Diana in Private: The Princess Nobody Knows

by Lady Colin Campbell

An inside look at Princess Diana provides a detailed account of her private life, from her birth, to her 1979 wedding to Prince Charles, to the problems that have troubled her marriage

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Royalty, History, British Literature, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Lady Colin Campbell, (née Georgia Arianna Ziadie, known as Georgie), is a British writer, biographer, autobiographer, novelist, and television and radio personality, known for her biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Real Diana, as well as for other books on the Royal Family and wealthy people.

Campbell was born in Jamaica, the child of Michael and Gloria Ziadie. The Ziadie family is prominent in Jamaica, the descendants of six Maronite Catholic brothers who emigrated from Lebanon in the early 20th century; she says they have gone from being "revered to reviled to treasured as exotica." Her father was of royal Russian bloodline. His family were Greek Orthodox Catholic who had settled in Lebanon. Her mother came from English, Irish, Portuguese and Spanish ancestry. Her maternal great-grandmother, family name De Pass, was Sephardic Jew.

In 1974, she married Lord Colin Ivar Campbell, the son of Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll; she divorced him in 1975.

She is the mother of two adopted Russian-born sons, Dima and Misha. She lives in Kennington, UK.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 1 out of 5]

Update, June 1st 2020 Despite the author's publicity and what her fabulous wealth and title, 'Lady' Colin Campbell, may lead you to believe, she is not an aristocrat nor is she part of the royal circle. That hasn't stopped her gossiping on tv and writing about them as if she was an insider though. And now her latest book is about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. She hasn't actually met either of them but she has met Meghan's family (not the only one Meghan is in contact with, her mother, but all the others, none of whom she is on speaking terms with and none of whom she invited to The Wedding. I can't imagine they will be gushing with praise for such a marvellous half-sister). Whether the book is positive or negative depends on whether she likes them or not. See below.

She, who was 'he' until the 70s (she is not transgender but intersex) and therefore grew up with all the privileges that males have, wrote, "the #MeToo movement doesn’t let “men be men.” I'd like to know exactly what she meant by that. I can't believe a woman actually said that. Is assault, rape and harassment just 'men being men'? But maybe the quote is like her books, out of context, freely interpreted, repeated gossip? I don't care enough to try and find out.
____________________

Lady Colin Campbell is such a fraud. She was born in Jamaica, George Ziadie (he later became Georgie) from a very wealthy family. She was married for nine months (he left her) half a century ago but has clung on to her courtesy title gained by her marriage. That should tell you something.

She has devoted her entire life to collecting (fabulous) jewellery and ingratiating herself in with the royals. Those who wouldn't have her, like the late Queen Mother, she wrote scurrilous pieces about (after their death of course). "The Queen Mother, and her brother", she wrote, "were really the children of a cook".

Prince Charles likes her, Diana didn't, hence this nasty tome. She was not part of Princess Diana's outer circle, let alone a confidant, so this book is just a hey-ho I'm with you Charlie, your ex-wife was a right c*** trying to bring you all down.

Well what do I know about Princess Di? Only what everyone else knows and one extra little thing. I used to sell hand-painted t-shirts on a very small island (not one I live on). I would hang them from the coconut and sea grape trees once a week and people from a dive boat and the few other tourists around would buy them.

One week a woman came up and started to take the t-shirts down and hold them up to someone quite near. I looked to see who, it was Princess Diana and her children. She waved when she saw me looking. The woman, a lady-in-waiting, asked if she could take them to the Princess and I said sure. When she'd made her selection she sent the money over and returned the rest of the t-shirts. She mouthed 'thank you, they're lovely'.

Any t-shirts I had left I would sell to a couple of hotels (at the same price, I could have sold all of them that way, but I liked being on the beach). One of them on a very tiny island was run by a friend. In the hope of getting a letter of thanks to frame for the hotel boutique, she sent over to the Princess a selection of sarongs as a gift. Next day the boatman returned them with a verbal message, 'the Princess does not accept unsolicited gifts'. Made me laugh.

Not a book I would recommend.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Colin Campbell blew the lid off Diana’s secrets, before Andrew Morton. Her book was published early in 1992 (Morton’s book came with much more publicity in June the same year) but at the time, tales of eating disorders, affairs, Camilla, unhappiness and a disastrous marriage seemed too far fetched to be true. As a result, The popular press Personally attacked Campbell for writing what we now know was likely the truth, (or close to) the messenger was shot! Her book would disappear into obscurity, knocked out by the shining star of Diana: The True Story but it is obvious now that Campbell’s book was very well researched and she had information from inside the Palace walls. It is also less biased Towards the Princess than Morton’s book, understandably so (Morton’s source was Diana herself) For many reasons, it is definitely worth a read.

[Renie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the beginning of this book interesting but as I continued to read I got the distinct impression that Lady Colin Campbell did not like Diana. I found the book to be derogatory towards a beautiful lady who was treated cruelly by the Royal Family and her "Prince Charming Charles." Diana was a young 19 year old girl who truly had a crush on Charles and eventually loved him and being a Princess. I will leave the reader to his own opinion but I was very disappointed and will try and find other books by other authors about Diana to see if they relate the story in the same light.

[Sophia Bar-Lev · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked about this book is the reality which Lady Campbell brings to the legend of Diana. Celebrity status is deceptive nearly 100% of the time. Princess Diana lived in some ways an impossible life, struggled deeply and though we may or may not approve of some of the things she did, understanding what she'd been through previous to her marriage and something about her childhood sheds an understanding light.

Every living person has "issues" but when you're a worldwide persona, those "issues" are magnified. I always had a sense of compassion for the inner little girl that was Diana, and this book showed me why.

May she rest in peace.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoy the work of this author, who has used her contacts and position in Royal circles to interview many people who knew both Charles and Diana, as well as the Royal Family and the Spencers. She looks at Charles and the string of girlfriends he had, looking at their suitability as possible Royal brides and why each relationship ended. The author looks at each of the problems in the relationship and gives reason for what caused them. She is critical of Diana's behaviour towards Charles but I did like that she gave valid reasons for why Diana was behaving the way she did ie lessons learned in her chaotic upbringing, her parents divorce, her need for approval and the dreadful side effects of the bulimia. There is no doubt that Diana had mental health issues and her insecurity and paranoia certainly started to destroy her marriage. It gave me sympathy for both Charles and Diana, who never had much hope of staying together once the children were born.

The author looks at the chaotic upbringing of Diana and her siblings, the divorce of her parents and how she was in a family that lacked discipline and standards of behaviour. This led to a sense that Diana was always able to get what she wanted if she played up so it is not surprising that she tried this tactic to get her way with Charles, something he hated. The book reveals that Diana was pretending to love all the things Charles did so that she could hook Charles as a husband so you can imagine his shock after the wedding to discover they really had nothing in common and that she was no longer willing play the eager young woman who follows all the rules. It led to chaos in her marriage and with Royal protocol. I really felt for Charles as he ended up with a bride totally different from the fiancee he adored. Diana couldn't accept that she was not going to be able to change a man set in his ways and the conflict ripped them apart. It was a really great book that delved into the marriage and showed all the issues. I recommend it to those interested in the Royal Family.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've finally finished this gawd-awful boring book that took me over a year to slog my way through.
It was like reading one sleazy tabloid article after another and I had to force myself to finish it.
Did the world really need to know that Diana went for regular ten gallon enemas to clean out her system? I think not. The author of this book, however, might benefit greatly from having one herself.
Maybe it would flush the obvious jealousy from her system.

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book up to chapter 9 when I had to bring it back to the library. This book had an interest at the beginning but the writing was kind of hard to read as I got further into Diana's story.
It's definitely different from reading a fiction book where all the lines are linked together to know the purpose of the book. This one was bits and pieces... A lot of characters introduced at one shot; and after knowing how Diana obtained the Prince of Wales. I didn't find any point to continue reading.

[Deb Stratas · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's rare to find an aristocrat and someone who moves in the royal circles to "tell all" about one of their own, so this bio by Lady Colin Campbell is unusual for that alone. Written in 1992, it was rushed out before Andrew Morton's Her True Story to tell Prince Charle's side of the breakup story. It's very pro-establishment and unflattering to Diana. It's rumored that she hated this bio and what Lady Campbell wrote about her. Not one of my favorites!

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Campbell's book on Princess Diana was very entertaining. I like how it showed how she was a real person. With this book I saw many sides of Diana that have never been presented in other books. I was disappointed though with all the name dropping, but when it came to sources she gave practically none. Some of the dates need to be checked. All in all very nice read.

[Anne Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to read diana in private

[Allison O'toole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t waste your time. 0 stars really.

[Nele · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Diana - Ein Leben im goldenen Käfig" von Lady Colin Campbell
2/5☆
Genre: Biographie

Man könnte meinen, Colin Campbell habe dieses Buch nur geschrieben, um der guten Meinung, die die Öffentlichkeit von Lady Di hat, entgegenzuwirken. Obwohl es sich bei diesem Werk um eine Biographie über die Prinzessin von Wales handeln soll, gleich es doch eher einer Sammlung generalisierter Zitate und Eindrücke unbedeutendender Adliger, die wahllos zusammengestellt wurden. Zwar wird das Leben Dianas von der Kindheit über die Hochzeit und Geburt der Kinder bis zum Tod beschrieben, jedoch scheint es sich Campbell zur Aufgabe gemacht zu haben, Diana in möglichst schlechtem Licht darzustellen. Es ist einfach unangenehm zu lesen, wenn jemand für die sinnlosesten Sachen kritisiert wird, alles unter dem Deckmantel, die Wahrheit aufdecken zu wollen. Natürlich sind berühmte Personen selten so, wie ihr Ruf in der Öffentlichkeit. Aber Diana vorzuwerfen, "absichtlich schwanger zu werden" (wo ja bekanntlich immer zwei dazugehören), um sich vor ihren Pflichten zu drücken, halte ich für geschmacklos und naiv.

Weiterhin ist die Art der Autorin sehr unangenehm. Einerseits ist es schwierig, Einzelmeinungen teilweise anonymen Ursprungs als "Wahrheit" darzustellen, andererseits ist es arrogant, wie Campbell die Aristokratie und königliche Familie von den "Normalsterblichen" und den "Untertanen" abgrenzt - natürlich nicht ohne zu erwähnen, dass sie selbst adlig ist. Wie realitätsfern muss man sein, um "der Öffentlichkeit" vorzuwerfen, sich nicht mit den inoffiziellen Regeln des Königshauses auseinanderzusetzen? (Wobei hier vermutlich mehr meine persönliche Abneigung gegen Monarchie spricht).

Dennoch war ich von dem Buch nicht begeistert, da ich mir eine neutrale Zusammenfassung Diana Spencers Leben gewünscht hatte und nicht eine von Neid verzerrte, subjektive Darstellung.
Trotzdem ließ sich "Diana" gut lesen, da mit die Thematik im Allgemeinen schon interessiert.
Generell denke ich aber, Diana Spencer wurde mit diesem Buch Unrecht getan

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐟𝐞𝐡𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠: für alle, die wirklich große Royal-Fans sind und mal etwas anderes, als Lob über Diana hören wollen

🦢🦪🕯

Lest ihr gern Biographien?

[The Reading Dandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this book with a lot of reservations, having come into contact with Lady Campbell’s controversial and often critical remarks of the Royal Family. Wanting to get a more complete picture of the late Princess of Wales, I decided I should read her books on the subject (as well as Sally Bedell Smith’s) next to the others I’ve read.

The author claims to have known and liked Diana, but I get the impression while reading this book that she didn’t. However, she does credit Diana for her positive traits and charity work and by doing so ends up giving an overall positive picture of Diana at this point (1992) in her life. That does however not weight up to the fact she dwells too much on the negative aspects of her life and character for my taste.

Many of the claims she made were later confirmed by Morton’s book. But still too much of what she wrote down is unsubstantiated and sensationalized with almost no known sources to prove any of it. That to me is a major problem for any biography.

In the end I believe the truth lies in the middle, somewhere between the image of the victimized and the manipulative Diana. She almost certainly was both, making her human and relatable and that is what drew people to her.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I researched bits and pieces of this story before for my projects on little things she had done such as leukaemia and a few other of her charitable works - I clearly remember working hard on an anorexia/bulimia project when I was 14 or thereabouts, and my mother had told me Princess Diana had it - but this book describes more of what Princess Diana had done in her lifetime besides that. It gives the reader a taste of who she was and who the people around her are.

This book was published five years before Princess Diana passed away, so there is no mention of her car accident. I saw the news report about it on CBS with my parents. Oh gosh. I got flown in a helicopter to a hospital from my car accident 11 years after she did. That's somewhat concerning. Maybe technology has improved a lot over the past thirty-some years to make driving cars safer.

I was somewhat younger so I didn't really understand what the people on TV were talking about - knowing what will happen to the person in focus of the study doesn't really change my positive opinion of the work. And I think you may enjoy it as well, even, like me, you aren't the biggest history fan. There are other benefits to this book, such as understanding the subtle interplay between these famous people a little bit better.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an excessive reader I found this book remarkable in its content for the time . As everyone on the planet knew who Lady Di and the British Royal Family were . Why I use the term remarkable is due to the unflinching look at Diana and Charles . Diana was idolized by millions and by that time Charles was hated by the same who idolized his then wife . I never read books on Diana because of the fawning press coverage . It was understandable re/ looks / gowns tiaras / mother Teresa syndrome , but this was an actual look at the people not the exterior which I found humanizing and reality based . Yes she was lovely charming and warm but it’s worth a read to see her , Prince Charles , and all those in her circle at the time in daylight not stardust . I am read this book in 2023 and find it a breath of fresh air .

[F.Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Campbell has done her research very well for the time when this was published in 1992. Since then a great deal of what she says here has been confirmed in the books written by future authors. What's interesting here is that the author shows the private side of Diana. A determined young girl with royal ambitions who eventually embraced her role taking her to iconic levels. You get to know a very complex woman who was no angel but had the ability to be angelic. I couldn't help but wonder what if things between Charles and her had worked out? Would history be written differently? Likely, yes.

[Volare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-balanced portrait of a human being that has been catapulted into sainthood. The book was written in 1992 and appeared before Andrew Morton's book that had Diana's direct input. It is eerie to read this book in that so much of it has now proven to be true.

I felt it was balanced...it's a challenge to portray both the positive and negative aspects of an individual's personality. I think both Prince Charles and Princess Diana come across as people who were held captive by virtue of being members of the Royal family.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in-depth biography of Princess Diana. I found the book informative although a lot of Princess Diana’s life has been over saturated in the media. Lady C, provides a blunt portrait of the Wales marriage and she is sympathetic to Prince Charles.. I found the biography balanced and fair to Princess Diana.

[Hawkgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Has a lot of details about Diana that have been confirmed by other people.

However, the pomposity of the aristocratic class still remains through many of the pages of this book, even reading it 30 years after its original publication.

[Beverley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems Princess Diana had another side to her!

[Tera · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://www.databazeknih.cz/knihy/taj...

[Joan McTigue]

Almost 200 pound for that !!

[Margo Thaxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems to me a lot of the people who read this are probably not too bright. Many can’t review the book for tearing the author up. The book and it’s context bore some because it requires brains and an open mind to read and understand both sides. The author in no way criticized Diana any more than she did Charles. She is trying and in my opinion does so successfully, to show two very needy people who are both really good but flawed humans. Neither cannot see their spouses side because they are both self centered in their marriage. I’m not saying they are self centered in general. I do actually believe after reading this book that they both did genuinely love each other when they married. They just couldn’t sustain it for so many reasons and that is the really sad part. One really big reason being the age difference. As to the author..who cares? This is about Diana and she ends the book on a very positive note regarding the strength of character of the princess.

[Shelfbrowse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always been really fond of Princess Diana, particularly due to her incredible taste in fashion. Most of what I know about her comes from the media, which consistently portrayed her as a lovely and friendly person. The beginning of the book provided intriguing insights into her background and offered a great resource on the workings of the aristocratic system. Comparing an outspoken and honest woman to a conservative and systemic circle, it's easy to admire her for simply being herself and enjoying her life.
However, I dislike the way the author describes Princess Diana. The depiction of Diana's crush on Charles feels one-sided, portraying her as someone who was after his position, wealth, and fame. This seems biased, and many online reviews, including those on Goodreads, share this sentiment. The author paints Diana as a mischievous woman acting innocently in public, while Charles is depicted as a charming man playing with women's hearts. Is this supposed to be some kind of sarcasm the author tried to put into the book? And honestly, while there are good words about Diana in the book, I don't think they're even the author's words.
While some aspects of the book might hold truth, as outsiders, we lack the complete picture of the British Royal Family. Nevertheless, the content remains unreliable, and the overall tone of the book is excessively negative. Therefore, I strongly advise against choosing this book for your next read.

[Erie granita · Rating 4 out of 5]

wahhh buku yang bagus......waktu itu baca pinjem dari punya temen yang beli buku ini di inggris...a bit njelimet ...tapi bagus

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upper class gossip. You wonder how much is really true.

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. It was one of the best books that I've read on Diana. They (the Royals)have confidantes of the opposite sex as a good friend when they are married.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 1 out of 5]

966 - 2012

[Ann Clay · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a nasty woman. The author, I mean, not the Princess.