The media in the UK is in a bit of a froth and a frenzy over the Royal Engagement. In the midst of coalition woes, strikes, budget cuts, FIFA-fixing, cold weather, floods, not to mention Wagner, it helps the nation to have something positive to look forward to.
The merchandisers have been going overboard with enough commemorative Will ‘n Kate crockery to sink a ship. The first item I saw, which made me laugh, was a mug with two handles. I wondered if that was in honour of the father of the groom-to-be who has, rather unkindly, been described as resembling a VW with the doors open.
Typically, British bookmakers have been bursting with speculation about where and when the wedding will take place, who will design the wedding dress, what title the couple will take on after the wedding, who will be the best man, who will be the maid of honour, how many viewers will tune into BBC to watch the wedding live, what colour the wedding dress will be and – my personal favourite – the colour of the Queen’s hat.
All of which reminds me of Diana and me. Princess Diana was born one week before me. And honestly, if I had a pound for every time someone told me that I looked like her, I would be basking on my yacht in the tropics somewhere, sipping on an expensive, chilled cocktail, waiting for someone to peel me a grape, and enjoying the company of my gorgeous husband who, thankfully, looks nothing like Charles.
I can’t remember when it began. I didn’t do like Julie Walters’ client in Educating Rita and take a magazine photo of Diana with me to the hairdresser and say, “I want to look like that.” I guess I just do look like that. A bit. Or so some people think.
I think the first time was when I visited my new boyfriend’s family, who grew up to become my parents-in-law. They had a delightful, also Scottish, neighbour who was often, as my granny would say, full of hops. The more she tippled, the more slurringly talkative and tearfully sentimental she became. In a particularly emotional moment she wiped a tear from her eye as she looked at me and said, “Och, you’re affy like Leddy Di.”
From that moment on, I became Leddy Di. Even after the leddy became Princess. It was quite sad, really, that sometimes in her blurred reality, I became Diana. She gave me a beautiful, expensive bottle of perfume and said, “This is fer Leddy Di.” I thanked her and then told her to curtsy and in future not to speak to me unless spoken to. (Just jokes.)
She and her husband came to our wedding, and I’m sure she thought she was coming to a royal occasion, although it must have been a little confusing that this was happening in Bulawayo.
Another time, when my older son was a baby, we went out for Sunday lunch at our favourite Italian restaurant in Harare. When we’d finished our meal, my husband went to settle the bill and I went outside, our six-month old son in my arms, to wait in the sun for him. I happened to stand next to a giggly bunch of female senior citizens who had emerged from the same restaurant where they had enjoyed a few too many fizzy drinks with their lunch.
One dear lady approached me and asked me about my cute little baby. She choonched his cheeks, told me he was gorgeous and wanted to know how old he was. You know, the usual. As I was answering her questions, one of her friends approached me from the other side and said to her friends, “You know, she looks just like Princess Diana!”
She then took my face in her hands and turned my face to show her friends, “Don’t you think so?” she said. I kid you not.
At which point the baby-ogler asked me another question. So I turned my head to answer her, and as I began to speak, my face was again showcased in the other direction in the middle of two ageing palms. The ridiculous charade continued for a short while, my face going this way and that.
I guess I could have shouted, “LEAVE ME ALONE, THIS IS MY FREAKING FACE ALREADY!” but I couldn’t find those words, and, to be honest, it was really really funny. My husband came outside and rescued me from the face-grabbing aunties a few minutes later, and we both laughed as I recounted what had just happened.
A few years ago, I was shopping in a supermarket in Rondebosch in Cape Town. I noticed the cashier staring at me before I got to her to make my purchases. As I approached, she said to me,
“You know what? You look JUST like Prince Di-ANNE!”
I smiled coyly, as one does when you’ve been told that, I don’t know, a MILLION times.
The cashier was quite overwhelmed. She called to her colleague at the next till.
“Hey, Bronwen! Look who I’m serving. Prince Di-ANNE!”
Her friend looked across at me and said, “Yoh,” as one does, in Cape Town.
My cashier then said to me, “Are you related?”
To which I said, “No.” (I had wanted to say, “To Bronwen?” but I figured the sarcasm would be lost.)
She said, “Pity, hey? They got lots of money.”
People tell me almost conspiratorially that they think I look like Princess Di. And like they are the only ones who have ever thought that. It’s quite difficult to respond graciously, and to retain an element of fresh surprise when I’m thinking “If I had a pound…”
So Kate – all the best for your royal future in the spotlight. I tell you, it’s tough. And if I can give you some advice, steer clear of slurring aunties at Italian restaurants – they sure squeeze your cheeks.
Sunshine signing off for today.
Sunshine in London 
You know what? Now that you say it, you do look like Diana! Ha!
I covered Charles and Diana’s visit to Ottawa in 1983…I was interning at CFRA Radio. I was told by my News Director to try to get some tape of Diana speaking to people on her walkabout…my mission was thwarted by a burly RCMP officer who swatted my boom mike away from the Princess’ head and gave me a look that said, “Don’t try that again!” Needless to say, I went back to my boss with nothing!
You might enjoy my friend Omawarisan’s post about singing at the Royal Wedding:
http://blurts.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/why-i-now-care-about-the-royal-wedding/
Fun post!
Hugs,
Wendy
Thanks, Wendy! Funny you should say that …
That must have been an amazing experience for you, as a young intern – wow! Pity you didn’t manage to get anything on tape – I’m sure you’ve got some special memories, though.
I’ll check out your friend’s post – cheers! xx
What a giggle 😀
I’m having a lot of fun following two people on Twitter, they pretend to be the Queen and Kate and tweet things like this:
Mrs_Wales Kate Middleton:
when an engagement isn’t forthcoming, apply pressure. It’s like I said to Wills: ‘if one likes it, then one should put a ring on it.’
Queen_UK Elizabeth Windsor:
Royal hangover. Had the Middletons over to Windsor (at their insistence). Kate’s mother can drink Guinness like no one One has ever met.
“Kate Middleton’s mother on the phone. Offering to give one “a good deal on diamond jubilee bunting” if one orders online. Give one strength”
Thanks, Cindy! Those tweets are hilarious – one is most amused! 🙂
Ha! I think this is your most delightful post yet, Sunshine! (And you know what’s funny…when I first started to read your blog, I showed your profile pic to my husband and said, “Don’t you think she looks like Lady Di? It’s uncanny!”
So you can add me to your list of conspiratorial admissions. 🙂
Happy Friday!
Thank you so much, dear Maura! That’s HILARIOUS! You do know that when I talked about conspiratorial admissions, I didn’t mean you, right? 🙂
Happy Friday to you too! xx
You’re lucky you get compared to a pretty princess!
🙂
I’m super excited about their wedding over here in the US. They’re REAL celebrities, not just socialite celebrities and reality tv stars we have over here.
When I was a little girl, I thought I would marry Wills. He’s a little too young for me, but I wanted to anyway.
Glad to see he IS in fact marrying a commoner.
I hear her dress she wore for their first interview after the engagement was announced has completely sold out everywhere.
Yes, true about the dress. And there are replicas of the engagement ring on sale … you’d love the hype over here!
Funny, Sunshine, especially love the cheek squeezers. I, too, was given the nickname “Lady Di”, but only because my name is Diane (no resemblance factor). So from one “Lady Di” to another..Nice job!
The cheek squeezers were very funny! I still chuckle when I think about them. Thanks, Lady Di! xx
Oh, where to start??? I love your post because I am whipping myself up into a Royal Wedding Frenzy, thinking that in just a few days I will BE THERE, wallowing in wedding plates, posters, flags, TV specials, snow shoes, toothpicks, dog collars, bras, surgical implants, all commemorating THE EVENT OF THE EONS. And, you have kept the whole Diana Lookalike thing secret until now. I am completely fascinated by that. Can you write an entire post whith photos? As I write this, I am staring at your little postage stamp photo. I need more!
Oh my goodness, Renee. Brace yourself – you will see or hear nothing but talk of this (and Wagner) in the media, while you’re here. I love your list of royal memorabilia – I wonder what the weirdest thing will be? Photos? Oy …
So good Sunshine!!! You are so right ! – add boredom to tedium with the already on the shelf memorabilia for Wills and Kate – two cheers.
I empathise too.
I have had similar experiences as a John Denver doppelganger.
I have rehearsed the ” if I had $1…” innumerable times.
I was popular at school but I think I can only thank dear John.
Thanks,
John DenverDievid! What would you do with your dollars – would you use them to take you home, country road? 🙂It’d be good to be back home again. I think I’d be leaving on a jet plane. Thank God I’m a (sunburnt) country boy then I would really have sunshine on my shoulders.
Wouldn’t I be a little heavy?
I can imaging these little old ladies grabbing your face to get a better look. That’s funny.
It was funny! And odd.
Why do people think it is okay to grab your face or any other part of you? Especially if they are complete strangers? I used to get a lot of that when I was a young girl. I had beautiful, long golden red hair and those tipsy old aunties used to plague me. I once had one grab a handful of my hair and slur at me in a restaurant “Don’t ever cut your hair or Aunt Emma will get you!” Alrighty then, crazy!
Great post, as always.
XO Patty
Crazy, indeed. Wow, Patty – that must have been scary for you, as a young girl. What were they thinking?
Thanks xx
I would have LOVED to here you yell about your “Freaking Face” LOL! 🙂
Fab Post!!
Thank you! I would have loved to hear me yell that too – not really my style! 🙂
OH MAN! I mean HEAR 😐
Everyone loves a good wedding. And they won’t come any more bigger or more glamorous than this. I do hope the government gives us all a day off- there has been nothing but bad news and doom and gloom coming from number 10 for months… give the people a break for one day…so we can all be glued to our TVs and ogle “that dress”…lol…. seriously, any excuse for a big party… I’s stocking champagne already…lol….
Now that sounds like a good idea … yes, we do need some joy in the midst of all the gloom! 🙂
You do look like Diana. 🙂 Don’t show up at the wedding though. Some people may faint…lol
Yes, but if I have a certificate of authentication … hahahaha! 🙂
No worries, though, my invitation hasn’t arrived! xx
Wow! I hadn’t thought about it before. Had never made the connection nor connected the dots. But, everyone’s right. You DO look like Princess Di. Maybe you should change name of your blog to “Princess Sunshine in London.” That would be perfect!
hahaha – that’s hilarious, Monica!