Appaloosa Lady, excellent post. Yes your explanation holds some water. I myself found the public outcrying of grief for Diana at the time of her death was well over the top. How many among that crowd knew her ? a collection of sad people with little in their lives only a desire to be part of something. Many mothers and children loose their lives on a daily basis and you never see strangers hitting their heads against lamp posts or howling in the streets over them.

Diana´s death was a sad event, but this woman lead a charmed life and people like you and I funded it. She was on holiday with her boyfriend in France at the time, not driving back from Tesco´s with two kids in the back seat.

I agree with you regarding Salman Rushdie. He made millions from the sale of his book and never offered to repay the cost of his protection. Young Hewitt should not be allowed to snap his fingers and call out for protection for some girl he is seeing at the moment. That is wrong, NO PUBLIC THREAT HAS BEEN MADE AGAINST HER if he wants someone to watch over the poor girl, ask granny to put her hand in her pocket.

I don´t know about you, but if the items on your weekly supermarket bill showed a few extra pence added to it for the annual staff dinner you would ask questions. Protection for this girl will come to almost 80,000 pounds a week (paid for by the taxpayer)! The police didn´t call for it, nor did the national security services, it was at the request of young Hewitt, no one else.

What any of the named soldiers who picked up gallantry medals and were all over the news, I doubt their families receive protection. Are you aware of any of then calling for an armed guard ?