The British public, on the other hand, can't stop crying. In the midst of an extraordinary outpouring of grief following the death of Diana, the only public sympathy expressed for the royal family is for her sons: William, 15, and Harry, who turns 13 in less than two weeks. In a life full of melodrama and disappointment, the two boys were a constant source of joy to Diana. She embraced motherhood with a passion, and lavished on her sons all the love missing from her own childhood: unrestrained affection, attention and guidance, a spirit of play.

Royal aides at Balmoral have been ordered to hide all newspapers announcing the deadly accident in Paris. The papers are full of stories about the effect of her death on her children. Grief experts all agree that the loss of their mother at such impressionable ages will change them profoundly and might haunt them for the rest of their lives. Pundits and the public have expressed fear that the contrast between the stiff-upper-lip tradition of the monarchy and their mother's spontaneous, emotionally open style could have a devastating effect on the boys, particularly at this time. The public silence from the royal family about Diana's death has only reinforced concerns about William and Harry. Wednesday's edition of the Sun is reporting that William has insisted that he and his brother be allowed to walk behind the gun carriage bearing their mother's coffin to Westminster Abbey.