Princess Diana helped to bury her best friend’s stillborn baby.
Rosa Monckton has revealed that the late royal – who was fatally wounded in a car crash in Paris in 1997 – offered her help after the successful businesswoman and her newspaper editor husband Dominic Lawson’s baby was unfortunately stillborn 23 years ago.
The story was originally told by Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell in his 2006 book ‘The Way We Were’, but until now Rosa had kept silent on the claims and the story remained unconfirmed.
During an appearance on Australian Channel 7’s ‘Sunday Night Show’, Rosa was asked if it was Diana who suggested burying her baby at Kensington Palace, to which the former Asprey & Garrard CEO said yes.
She said: "Yes, yes it was. It was an extraordinary thing to do."
Rosa revealed Paul then asked how they would "get through security" to the gardens, but the Princess – who is the mother of Prince William, 34, and Prince Harry, 32, whom she shared with ex-husband Prince Charles – already had an ingenious solution.
Rosa continued: "She said, ‘I’m going to tell the chief inspector that we’re going to bury a pet in the garden. Only you, I and Rosa will know it’s a baby’."
The businesswoman says the trio had a "very, very moving ceremony" in the memory of her lost baby, and Diana then gave her a key to the gardens so she could visit whenever she wanted.
Rosa revealed she still has the key to this day.
The act of kindness is just one of many moving acts carried out by the late royal, who has often been dubbed as a humanitarian who was "passionate" about her work helping others.
Previously, Sandra Horley, the chief executive of domestic violence charity Refuge, said of the Princess: "I first met Princess Diana in 1992. I had written to her asking for help, because our [women’s] refuge in Chiswick was in dire financial straits. She responded by making a personal donation and a series of private visits.
"I was struck by Diana’s passion. She was never one for formalities – she would much rather be sitting with the women we supported, chatting to them. If a child in the refuge was screaming, she would pick them up and comfort them.
"First and foremost, she was a wonderful mother."
Princess Diana helped bury stillborn baby
