CM 409: 9th Earl Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana of Wales”

Introduction

On September 6. 1997, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, spoke at his sister’s funeral. (Eidenmuller, 2020). Charles Spencer gave the “Eulogy for Princess Diana of Wales.” Not only did her family and friends hear this eulogy, but people all over the world heard it too. Millions of people watched her funeral, whether it be the people there in person or the people watching it on the television.

In this paper, I will use James P. Zappen’s “Digital Rhetoric” and Michael Warner’s “Publics and Counterpublics” to analyze how persuasive Charles Spencer’s eulogy was to the public and the eulogy’s two different audiences. With Zappen’s theory on “Digital Rhetoric,” I will be analyzing how persuasive the text was based on the content and how it was presented to the audience. I will be analyzing how digital rhetoric makes this eulogy different from a one given at a typical, private funeral. With Warner’s theory on “Publics and Counterpublics,” I will be analyzing how the eulogy is targeted towards a specific audience/public. I will be analyzing how Spencer was speaking publicly to intentionally address specific publics. He addresses those grieving Princess Diana, he addresses the adoring fans of Princess Diana, and he addresses the press who poorly mistreated Princess Diana and ultimately led to her death.

First Point (Context)

Even before August 30, 1997, Princess Diana of Wales had a complicated relationship with the press. Ever since Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, she became an international icon and was labeled the “People’s Princess” by the media. ("Princess Diana's Death," 2017). After her wedding was watched by 750 million people, Princess Diana’s every move was documented and photographed. (Samuelson, 2017). Princess Diana was praised by the public and the tabloids for her beauty and charismatic personality. The combination of her new title and her interest in music, fashion, and humanitarianism helped turn Princess Diana into a global icon. ("Princess Diana's Death, 2017). She often used the media to help raise awareness and funds for the many charities and issues that mattered to her. For example, she was an advocate for the homeless, children in need, and the efforts to abolish the use of landmines. ("Princess Diana's Death, 2017). She also advocated for AIDS and HIV-related causes. ("Princess Diana's Death, 2017). Diana also manipulated the media and used it as a weapon from 1992, when she and Prince Charles separated, through 1996, when she and Prince Charles finalized their divorce. (Roberts, 2017). After the divorce, Princess Diana remained as a constant figure in the media, but this time she was accompanied by her new beau Dodi Al-Fayed. The couple were frequently followed and harassed by the paparazzi wherever they went. ("Princess Diana's Death, 2017).

On August 30, 1997, Princess Diana of Wales and her lover Dodi Al-Fayed were photographed together kissing on his yacht. (Davies, 2017). Princess Diana and Dodi then flew from Sardinia for oe more night together in Paris before Diana returned home the next day. However, their plans were ruined by the paparazzi who found them at the Ritz hotel, which was owned by Al-Fayed. (Davies, 2017). The paparazzi began to chase the couple as they were heading to dinner. Mr. Al-Fayed formed a plan to have two cars leave the hotel. ("Princess Diana's Death," 2017). Mr. Al-Fayed and Diana would be in the Mercedes leaving from the back of the hotel with a driver, Henri Paul, who was called while off duty. While the couple snuck away, the paparazzi were supposed to be distracted by the car leaving the front of the hotel. ("Princess Diana's Death," 2017). However, Mr. Al-Fayed’s distraction plan failed. (Davies, 2017). On August 31, 1997, the Mercedes, being chased by photographers, crashed into another car at the entrance of the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France. (Davies, 2017). On August 31, 1997, Dodi Al-Fayed, Henri Paul, and Princess Diana of Wales died from a car crash. (Davies, 2017).

On September 3, 1997, tens of thousands of bouquets could be seen from the gates of Kensington Palace in memory of the “People’s Princess.” (Davies, 2017). People were camping out the night before the funeral. The queue to sign the books of condolence was over six hours long, and there were 43 books of condolence by the time the Queen arrived on September 5, 1997. (Davies, 2017). According to Caroline Davies at The Guardian, “About 50,000 people line the route as Diana’s coffin is taken from St James’s to Kensington Palace, where it will stay overnight.” (Davies, 2017). On September 6, 1997, “A million and more line the three-and-a-half mile route from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. Others are crammed before giant screens. Two billion watch it across the globe.” 1997, “A million and more line the three-and-a-half mile route from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. Others are crammed before giant screens. Two billion watch it across the globe.” (Davies, 2017).

Second Point (Text)

In the 9th Earl Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana of Wales,” he began by addressing the thousands of people watching Princess Diana’s funeral. During his eulogy, he stated that he was standing before everyone as a representative of a grieving family, a country in mourning, and a world in shock. (Eidenmuller, 2020). He directly mentioned how Princess Diana was so extraordinary and loved that there were “tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). These were people that never met her or personally knew her, but she left such an impact on the world that they felt as if they had lost someone too. The 9th Earl Spencer used his eulogy to describe who his sister really was and how she felt. He described how she was selfless and a “bearer for the rights of the downtrodden.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). He also used the eulogy as a way “to say ‘thank you’ for the you brightened our lives even though God granted you but half a life.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). He then mentioned her work with AIDS and HIV, the homeless, lepers, and landmines. He even mentioned her insecurities and her eating disorder, which he claimed made the people love her even more.

Later on in the eulogy, he finally gets around to mentioning the paparazzi. He first mentioned the paparazzi with a story about how the family managed to prevent the paparazzi from photographing her while she visited him in South Africa. He took this story and led into how Princess Diana “talked endlessly of getting away from England” because of the paparazzi and how they treated her. (Eidenmuller, 2020). He stated that, “I don’t think she ever understood why her genuinely good intentions were sneered at by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). He then said, “It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this: a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). After describing her feelings about the paparazzi before her untimely death, he went on to speak on behalf of Princess Diana and telling the audience what he thinks she would have wanted. He said that she would want for her boys to be protected from the things she went through, to be protected from the paparazzi and the harassment she faced. He then pledged that “We will not allow them to suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). He also pledged that “We, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young ment, so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned.” (Eidenmuller, 2020).

He then ended his eulogy by addressing his nephews, William and Harry. He told his nephews how much he, and the world, cared for them and empathized with the loss of their mother. He then began to give thanks to God and for the life of Princess Diana. He thanked God for taking her when she was at her prime: happy, beautiful, and radiant. He gave thanks for how his sister lived a unique, complex, and extraordinary life that made her unforgettable in the eyes of the world. (Eidenmuller, 2020).

Third Point (Analysis 1)

When analyzing Charles Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana of Wales,” one of the first things I noticed was how the eulogy was seen by millions of people across the globe. Both the eulogy and the funeral procession were broadcast for the entire world to see. With this fact in mind, my first theory I will be using is James P. Zappen’s “Digital Rhetoric,” from our textbook. Zappen’s “Digital Rhetoric,” discusses the use of persuasion in digital media, which will be useful in providing insight into how the two audiences are affected and persuaded differently. (Zappen, 2020). Charles Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana” was presented both in front of a physical audience (the immediate or primary audience) as well as broadcast to an invisible audience (the secondary audience). (Zappen, 2020). In the analysis, I will use Zappen’s theory to study how persuasive the text was based on the content and how it was presented to the audience.

In Zappen’s theory, he states that “Studies or digital rhetoric help to explain how traditional rhetorical strategies of persuasion function and how they are being reconfigured in digital spaces.” (Zappen, 2020). Zappen’s theory suggests that digital rhetoric still uses traditional methods of persuasion, but in digital rhetoric the methods are changed and used in a different way to correctly function in this new form of media. (Zappen, 2020). He also states that “Studies of the new digital media also explore some of the purposes and outcomes of communication in digital spaces: not only persuasion for the purpose of moving audiences to action or belief, but also self-expression for the purpose of exploring individual and group identities and participation and creative collaboration for the purpose of building communities of shared interest.” (Zappen, 2020). Zappen’s theory suggests that digital rhetoric is used to persuade audiences towards a certain action or idea and also to explore/create group identities through the media. (Zappen, 2020).

For this analysis, the key is to look at what Spencer said in his eulogy to Princess Diana. He was very outspoken in his eulogy about how Princess Diana felt about the press and how she was mistreated. (Eidenmuller, 2020). He was also very outspoken about not allowing the same to happen to her children. (Eidenmuller, 2020). He said quite a few things that were not typical of a normal eulogy. Using Zappen’s theory on digital rhetoric, I am arguing that Charles wrote his eulogy deliberately because he knew the funeral would be broadcast. With his sister in mind, Charles wrote his eulogy directed towards a certain audience, the adoring fans of Princess Diana. Also, using Zappen’s theory, I plan to argue that Charles was emboldened by the fact that his eulogy would be broadcast, giving him the courage to say things he otherwise would not say at a funeral, especially one with the royal family present. Charles used the funeral being broadcast to his advantage. He took the chance to publicly shame and condemn those that led her to her death.

Charles Spencer actually spoke out about his eulogy for Princess Diana and what he hoped it would do. For example, he said “‘speak for somebody who had no longer got a voice.’” (Association, 2017). He also said, “‘I believe that every word I said was true and it was important for me to be honest.’” (Association, 2017). He then said, “‘I was trying to celebrate Diana - and if by doing that it showed up particularly the press, I think, in a bad way, they had that coming.’” (Association, 2017). Furthermore, in an interview Spencer mentioned Princess Diana’s eating disorders and how she was criticized in the media (which was also touched on in his eulogy.) In his interview, he said “‘In her final years Diana was really brought low by elements of the paparazzi and the tabloids … I remember she told me about one man that promised to hound her until the day she dies, then would urinate on her grave. So, she was dealing with a very dark side of the media and, even at her funeral, I think it was appropriate to touch on that.’” (BBC News, 2017). All of the comments given during his interview further provides support that the eulogy had a purpose other than just being a normal eulogy.

Charles Spencer crafted his eulogy to honor Princess Diana, but to also show how she was severely mistreated by the media that once loved her. The eulogy for Princess Diana was not a normal eulogy to begin with because it was televised for the whole world to see; however, it also differed from the norm by the content of the eulogy. In a typical eulogy, there is mention of who the person was, what they enjoyed, what type of person they were, why you will miss them, etc. In Charles Spencer’s eulogy, however, did not focus much on who she once was, but mainly on how she felt about the media and why she was no longer gone. One thing he said in the eulogy really stood out and that is when he says, “It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this: a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). He compares Princess Diana to an animal being hunted, referring to how the media hunted her down and documented her every move.

Fourth Point (Analysis 2)

Another thing that I immediately noticed during my analysis of Charles Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana of Wales,” was how the eulogy appeared to be targeted towards a specific audience. With this fact in mind, my second theory I will be using is Michael Warner’s “Publics and Counterpublics” from our textbook. In this analysis, I will use Michael Warner’s theory to study how persuasive Charles Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana” is to the public.

In Warner’s theory, he discusses the publics that a text is targeted towards and how/why the public thinks and forms. (Warner, 2020). In his theory, Warner states that “People do not always distinguish even between the public and a public, although in other contexts the difference can matter a great deal.” (Warner, 2020). According to Warner, “The public is a kind of social totality. Its most common sense is that of the people in general. A public can also be a second thing: a concrete audience, a crowd witnessing itself in visible space, as with a theatrical public. Such a public also has a sense of totality, bounded by the event or by the shared physical space.” (Warner, 2020). He then brings up another sense of the word public. The third sense of public is “the kind of public that comes into being only in relation to texts and their circulation.” (Warner, 2020). Also according to Warner, “A public is a space of discourse organized by nothing other than discourse itself. It is sutotekic; it exists only as the end for which books are published, shows broadcast, opinions produced. It exists by the virtue of being addressed.” (Warner, 2020). Warner’s theory suggests that a public only exists because it is being addressed or spoken to. (Warner, 2020).

In his theory, Warner mentions that a public is self-organized. (Warner, 2020). Warner likens a public to the chicken and egg question: can anyone speak publicly without addressing a public? (Warner, 2020). Using Warner’s theory, I am going to argue that while Spencer was speaking publicly he was intentionally addressing a public. Spencer is addressing the world, particularly the adoring fans of Princess Diana and the press who mistreated her. (Eidenmuller, 2020). He is using this moment to publicly speak to this targeted public about how poorly they treated his sister, to publicly shame them. He is also using the moment to publicly speak to the targeted public to address an issue and pledge to protect Princess Diana’s children from the same fate. (Eidenmuller, 2020).

In his eulogy, Charles Spencer does have an immediate audience in front of him, but he also has a secondary audience watching his eulogy on television. Due to the eulogy being broadcast, Spencer has more room to decide who his targeted audiences are and what his intent is in targeting these specific audiences. First, it must be decided what type of public, of the three senses that Warner describes, that Spencer has. It appears that Spencer has all three of the senses. He has the public because he is speaking to a group of people in general. He has a public because he is speaking to a concrete audience. Also, he has the last type of public because his eulogy is being televised and will henceforth be constantly circulated and create discourse about Princess Diana’s death. Now that the types of publics have been established, I can begin to discuss how Spencer targeted specific different audiences in his publics. With his eulogy, Spencer targets both Princess Diana’s fans and the media. He targets the adoring fans of Princess Diana and empathizes with them over the loss of Princess Diana. He mentions how people across the globe are watching the funeral and are grieving Princess Diana. He uses this to manipulate them into seeing his point/his call to action. He also targets the media who severely mistreated his sister and ultimately were the reason she died. He targets this audience to ultimately shame them for “hunting” his sister down until the day she died. He is shaming them for their role in her misery and her death. He mentioned in his eulogy that Princess Diana would want him, and others, “ to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys, William and Harry, from a similar fate. And I do this here, Diana, on your behalf. We will not allow them to suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair.” (Eidenmuller, 2020). With his eulogy, Spencer is asking her fans and the media to not allow a similar tragic event to happen again, particularly to have history repeat itself with Princess Diana’s sons, William and Harry.

Conclusion

In this paper, I analyzed how Charles Spencer’s “Eulogy for Princess Diana of Wales” was different from a typical eulogy due to it being televised whereas a normal eulogy is not. Spencer’s eulogy for his sister was televised and heard by thousands across the globe. In this paper, I used James P. Zappen’s “Digital Rhetoric” and Michael Warner’s “Publics and Counterpublics” to analyze how Charles Spencer manipulated the televised funeral to his advantage when crafting and presenting his eulogy for Princess Diana to multiple audiences.

With Zappen’s theory “Digital Rhetoric,” I analyzed how the content of the eulogy was different from a typical eulogy due to it being televised. I analyzed how Spencer was emboldened by how public the funeral was to say more than what he would have had the funeral been for family only. With Warner’s theory on “Publics and Counterpublics,” I analyzed the different definitions given for public and which ones fit into the funeral and Charles Spencer’s eulogy. I also analyzed how and why the eulogy was targeted towards specific audiences.

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