Letter: The press, not the Royals, hounded Diana

Suzanne Moore's description of Princess Diana's funeral was a moving piece of writing ("Diana: unique, complex...", 7 September), but in what it omitted showed a dishonesty. The strongest criticism in Earl Spencer's speech was reserved not for the Royal Family but for the press, who had made her the "most hounded person of the modern age" which, given her good intentions, was baffling unless one accepted that "genuine goodness was threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum". Moore's piece made no mention of this.

In the wake of Diana's death there is a need for the press to examine its role and the terrible intrusiveness that has characterised its reportage. Moore has been one of those to take a lead in harsh criticism of the Royal Family. She should consider why she has turned away from the responsibility of the press.

Articulacy carries with it the responsibility of honesty. In failing to mention the guilt of the press, Moore has failed in this.

Jane Hinckley

Oxford