People's princess

Diana had died in the early hours of 31 August 1997; the British royal family had released a short statement that said that they were "deeply shocked and distressed" by the news of her death.

After offering his condolences to her family and describing his shock at her death, Blair said that Diana was "a wonderful and a warm human being, although her own life was often sadly touched by tragedy.

[5] Blair had prepared the statement with Alastair Campbell, the Downing Street Press Secretary and Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson, and had written it on the back of an envelope.

[5] The Times Guide to the House of Commons described the term as "quintessentially Blairite" and that it was "a bold and opportunistic move – Mr Blair grabbed a weeping Britain and hugged it to his breast".

[7] The film historian and critic Richard Wallace in his 2018 book Mockumentary Comedy: Performing Authenticity felt that Jackson was "ask[ing] us to question whether anything done in the name of New Labour can be taken at face value".