Diana and JFK

Diana and JFK

While visiting Jakarta in mid November 1997, I came across a
letter addressed to the British High Commissioner by one of your
readers. As I was deeply moved by Princess Diana's untimely
death, when I was in London in the last week of September I
visited Kensington Palace. I was surprised to see flowers being
offered by the public even after almost a month since the fatal
accident. I saw women's groups sitting outside the palace gates
singing hymns and weeping silently.

When one tries to analyze the basic reasons of the outpouring
of adulation and compassion for Princess Diana, one has to
conclude that it defies logic. It can probably be compared to
what happened after John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in
Dallas. Even if, for the moment, we disregard how the rest of the
world reacted, we cannot but appreciate the Britons for behaving
in a most generous way toward a woman who had openly announced
that, but for her two sons, she would have left England a long
time ago.

Although the waves of sympathy that followed the untimely
deaths of Princess Diana and JFK seem very similar, I find a lot
of differences too. There are similarities in that both were
"beautiful" people; stylish, trendsetters, charismatic. Whether
justifiably or not, both were unfaithful to their respective
spouses. Both died relatively young, just when it looked like
they were about to come into their own, blossom and achieve
something worthwhile.

Although Joseph Kennedy's riches did not exactly hurt him, JFK
was basically a self-made man. On the other hand, however
beautiful she may have been, Princess Diana's rise to stardom was
entirely because of her marriage to Prince Charles. I think the
media loved them both, but while JFK enjoyed its attention,
perhaps because of his knowledge that basically it was their
affection (and not their hatred) that made the reporters chase
him everywhere he went, Princess Diana, apparently too confused
to understand the media's love and affection for her, preferred
to maintain a selective love-hate relationship with it.

While JFK was far from an underdog, the basic reason for
sympathy for Princess Diana seems to be the public's perception
of her as an underdog after her divorce from Prince Charles. Here
one sees some similarity between the public sympathy for Jackie
Kennedy and Princess Diana -- both such stunningly beautiful
ladies to make one wonder why JFK and Prince Charles looked at
all at other ladies.

Is it possible that the love, affection and sympathy that
poured from the public for JFK and Princess Diana was because of
the people's perception of their potential? Was it the public's
overwhelmingly positive reaction to their own individual
presumption of what JFK and Princess Diana would have achieved --
and not what they did -- had their lives not ended so suddenly
through the irresponsible actions of others? Does it not seem to
be the only logical explanation?

K.B. KALE

Pune, India