose would it serve? Only those with the sense of the macabre would watch and put this on TV. If nothing else respect alone should be enough to warrant not showing these. It is all for rating/money obviously and unfortunately it is one of many distasteful likes many in our society today get off on.
Shannon (Papakura)
Losing a loved one, whether that be your mother, father, sibling, son or daughter, husband, wife or anyone else of great significance for that matter, would be - as far as I am concerned - the most truly devastating & deepest personal loss one could ever experience in one's life. As many will be aware, this was a very private but very public affair for Princess Diana's sons.
It is not acceptable to have involuntary invasion into such a defining moment for those who are clearly affected by the loss of Princess Diana, namely her sons. I believe also this would be the reason that Terri Irwin destroyed the footage of her husbands death. There are enough emotional hurdles to overcome & a void to heal without the public and media having the audacity to provoke those feelings and memories all over again. If that was my mother I most certainly would not agree to exploiting images of her helplessly dying being made into media lunch.
Hazel (Lancashire)
Just watched Diana's crash. Heard a lot of views on radio, decided to watch as l could use on/off button on remote. There was nothing to upset anyone and it cleared photographers, no pictures of people in the car, nothing. A lot of reports from photoghaphers who were there at time of crash and whom took pictures, but you never saw pictures. But nobody mentioned the white Fiat car that was seen supposedly heading away from the crash? Or white marks on Diana's car from collision with fiat? Nothing different really from what we have already heard and seen.
vicki(auckland)
How different is this to over 40 years ago, and virtually every year since, we have seen images of President Kennedy being shot - at all angles. Personally I am not interested in seeing the images of Princess Diana but nobody over the years thought about President Kennedy's children seeing his murder - and yes this definitely was a murder - being screened. How is she so different?
Jo
I wonder how Caroline and John Kennedy felt about the probability that there are very few people who haven't seen pictures of their father having his brains blown out. The Diana pictures show her in the back of the car with her eyes closed - there is nothing graphic about them and her face (according to the documentary makers) will be blurred. If anything maybe the airing of these will help to remind people of the dangers of travelling without seatbelts.
Lee, Auckland
Channel 4 is a publicly funded service.Its charter requires it to act in the public interest.It is no excuse whatsoever to say the photos have already been shown in Italy.Send your opinion to the C.E.O. Andy Duncan P.O.Box 1058,
BelfastBT1 9DU. He is way out of touch with the interests of the public and needs to be told that!
Bill
Would you like photos of your dying mother broadcast around the world?
Dizee of Kapiti
Isn't it about time everyone left her to R.I.P. What have they to gain to show these pictures. Think of her poor boys. I vote no.
Cath
I agree with the princes' secretary who wrote the letter: Would you like it if it was your mother? I know that I would not like it if the paramedics who attended my dead mother just under a year ago were shown on TV in front of the nation and certainly not without my permission. How dare channel 4 presume that it is okay to do so with images of Diana. It is this kind of thinking that killed her in the first place! And, no, I'm no huge fan of Diana in particular or royalty in general.
F. Meyer
Personally I think its a disgrace that the Princes cannot be left alone in regards to their mothers death. She may have been a high profile figure but after this length of time the family shouldn't have to deal with the prospect of having graphic pictures of their mum at the time of her death shown to all & sundry.They should be left with the happy thoughts of when their mum was alive.
Tom (Nelson)
I feel very strongly that the princess should be left to lie in peace. After all she had a troublesome life pestered by the paparazzi. Enough is enough
georgehr3
Harry is no wuss, he greatly wished to go to Iraq but the powers that be turned down his request. Get your facts straight, get a tv and watch the news or buy a newspaper and educate yourself.
Jada, Greerton
This is a snuff movie. The people responsible should be videotaped in the stocks being pelted with rancid tomatoes. Then show the video on TV. I'm sure they would think it a great idea if only a few advertisers can be persuaded to hawk their cheesy wares to support it.
Tania
No, what is wrong with people, leave the woman to rest in peace, leave her sons to heal rather than bring this to light again. This is nothing but pure voyeurism.
Mike
Why is Diana different to anyone else? Why are these two guys different to anyone else?
Plenty of real life / real death images are shown every day. WTC, 7/7, the Madrid train bombs,shock & awe in Iraq where one of these two was headed, I don't remember either of them complaining about any of those.Surely, like any other person and any other event on TV, they have a choice not to watch.The media did not kill her, a drunken French driver did. Ever seen pictures of the Hindenburg or the Titanic? Ever sent a letter of complaint because those were real people who died? What about film of brave men 'Going over the top' in the Somme? The bombing of Nagasaki or Hiroshima? they were people just as real as an ex-princess but you don't complain about every showing of them.As for the argument that the press should have been helping instead of photographing, What do you expect to happen? A photographer to push a trained medic out of the way and take over administering oxygen?
joe blow
Why not show the pics? No big deal!
JTAUCKS
Diana's story has turned out just like what they did to Marilyn Monroe, and the words of the song are so true 'even when you died, the press still hounded you',its been ten years on, and what a way for the press to celebrate it, then to do this, noone wants anything like this done to anybody, I'm not surprised if Charlie's behind it, but 'No" is my answer, cause that is the whole meaning of the phrase" Rest in Peace" thank you.
deb
I will be lodging my humble complaint regarding the portrayal of this insensitive rubbish on the Channel 4 website. Perhaps anyone else might care to join me? If you search for channel 4 you can't miss the feedback area. Theres an email address for the photographers feedback on the front page too. dianadebate@channel4.com
Paul S
Why does anyone actually care?Diana was just a poser who used the camera for her own gain anyway, so why should photos of the accident she was in be sacred?....if it wasn't for the paparazzi she wouldn't have been half as famous as she was, so they should be able to make money off the photos.
Anne
No! Savage money making out of tragedy.No respect to family if done.
Auckland
The only motivation for showing these pictures is an attempt to increase viewership/market share using sensationalist material. There is no "public interest" here.
It's one thing to have public awareness raised by footage of sick/dying/starving people in 3rd world countries ... the merit with this is that it can lead to aid for such people.But who wants to watch tragic footage of a person passing away - simply for the sake of seeing that person die? Anyone with such ghoulish perversions should be directed to psychological assistance rather than have their appetites sated by the mainstream media.Channel 4 (UK) should be ashamed. Hopefully they will face a public backlash if they proceed.
Luke Mason
Is nothing sacred? Media has gone too far. Let's put pictures of the producers' deceased loved ones and see how they like it.
Mark, Auckland
Peel back the layers of Royal BS and at the end of the day she is a mother, and who wants to see images of their mothers death played over and over. It's been going on for long enough, let Diana rest and her family to get on with life.
Who Cares?
Are the Princes' doing anything about the people we see in newspapers and TV that are dying or who have died? What makes them so special? Harry is such a wuss he is not even going to Iraq. Be strong boys, this is what life is all about, TV Entertainment! Can we have more reality programmes to dumb us down? (I don't have a TV, I'm not that stupid!)
NH Auckland
n my opinion, the paparazzi played a significant role in contributing to the death of princess Diana. The least they could do is let her rest in peace. I feel for her family, especially her sons who no doubt are still hurting. I hate what this world has come to, paparazzi these days are nothing more than heartless vultures.. Anything to make a dollar seems to be their motto.
I think a lot of time and money was wasted in the making of the documentary!
Pete, Auckland
Get us the address so we can send tons and tons of peanuts for delivery to this broadcaster's door.
Amy
This is so sad - those poor boys. What kind of person would want to see the images - it reminds me of a snuff movie. I hope that Channel 4 rediscover the meaning of the word morality.
Ed
The media need to remind themselves of the distinction between matters of "public interest", and matters of "public curiosity". The wishes of Harry and William should be respected and the pictures not aired.
Sara
Personally I'd prefer that these photos were not published. This is simply because these two young men have very little privacy and this could be viewed as stripping away just a little more and possibly leaving them with none at all.Eventually these photos will be published but I don't have any desire to see them.
Tania
For crying out loud let the poor woman rest. It's bad enough that she died being pursued by these people but now they want to show her last moments to the world! For people that denied chasing her they certainly were there seconds after to get this footage,, they should be ashamed of themselves why didn't they put the camera's down to help out? I say no, out of respect for her Son's and even Diana let it go and let her rest in peace.
Dave
It simply shows up the channel 4 management as the ghouls they are - irresponsible, disrespectful,and very misguided. Sane normal decent people will go out of their way to not tune in to it. At least we can hope so.
Karen coburn
It is a shame that 10 years later that the media can't put this to rest or should let Diana rest in peace.I was flying out from England on that fateful day back to new zealand the most tragic circumstances to happen to such a fine lady and to be honest one of the best royals ever.The media should have some respect for the boys they don't need reminding on a day to day basis about there mothers tragic ending.The media should be a shamed of themselves.
