Princess Diana, the Lamb to the Slaughter [Paperback]

Joy Daymon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2002

Born to privilege, living on the edge of the royal circle, Lady Diana Spencer assumed-like everyone else-that little adjustment would be needed to adapt to her new role, the Princess of Wales and future Queen of England. What everyone, including Diana, failed to factor in was that Charles, at age thirty-three, was not only a confirmed bachelor, surrounded from infancy with people to anticipate and provide his every need, he was also in a long-term, committed relationship. However, it was his duty to marry and provide an heir to the throne of England. Meanwhile, Diana, almost a generation younger, envisioned (as Edward VIII had) what a modern monarchy could be; how it could be relevant in today's complex society-a monarchy she was determined to have for her son.That these two forces-the status quo and the Modern England-should clash was inevitable, but no one was prepared for the cataclysmic climax in the story of the Queen England never had-Diana, Princess of Wales, the Lamb to the Slaughter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joy Daymon, a licensed professional counselor, has been a royal watcher since the 1930's. Seventy years of studying the British family and history, combined with her professional training and lifetime of experience provide a perspective of the life and death of Princess Diana few others can claim.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (August 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595243622
• ISBN-13: 978-0595243624
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,063,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A royal book, December 5, 2002

By 

Liz Erzen (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Diana, the Lamb to the Slaughter (Paperback)

Joy Jones Daymon's book, "Princess Diana - The Lamb to the Slaughter" is more than another fan book. I found this book to be an important look at Diana's role in history and much more. Daymon raises some very important questions regarding Diana's life, and death. The book asks if we will ever know how the Royal family of Britain used her, and whether or not her death was truly an accident. The 142-page book is packed with information about British royal history, protocol, and information about the current British royal family. Daymon's book helps the reader to understand what it is like to be a member of the royal family. The book even contains a section on the British dietary concerns of the War Years. This book is a wonderful source of information for anyone interested in British royal history, and customs. "Princess Diana - The Lamb to the Slaughter" is so entertaining I had a lot of trouble putting it down. Daymon seamlessly weaves history, psychology, and Diana trivia into an intelligent, concise, and very readable book.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diana Book is Not Just Another Tribute, September 10, 2005

By 

P. Siprell "oceanhome70899" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Princess Diana, the Lamb to the Slaughter (Paperback)

Since we lost our Queen of Hearts, the books about her by those who claimed to "know" her have proliferated like a bad rash. Rather than going away, they have just gotten worse. Over time, I have become disgusted with these people who are obviously working out some agenda/grudge against someone they either hardly knew, were jealous of, or decided they didn't like--and who is not, to our great loss, here to defend herself. This makes these books not only unfair, but heinous.
All too common as well, are the "conspiracy books," which claim to expose the "truth" about her death. Since I am as disheartened by these as by the others, I do not buy or read them. It is hard to find credibility there when, every time someone famous dies, the "conspiracy" fanatics come crawling out of the woodwork to tell us all the truth. (If you know so much, then why is she still dead?)
As a result, I have become so careful that I hardly buy books about the Princess I cherish, unless the title makes it obvious that the book is a loving and respectful tribute, not a bashing, a dissection, or, worst of all, a Charles-and-Camilla suck-up tome.
(For example, any book by the notorious Charles-sucker, Penny Junor, is off my list.)
The reason I bought this one is because the title is composed of Diana's own words about herself the night before her wedding, so I thought the chances of it being a bashing were slim.
(In the Introduction, the author admits she is a fan who followed Diana's life and then became obsessed with her death and her own unaanswered questions--so my instincts were correct there.)
From the opening paragraph, Joy Jones Damon held my attention, as she drew a scenario of conspiracy and murder, then traced precedents from England's history to say, "This has happened before."
(She is careful to say that in no way does she accuse Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, or Charles of being part of any plan to murder the Princess of Wales.)
As unwilling as I was, and am, to believe that Diana was murdered, I finished the book wondering if indeed it were not so.
(People kept saying Diana was paranoid; well, maybe she was, but maybe with reason. She was many things, but she was never stupid--as Prince Charles and that woman he gave a title, but who will never be Queen of England, or even a lady, found to their cost.)
There are no sensation-grabbing headlines here, just nagging questions that won't go away quietly.
Why would smart, safety-concious Diana go without her seat belt? Why was Henri Paul allowed to drive the most famous couple in the world to their destination if he was obviously impaired?
And, whatever you think of Paul Burrell, why did Diana predict the exact manner of her death--and say in a note in her own handwriting, that Charles was going to have her killed to marry "the other woman?"
The only "truth" is, it doesn't matter if she was murdered, or who did it, except to see justice done for Princes William and Harry's sake. What matters is that she is gone. And whatever truths she took with her, whatever happened in that car was terrifying beyond description. For that, we may cry many more tears--but we will never know.

33 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, June 15, 2003

By 

Allen (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Diana, the Lamb to the Slaughter (Paperback)

The title caught my attention! Was this blood shed as a sacrifice? Was the Princess like a helpless lamb that required the constant protection of the shepherd? Did she trust too much and get eaten by the wolves, or did the shepherd actually lead her to the slaughter. What a unique approach the author has chosen.

Ms.Daymon gives us the background information we need with insight and a deep understanding of the Royal Family, but it's not a history lesson. She uses solid logic in putting together a conspiricy theory, but it's not alarmist (Chicken Little -"the sky is falling") or far fetched.

As the reader gets engrossed in the life of the Princess, it's as though the author has been granted an omnicient visit into the soul of "the lamb". Where did this insight come from? It becomes very obvious that Ms. Daymon has developed a strong empathic spirit that is able to capture deep feeling and a powerful sense of loyalty and trust. She really understands the strength of love and the devastation of rejection.

In the end, it all makes sense. It comes together. It's historically a logical conclusion. One closes this book and simply goes hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!