Wills slams 'fat' Diana comments

Updated 14.39 Mon Jun 18 2007

Prince William has described media criticism that his mother, Princess Diana, was too fat as "outrageous".

The 24-year-old was speaking in his first US interview along with Prince Harry, 22.

William said that not a day goes by that he does not think about her and her death, and Harry said he still wonders about what happened the night of the crash

Portions of the interview that was conducted in London last month were aired in the US earlier.

"Someone said she had cellulite or something like that. As a woman in the public eye, she tried so hard and was so glamorous, always in the gym," William said.

"For any woman, I imagine, it's just outrageous that these people sit behind their desks and comment on it.

"There were many times we just sort of had to cheer her up and tell her she was the best thing ever."

Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997, after a high-speed car crash in a Paris tunnel along with her boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed, and their driver.

William said that not a day goes by that he does not think about her and her death, and Harry said he still wonders about what happened the night of the crash.

The Princes are planning a concert in London's Wembley Stadium in their mother's honour on July 1, which would have been her 46th birthday.

The concert will include performances by artists expected to include Elton John, Duran Duran, Rod Stewart and Tom Jones.

Meanwhile, Tina Brown, the former editor of Vanity Fair, has been discussing her new book on Princess Diana.

The Diana Chronicles begins with Diana's death in Paris on August 31, 1997 and examines the impact of her life on popular culture.

Ms Brown said: "I think what was so interesting about Diana was the stunning theatre of watching her change before our very eyes, of seeing her move from this shy, blushing mouse into becoming a global superstar."

Since her death, it has been hard to find someone with as much power to attract the public's attention as Diana, she said.

"I actually think that in a way the rise of people like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan and things are almost filling the void left by a figure such as Diana was, who could really fill that whole vacuum and sell newspapers," Ms Brown said.

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