Clare Dargaville had one problem when she found out she had won a night at Princess Diana’s home, Althorp, for herself and one other person – who would she take?
A 51-year-old single mother from Glenfield in Auckland, Clare has four children to choose from and didn’t want to risk hurting anyone’s feelings, so after much umming and aahing, she put her faith in someone else.
“I spent an hour on my knees,” laughs Clare. I said, “Come on, Lord, I really want to take the right person!”
In the end, it was 21-year-old Coralie who accompanied her mum to the stately ancestral home of Princess Diana for a night, and then to the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium. Clare’s three other children, Armagh (26) Briar (24) and Liam (18), stayed at home but there’s no doubt they couldn’t be happier for their loving mum, who has brought them up single-handedly since their dad Charlie died 17 years ago.
A true Diana fan, who won the Weekly’s competition with her entry, Clare says the trip really was a dream come true.
“I love houses and gardens and enjoy beautiful things but I don’t get invited to places like that. In the last few years I’ve always thought when I have heard of people travelling the world and staying in beautiful hotels that I don’t covet these things but I really would like to spend one night in a gorgeous home. That would be my absolute dream.”
And so, thanks to Kiwi cricketer Chris Cairns’ close friendship with Earl Spencer, and Weekly Editor Sido Kitchin’s winning bid for A Night At Althorp at a charity auction for the Chris Cairns Foundation, Clare’s dream came true.
An art teacher and established artist herself, Clare was particularly enamoured of Althorp’s 650 paintings, as well as the care Earl Spencer had taken in looking after his guests. She also enjoyed her night in the oak Room.
“At 2am I climbed up into that beautiful bed with all those crisp white sheets and lovely pillows and it was like a cocoon. I put my head down and I don’t even think I counted to 10. I just thought, ‘This is bliss.’ And then I was out!”
The next morning, Clare shared breakfast with the Earl and was reminded that, despite his fame and position, he is a delightfully down-to-earth host.
“He asked if I enjoyed my sleep and I told him it was the best night’s sleep I had ever had. He said, ‘That’s good – it’s a new mattress!'”
Another special moment for Clare was when Chris Cairns asked if she and Coralie would sing. Coralie knew the tune for Whakaaria oai (How Great Thou Art) and Clare knew the words so after a quick secret practice they delivered a heartfelt and deeply moving performance.
“I wasn’t just singing any old song,” says Clare, “I was singing for Chris, singing for Sido and singing for the Earl, to thank him. I was actually singing for my country as a New Zealander in this amazing English palace and also for my faith, because my faith is huge and it’s a faith song.”
She also holds dear her private visit to the lake in the middle of which is the overgrown island where Diana is buried. “No one can get at her now,” says Clare. “She is completely at rest, at peace, back where she belongs, far away from prying eyes. That was just a beautiful moment.”
During high school, art and fashion design were my favourite subjects. I even won some awards in the Estelle Rose Inter-Collegiate Fashion Competition.
Always a fan of the Royal Family, when Prince Charles and Lady Diana became engaged I enjoyed watching Diana and her unique emerging fashion style. When New Zealand Woman’s Weekly announced a competition to design a wedding dress for Diana I couldn’t resist entering many times!
Each design was feminine and had metres of sumptuous fabric with detailed beading. Amazingly, one of my designs won. What an honour!
Naturally, along with millions of others, I watched with anticipation to see the “real” gown. A few years later, Charles, Diana and William visited New Zealand. once again I designed a collection of ball gowns and drove to Auckland’s Government House where a bemused policeman assured me he would deliver them to the Princess.
When a letter arrived from England shortly afterwards, I tore it open before recognising the Prince of Wales feathers on the back. It was a letter from the Princess thanking me for my “lovely designs”.
For many years after that I scrutinised magazines to see if Princess Diana had worn any of my designs. I’m sure I saw one.
As her marriage collapsed I admired her stoicism and the way she mothered her sons, especially as by then I was a widow of four children myself.
Her death was indeed tragic but I shed the most tears watching her sons during the funeral procession, knowing what the death of a parent means to children.
When some of Diana’s ball gowns went to Wellington recently, a family wedding miraculously coincided, which meant we could see her dresses up close.
The movie The Queen once again brought me to tears. Yes, Diana inspired and touched me.
