Princess Diana’s dancing days weren’t all bad | Barbara Ellen

Some of Princess Diana’s old music cassettes are to be exhibited at Buckingham Palace as part of the tribute marking the 20th anniversary of her death. While there’s been some mirth at her taste (Diana was no muso), it’s not all bad.

I’m quite partial to some Elton John myself, when he’s doing music and not his two-headed “Rehab Angel of Death” routine with husband, David Furnish, dispensing Sanatogen and mawkish anti-intoxicant advice to younger celebrities. (What was that, Elton – you had your fun – but no one else is allowed to? Got it!)

As for Rod Stewart, it depends on the era – the strutting Faces stuff or the blouse-donning, self-groping Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? period, where Stewart became the first person to risk arrest for sexually molesting himself?

As for Hello by Lionel Richie being Diana’s favourite song, considering the circumstances of her marriage, who could deny her the indulgence of imagining herself to be the woman in the video, scrunching up the man’s face on the clay model in front of her?

Admittedly, favouring Celine Dion errs on unforgiveable. The heart may indeed go on (and on), but hopefully not accompanied by the kind of hellish wailing that, when used as the Titanic theme tune, may have inspired Leonardo DiCaprio to prefer to drown, slipping quietly and gratefully beneath the waves, when frankly there was plenty of room on Kate Winslet’s floating door if she’d just budged up a bit.

Give Diana a break, anyway. For me, this Diana, rollerskating around the palace, listening to Duran Duran on her Walkman, was by far the most heart-warming version of the princess. Besides, how dreary and unfair to hold people to ransom for their youthful music tastes. Who would survive such an interrogation – who would wish to?