PJ AT KP IS FA (Shadows of a Princess: Diana, Princess of Wales 1987-1996 - P.D. Jephson)

Member Name: Ann J Sec

Product:	Shadows of a Princess: Diana, Princess of Wales 1987-1996 - P.D. Jephson
Date:	09/10/01 (875 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none, NONE, NONE

Disadvantages: longwinded, poorly written , boring

With friends (or rather an employee) like Patrick Jephson, who needs enemies. That's my opinion having read his longwinded self-opinionated exercise in pomposity. Perhaps I am being unfair as I have to say I find even his photograph offensive, but I'll try to explain why I have reached this decision anyway.

Patrick Jephson, to those of you who don't know, was Princess Diana's one and only private secretary. He resigned supposedly as a result of her interview on Panarama which she had the audacity to do WITHOUT REFERENCE to him. It seems however that had he not resigned he would have been sacked anyway as apparently Diana sent him abusive messages on his pager - if we are to believe him.

His book he tells us is an attempt to throw the light on Diana's complex character and he of course feels he is just the fellow to be able to do this. What amazes me is the fact that before the book came out I distinctly remember Jephson stating that he felt the Palace and indeed the Princes Harry and William would find nothing distasteful in his writing. One page into the book however and we find that Diana enjoyed crude and disgusting jokes, watched pornography, poked fun at her subjects behind their backs and was wilful and self obsessed. We later learn she possessed a pink vibrator, although we are assured it was never used (how does he know this) - surely the Princes wouldn't find that upsetting! ! !

Patrick Jephson(P.J.as he calls himself)tells the reader nothing that any normal intelligent person wouldn't have surmised by themselves. Of course most people knew Diana was human, and not many of us really believed she was saintly. Her popularity (in my own view) lay in her normality - and that included her not being very nice at times.

We are informed that Diana was a manipulative and unkind employer (he should try working for the NHS), her demands were excessive in that she called him on his mobile morning n
oon and night (doesn't that go with the nature of the job) and he seems to have been particularly rankled when she called him when he was drinking with his many cronies.

To add insult the injury, this book is so badly written. It is boring and pointless. One word is never used when at least three or four will do and sentences are so long they often have to be read at least twice to understand the point the writer is trying to make.

To my mind Diana quite rightly did not trust her Private Secretary. He appears to have been privvy to very little in the way of her private romantic life, merely telling his readers that Will Carling used to irritate him as he would flirt with the tyists in Kensington Palace (this is the K.P.part). He didn't have a lot to do with James Hewitt and his inside view of the royal marriage is so limited he is unable to tell the reader anything that couldn't be gleaned from newspaper coverage.

Patrick Jephson seems to view himself as some kind of amateur psychologist - weighing up people and personalities in the most pompous and unkind way. He obviously has no scruples and freely admits to watching his colleagues (Ken Wharfe the detective in particular) being axed without having the strength of character to mutter even the slightest dissention at their treatment.

I avidly read any books on the Royals although I am not a royalist by nature. I just feel it is important to know as much as possible about the history of our times. Patrick Jephson however sheds no light on his subject. As stated, his writing is mediocre to crassly poor, and he is boring and egotistical. He also takes great pains to tell the reader of the many Diana speeches he wrote which she apparently took the credit for.

We hear about the Tiggy legover debacle.......what a childish load of nonsense and Diana's churlishness over Charles many overtures of kindness - obviously Jephson needs to keep well in with the
living........they may well sue.

Read it if you must - it will certainly add pennies to his nasty little back pocket, but if you want to conserve your energy just give this book a miss.

500 pages of drivel Published by Harper Collins and costing now in the region of £12.99 Do yourself a favour and spend your money on something else.

As in my title P.J. at K.P is F.A. (I'll leave that to your imagination).

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