Germaine Greer, author, academic and feminist icon, appeared on British television program Sam Delaney’s News Thing on Saturday night, and described Princess Diana as ‘needy’.
Host Sam Delaney asked Greer, 78, if she thought Princess Diana, who died 20 years ago last week, would have ended up on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here if she were still alive.
“I expect not actually,” the author of The Female Eunuch said. “But it’s interesting to think, ‘Would we still like her if she was 56?’
“I think we probably wouldn’t,” Greer continued. “We didn’t even like the Queen when she was 56.
“We don’t like middle-aged women very much. How would Diana have middle-aged?”
The discussion continued, with Greer commenting on Princess Diana’s complicated love life, “I mean, what would the tally of the men who had dumped her by that stage? It would be 40 or 50 probably.
“Worst f*ck in the country, by all accounts.”
Her three male panellists laughed, before Delaney asked, “Was she a feminist or role model to young women?”
Greer laughed, and replied emphatically, "No".
"She was too dependent on the love of men, I think. And she was prepared to humiliate herself to get it and she blew it every time.
"I think she just didn't understand that neediness is not sexy and that's probably what went wrong."
Her comments follow worldwide tributes to The People's Princess, who died as a result of a traffic collision at 36, leaving behind her two sons, William, aged 15, and Harry, aged 12.
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I don't necessarily like the way Greer has made her point about Diana but I don't think it's unfair to assume had she lived, Diana may have had some periods of unpopularity. Most people in the spotlight do - and the comment on society not being kind to people of certain ages is true. If you look at the circumstances around Diana's death, the media scrutiny was clearly starting to be a major issue for her and she may well have started to step back from it to shield herself (and we all know the public and media don't like having complete access suddenly pulled). I also find it ironic that Diana is so loved now (and immediately after her death) when during her life, everyone was ravenous to find fault (I remember the headlines of look at her cellulite! Is Harry really Charles' son?!)