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By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: The world would be much different if Diana had lived

Aug 31, 2022 | 5:04 AM

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO today, I was pulling into a parking spot at a convenience store on my way home from work when the news came on the radio — Diana, Princess of Wales, was dead, killed in a terrible car accident in Paris.

Anyone who was alive on Aug. 31, 1997, remembers where they were on that day, when the “people’s princess” was lost to the world. Her death almost destroyed the monarchy, just as her life — at least in the early days of her marriage to Prince Charles — reinvigorated it.

As the time approaches for Charles to become king, we can’t help but think about the way things might have been had Diana lived. Never mind the divorce and all the messy stuff that went along with it. What would have happened if she was still with us, at 61 years of age, for surely she would have continued to have a massive influence on our lives?

Would she have continued to dominate our attention to Charles’ detriment? And what about poor Camilla, only now beginning to come into her own?
No doubt, Diana would still be in the spotlight, and Charles would still be pouting. And, no doubt, she would still be fighting for righteous causes, such as ending the stigma of AIDS and prohibiting the use of land mines. Would she have inspired cures for cancer and other diseases, and made the world a more peaceful place?

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Would the lives of Harry and William have been much different, perhaps more ordered, than they are today?

We can only speculate, of course. Most importantly, would the monarchy have been more secure than it is now? That’s almost certainly the case, for though she was no longer Her Royal Highness, she was still part of the royal family, and would have continued to be its most beloved, and fascinating, member.

For those, and for so many other reasons, we miss her.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.