Princess Diana's moment bowing out of public life | Forensic Files

The prime minister told me that her royal highness would be announcing that she was withdrawing from public life and
she had been asked who she'd like to spend the day with while this was going on and she prime minister said he
thought someone should be with her. She paid me the great honor of choosing me. I then went on ahead of her to the
Hilton Hotel. The head of the Ford Motor Company was coming to support a charity,
a very important charity was trying to convince young people, trying to convince us all to wear helmets when we
were on bicycles. The audience, about a thousand people, thought she's about to talk about these
helmets and why it's important for children to have them. When I started my public life 12 years ago, I understood
the media might be interested in what I did. I realized then their attention would inevitably focus on both our
private and public lives. But I was not aware of how overwhelming that attention
would become, nor the extent to which it would affect both my public duties and my personal life in a
manner that's been hard to bear. At the end of this year, when I've completed my
diary of official engagements, I will be reducing the extent of the public life I've led so
far. And they were just stunned. I mean, a lot of people in tears. We took her out of the room to be
greeted by the largest array of journalists I've ever and photographers I've ever seen in my life or will ever
see again and sent her home back to St. James's Palace. I was a bit shocked myself. And when I returned, I spoke to
the ambassador. He said, "Thank God she didn't stay. She'd have never got out of
the room.

Best-selling author Jeffrey Archer remembers the day Princess Diana announced she was retreating from public life at a charity event in 1993, and the shockwaves that it sent throughout England.

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Brief Summary

A royal figure announces withdrawal from public life at a charity event, leaving attendees shocked and emotional.

Key points

A Royal Withdrawal. The royal highness announces her withdrawal from public life, leaving the audience stunned.

Episode highlights

A Royal WithdrawalThe royal highness announces her withdrawal from public life, leaving the audience stunned.“I will be reducing the extent of the public life I've led so far.”1:28May 20, 2017

Episode quotes

Thank God she didn't stay.

A reflection on the overwhelming media presence.

1:44WatchMay 20, 2017

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Princess Diana's moment bowing out of public life | Forensic Files