Diana, Princess of Wales has performed an astonishing U-turn in the continuing row over her interview with the French newspaper, Le Monde, issuing a denial yesterday that she had criticised the Tory government for its "hopeless" policy on landmines. Meanwhile, the journalist who interviewed the princess stood over her version.
A tersely worded statement from the princess's office at Kensington Palace, London, denied she had described the former British prime minister, Mr Major's landmine policy as "hopeless". Her office also made it clear that Diana felt desperately let down by the controversy, and that she would not agree to any more newspaper interviews.
The statement said: "The attention of Diana, Princess of Wales, has been drawn to reports in this morning's press to the effect that in an article based on written questions and answers published by Le Monde yesterday, she was quoted as being critical of the previous government's policy towards the banning of anti-personnel landmines. The princess made no such criticism. Her stance on the question of landmines has been apolitical throughout. Her concerns are exclusively humanitarian."
Even the press office at Buckingham Palace, which was keen to point out before her trip to publicise landmines in Angola that she was still regarded as part of the royal family, distanced itself from the row. It said yesterday the comments made by Diana were matters for her office.
The row has erupted over one sentence towards the end of an interview with Le Monde journalist, Annick Cojean, who said yesterday the main topic of their conversation had been "her humanitarian work, which was quite interesting". The sentence read: "Its `[the Labour government's] position on this subject has always been clear. It is going to do great work. Its predecessor was really hopeless."
Ms Cojean insisted yesterday: "It was her word. But speaking of landmines it was of course natural in the conversation that she said well of course I'm happy with the government's policy. She didn't say much about that, just three sentences. I wrote it so she said it." Tory MPs seized upon Diana's comments, insisting she should be "disciplined" if she failed to stand outside politics. So vitriolic was the criticism that the Foreign Secretary, Mr Robin Cook, was forced to spring to the princess's defence. Mr Cook, on tour in South-East Asia, said he had "immense admiration" for Diana's campaigning on the landmines issue.
Lord Deedes, who accompanied Diana on her visits to landmine sites in Angola and Bosnia, also defended her comments. Tory MP, Mr David Wilshire, said he thought it was "seriously dangerous" to allow members of the British royal family into party politics.
"I don't think we ought to allow one young coming up middle aged woman to alter the entire British constitution single-handed. If the Royal family plays party politics, as this interview did, it automatically changes the entire nature of the Royal family."
Former Tory MP, Sir James Hill, said: "I think she ought to be reprimanded and told that as a royal, she is not to enter the political arena. She could have been a Hollywood movie star for the way she attracts publicity."