The Housekeeper's Diary: Charles and Diana Before the Breakup

I purchased this for my 95 year old grandma who came to the States over 60 years ago from England. She loved this story. In fact she asked me to purchase another copy so that she could send it to her friend in England.

Banned in Britain. You really feel for Wendy Barry and the staff. Upstairs and Downstairs revelations. You feel you are there at Highgrove. The first time I read this I could not believe it was true !!! The upper class country set of Gloucestershire is all too riveting. A must have.

I bought this book several years ago and have just re-read it.It's an interesting look at life inside the Royal Family. Well, at least one part of it. The self-centeredness of Prince Charles is not surprising. He expects every whim to be catered to without question and immediately. He comes across as very spoiled and out of touch.Princess Diana is another matter. Her instability is so apparent. It is too bad that she did not get professional help.The last sentence, "But where is it all going to end?" is sad when you think about what happened to Diana.The author doesn't take sides, but has given us a good look into the private lives of a very unhappy family.

It is interesting to get the observations of the woman who lived in Diana's house for years. I have admired Diana for years but now feel there is so much that we don't know. She could be quite spiteful and hateful. It is important for this side of the story to get out. I still admire her, but look at her differently. She was called "the saint" by the household staff because no matter how awful she behaved in private, the public always idolized her. The media has always had a vested interest in presenting only the positive side of her. I have not been able to buy the book yet, I've listened to the tapes. Most of the revelations on the tapes are shocking and eye-opening.

I read this book about a year before Diana's death and found it to be very informative. The author gives an insightful account of what goes on behind the scenes in the lives of the Royal Family. It also appears the breakup of the marriage was the fault of both Charles and Diana and there really was a lack of communication from the beginning. The author does not pull any punches and does not appear to take sides. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Diana's life before the divorce.