Princess Diana, Let Her Rest in Peace

Princess Diana would have been 50 today, July 1, 2011. In so-called commemoration of this day, Newsweek published a disturbing, altered photo of this much beloved lady.

This graceful icon was only 36 when she died, leaving behind two adoring sons. Anyone with a heart who watched the recent royal wedding could not help but think of her. The photo montages of her, Harry and William brought tears to many an eye.

Disturbing image
I would venture to guess that was the case for Tina Brown, the editor-in-chief and Diana biographer. She published a computer-generated image of the late princess along with the her daughter-in-law, Duchess Catherine who she never had the privilege of meeting.

Brown goes on to imagine what Princess Diana's life would be like today. She predicted that Diana would be living in New York, using Botox and using Twitter.

Timely book release
Monica Ali's book, the Untold Story hit the bookstores Tuesday. In it Ali answers the question, "What if" in detail. The author recreates the tragedy, but has Princess Diana faking her own death and then going on to live a normal life. The reviews for this book have been mixed, many saying it is in poor taste. According to an NPR review, Ali says readers can decide for themselves if the book is in bad taste.

Career suicide?
While I am sure Newsweek's Tina Brown did this to sell magazines and promote her book, the backlash is not pretty. The negative publicity has descended upon this magazine for this unprofessional and disturbing image. Tina Brown may make a quick buck off the late Princess of Wales, but at what cost to her career? News of canceled subscriptions is not surprising, Newsweek readers want to read news, not tabloid style journalism.

Too painful to play with
As someone who has lost loved ones, this painful reminder of what they lost must hurt her two sons. Prince William and Prince Harry are used to being thrust in the public eye. They were born into a media storm, but this image takes the cake for hurtful stunts.'