Andrew's Interests Page 1

This page is the start of a series of pages talking about the things Andrew is interested in. You might enjoy them you might not! You might share the same interests, you might not! But I do hope you find something of interest here.

I am interested in lots of things from royalty ( yes, I know Paul will hate this!!) to roses to canvaswork embrodiary, to cooking, books and music.

Royalty

I've always been interested in history and the royal family. I studied history as part of my first degree, but I would never call myself a historian as I have have no interest in academia and most of my knowledge has been gleaned through being an avid tabloid reader and from biographies. I've always loved reading this, right from being a child I always looked at the history pages in encyclopedias and copied pictures of kings and queens.

I have no interest in battles or socio-economic hsitory what really interested me was the private lives of these kings and queens. I don't know why but I alwys loved the Stuarts and not the Tudors who always seemed much less romantic characters. The Stuarts always seemed flawed in some way and had a tragic air about them which I loved. Mary Queen of Scot's is so much more interesting than Elizabeth, what was that girl playing at marrying Darnley then Bothwell? I love the fact that most castles in England claim to have hosted Mary during her imprisonment!

Mary Queen of Scots

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley

The Earl of Bothwell

I supported the Cavaliers not the Roundheads in the Civil War always feeling sorry for Charles I, who, though extremely misguided, was probably well-meaning and court life under him was so much more glamorous than under the miserable, dour, bible-bashing Puritans during the Commonwealth.

Charles I

Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles III) and his gloriously camp brother Henry Benedict Stuart (Henry IX), Duke of York and a Roman Catholic Cardinal, always seemed to be such interesting figures compared to the Hanoverians. What a shame Prince Charles gave up his fight at Derby, but even better that he escaped with Flora MacDonald dressed as a lady's maid!!

Prince Chales Edward Stuart

Prince Henry Benedict Stuart

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997)

'a wondering,

wandering girl

coming home for the last

time to her people, at RAF

Northolt, like the good

soldier she was'

Julie Birchill, 1998

Diana's coffin arrives at RAF Northolt

Diana in her last year at her most radiant

Diana was always my favourite member of the royal family, just liked the tragically flawed Stuarts in contrast to the Tudors and the House of Windsor. She was human and compassionate. It really doesn't matter to me that she seems to have been a little crazy and that must have infuriated those around her. She brought joy into a lot of lives, including mine and I was heartbroken when she died.

I remember the day precisely. It was a Sunday and Paul had got up before me, I heard the phone ring and paid no attention. Then when I did go downstairs Paul just said, 'She's dead,' I said 'Who?' Paul said that my good friend Barbara had just phoned to say that Diana had been killed in a car crash in Paris. It didn't really sink in, I made coffee and started to watch the BBC coverage on the television in a daze. it wasn't until I was in the shower that it slowly dawned on me what had happened. It didn't really sink in that she was dead until we were watching a special Songs of Praise programme live from St Paul's Cathedral in Diana's honour. In the corner of the screen were live pictures of Diana's coffin draped with the Royal Standard arriving at RAF Northolt, then and only then, did it ring true and I knew it wasn't some kind of giant hoax. Julie Birchill's words have a special resonance for me.

'The stuff of which dreams are made'

It all appeared so happy at the start.

One of the wonderful pictures taken for Vogue and then used in Andrew Morton's book telling the story of her unhappinesss in her own words.

On the night Charles chose to tell the world that he had never loved Diana and had always loved Camilla, Dina chose to wear this black dress to charity event at the Serpentine Gallery - how could Charles ever hope to stay on the front page when she looked so wonderful and didn't she know it?!!!

I remember racing home from teaching my history A-level class to see this special edition of Panorama when she told all. Marvellous!

The sad reality on 31st August 1997.

The funeral.