Rather than being directionless about her future, as has often been commented, according to close friends Princess Diana was seriously considering two new career options prior to her death. One possibility was as a roving goodwill ambassador, a role which the New Labour government was prepared to consider, and the other as a TV film-maker.
"The Diana I knew and was in contact with regularly throughout those last few months was motivated and full of plans for her life," says Shirley Conran, a close friend of the late Princess, in the Daily Mail.
The author of Seventies bestseller Superwoman reveals that she had organised a unique networking lunch just six weeks before the accident in which Di lost her life, with the aim of developing her fledgling talent. The Princess had already made a film in collaboration with the BBC about the effect of landmines and had started researching the subject of illiteracy with another project in mind.
Present at the get together in London's Caprice restaurant were Prime Suspect writer Lynda La Plante, Sixties designer Mary Quant and the historian Lady Antonia Fraser. "I chose them deliberately," explained Ms Conran, "because we were all successful career women who had suffered painful divorces."
Also involved were Molly Dineen, the woman behind the Geri Halliwell documentary, and Christen Brown, a TV coach whose role was to boost Di's confidence on screen. "(Diana) thought she was awful in front of the camera, so I asked Christen, who is the best in the business, to help," explains Shirley. "I hoped Molly, a widow who had suffered emotional putdown in her life, would become her mentor."
The plan apparently was for Diana to train for her new role in New York upon her return form her last fateful holiday. "She had star quality, but we wanted to project the self assurance she had in private to the camera," says Shirley.
"She was prone to loneliness and self-doubt when the boys were not with her and bored with the hand shaking routine of her charity work, so we thought documentaries could be the way forward."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
