- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (Oct 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007113587
- ISBN-13: 978-0007113583
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
545,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #55 in Books > Biography > British Royalty > Princess Diana
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Of all the books that have poured from the presses since the death of the Princess of Wales, very few can match the tasteless, self-seeking awfulness of P.D. Jephsons memoir Shadow of a Princess. Jephson, a former Royal Navy officer, was appointed equerry to the Princess of Wales in 1987. Subsequently appointed her private secretary, Jephson ran Dianas chaotic household throughout the final turbulent years of her life, before resigning following her decision to give a revelatory interview to BBCs Panorama in 1996.
Jephsons book ostensibly offers an insiders view on Diana's life during and after her relationship with the Prince of Wales. In fact it is an extraordinary and terribly crass character assassination of his former employer. Almost every page pours vitriol on the Princess, sneering at her interest in enthusiastic foreigners, cataloguing her megalomania, illusion of compassion and desire to plot and manoeuvre against virtually every member of the Royal Family. As Jephson dutifully follows the Princess on royal engagements he portrays her as a media-hungry young woman for whom no emotion was too facile. The book is remarkable for its almost complete lack of insight into what happened during some of the most turbulent years in the history of the House of Windsor. Jephson sympathises with Prince Charles as a decent chap, and has little of interest to say about Dianas affairs, beyond her regrettable habit of hanging around public gyms. In the midst of all of this Jephson characterises himself as a conscientious chap. Sadly, if his most of what he says here about Diana is true, he actually manages to come across as even more shallow and self-serving than the Princess. Quite a debut. --Jerry Brotton
Review
“Never has so senior a servant of the Royal Family decided to reveal his secrets and rarely has one witnessed such turbulent times.”
The Times
“Mr. Jephson was a witness to significant events in recent royal history, he is in a position to reveal the truth.”
Daily Express
“There was nothing in her life Jephson didn’t know about.”
The Sunday Times
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book after reading several others in a succession on Lady Diana and her life. And did so based partly on Amazon reviews. Well, I found it quite boring and plain from the very start. Is it supposed to be an account on working life with the late Princess or just the very tedious memoires of a private secretary? Jephson's narrative and choice of words is also too lenghthy and pedantic, often taken the focus away from what he actually is trying to tell. He basically seems to be recounting the same impressions and conclusions over and over again. In other words, I personally found that his story was not worth its 400 plus pages and honestly did not learn anything new either about palace life or the life of the late Princess. Therefore, I would not recommend it.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a betrayal of Princess Diana. Mr. Jephson comes across as a pompous, self-serving hypocrite of the first order. Every compliment has a sting in the tail. When I read initial reviews of this book, I decided not to buy it as I did not want to give the author any money. Finally I purchased it in a charity shop where the money went to better use! I am very suprised that this book did not cause the a worse furore than that of Paul Burrell - it should have!!!!!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Media reports of the reaction of the Royal Family to this book led me speculate on the revelations of Patrick Jephson. I was disappointed by the contents as Jephson made pecuilar assumptions about Diana without a shred of evidence to back his bizarre claims.Diana's affairs were glossed over and Mrs Parker Bowles scarcely mentioned. Diana was painted as a neurotic selfish personality lacking self discipline and maturity. I felt that the book was a watered hatchet job and I was surprised that the other members of the family were barely mentioned. A very Establishment type viewpoint from the author. The late Princess was no saint but I doubt that the people around her including her employees were any better. The best Jephson did was to damn his subject with faint praise.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A valuable opinion !
As Jephson says he knew Diana as his Boss and was never attracted to her, amazing a male immune to her charismatic charms ! Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2010 by Diana
Read this book but only if you read some others too....
This is an interesting book and is compelling because it is critical of Diana from first hand experience, which no other serious biography has been. Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2007 by Sally
This shows Diana could feel just like us.......
This is an excellent account of Diana's working life. Having seen the Princess at work, I have no doubt that she was truly concerned about ordinary people. Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2001
Gripping Account of Some of Diana's Most Turbulent Years
I loved this book. It's well-written and respectful to Diana's memory. There are no snippets of salacious gossip. Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2001
A sad story of a wasted life and unfilled promise.
A well written story of Diana, Princess of Wales by her Private Secretary. P. D. Jephson attempts to tell the tale, as he saw it, of a woman that with the right help and... Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2001
A balanced account
Had Diana, Princess of Wales, not died, this book would still needed to have been written although it would have been a difficult subject matter. Read more
Published on 25 July 2001 by wyckoft@aol.com
This is the best book I've read on the princess.
I cannot understand people who criticize this book. If one reads all the other accounts about Diana... this falls right into line with her neurosis. Read more
Published on 26 April 2001
Hurray, a first hand account with intelligence
I loved it. Normally I read a "Diana" book in 12 hours. This one took 4 days. I believe every word of it and can only sympathise with the state of the author's nerves at... Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2000
I understand Diana better, and appreciate her even more.
I've been a serious collector of Diana books for 18 yrs. The above review is right, nothing new is revealed, and I wonder if Mr Jephson is hiding even more of her "good... Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2000 by Mrs. Jeannie L. Griffin
A revealing account of the Princess as a "Boss"
This book further demonstrates the Princess had many flaws but for all that she remains an enigma. The author paints her as he saw her and it is a revealing portrait from the... Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2000
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