>Is there going to be national mourning in the US as big as that in the UK
>with Diana? Will its meaning be the same? The People's Prince???
It can't be the same, if only because they're different sexes in different countries (and he was killed - and took two others with him - because of his own stupidity and arrogance, unlike Diana, who was done in either by a reckless driver or British intelligence), but yes, they're invoking the royalty business heavily here. One of the admirable things about the otherwise dismal American political tradition is a professed antipathy to royalty and inherited privilege in general. But our media are playing up the whole dynasty angle again - CNN was heavy with phrases like "noblesse oblige" yesterday - and the vox pop interviews show the masses ritually genuflecting to their betters. And here in NYC, people are dropping flowers on the sidewalk in front of 20 North Moore St. How depressing.
Doug