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Hillary Clinton told to avoid 'nasty' palace politics at Princess Diana funeral Hillary Clinton told to avoid 'nasty' palace politics at Princess Diana funeral
(6 months later)
Hillary Clinton was advised to take no questions while attending the funeral of Princess Diana to “avoid entanglement in the increasingly nasty palace politics”, according to newly released papers from her husband’s presidential library.The White House was also asked by the British embassy to give a ride on Clinton’s plane to a cousin of Prince Charles who wanted to attend the funeral in 1997, claims a brief, but candid, note between US officials.It is not clear from the papers, released on Friday, whether Tim Knatchbull, the grandson of Lord Mountbatten , eventually succeeded in hitching a lift with the then First Lady, though a bemused-sounding White House appeared willing to comply with the request.But US embassy staff in London made clear that they regarded the funeral as a diplomatic minefield for Clinton, who was the most senior US figure to attend, and was due to give a statement at the ambassador’s residence, Winfield House.Glyn Davies, a White House official, wrote to Clinton’s team to pass on advice from the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in London, Bob Bradtke. “Bradtke says she will be the most prominent guest at the funeral and it is appropriate/expected that she make a brief statement but answer no questions (to avoid entanglement in what he describes as the increasingly “nasty” Palace politics),” reads the memo from Davies.The document is one of more than 6,000 pages of previously restricted documents released by the library on a second tranche of disclosures on Friday.“The UK Embassy has asked Larry Butler whether a cousin of Prince Charles, Tim Knatchbull – also grandson of Lord Mountbatten and present on the boat when Mountbatten was assassinated – can hitch a ride on FLOTUS plane,” said Davies.“I’ve asked Legal whether any impediments exist to taking him along. If OK with Legal, I’ll put to FLOTUS staff.”The documents showed that the British royal family was also described as “screwed up” by a senior White House official during an exchange of emails with colleagues.Jack Caravelli, then the director for nonproliferation on Bill Clinton’s national security council, made the remark in June 1999 while he and other officials discussed missile treaty talks with Russia.Another NSC official, Mara Rudman, had jokingly been described as “she who must be obeyed” by a third colleague earlier in the email chain, after proposing a notably tough line.“Okay okay, so I won’t be confused with Sophie Rhys-Jones anytime soon,” wrote Rudman, referring to the future Countess of Wessex, who had married Prince Edward two days earlier. “Yes, smart enough not to marry anyone from the screwed up royal family,” replied Caravelli. Hillary Clinton was advised to take no questions while attending the funeral of Princess Diana to “avoid entanglement in the increasingly nasty palace politics”, according to newly released papers from her husband’s presidential library.The White House was also asked by the British embassy to give a ride on Clinton’s plane to a cousin of Prince Charles who wanted to attend the funeral in 1997, claims a brief, but candid, note between US officials.It is not clear from the papers, released on Friday, whether Tim Knatchbull, the grandson of Lord Mountbatten , eventually succeeded in hitching a lift with the then First Lady, though a bemused-sounding White House appeared willing to comply with the request.But US embassy staff in London made clear that they regarded the funeral as a diplomatic minefield for Clinton, who was the most senior US figure to attend, and was due to give a statement at the ambassador’s residence, Winfield House.Glyn Davies, a White House official, wrote to Clinton’s team to pass on advice from the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in London, Bob Bradtke. “Bradtke says she will be the most prominent guest at the funeral and it is appropriate/expected that she make a brief statement but answer no questions (to avoid entanglement in what he describes as the increasingly “nasty” Palace politics),” reads the memo from Davies.The document is one of more than 6,000 pages of previously restricted documents released by the library on a second tranche of disclosures on Friday.“The UK Embassy has asked Larry Butler whether a cousin of Prince Charles, Tim Knatchbull – also grandson of Lord Mountbatten and present on the boat when Mountbatten was assassinated – can hitch a ride on FLOTUS plane,” said Davies.“I’ve asked Legal whether any impediments exist to taking him along. If OK with Legal, I’ll put to FLOTUS staff.”The documents showed that the British royal family was also described as “screwed up” by a senior White House official during an exchange of emails with colleagues.Jack Caravelli, then the director for nonproliferation on Bill Clinton’s national security council, made the remark in June 1999 while he and other officials discussed missile treaty talks with Russia.Another NSC official, Mara Rudman, had jokingly been described as “she who must be obeyed” by a third colleague earlier in the email chain, after proposing a notably tough line.“Okay okay, so I won’t be confused with Sophie Rhys-Jones anytime soon,” wrote Rudman, referring to the future Countess of Wessex, who had married Prince Edward two days earlier. “Yes, smart enough not to marry anyone from the screwed up royal family,” replied Caravelli.