A SCHOOL friend of Prince William has died in a jet-ski accident while
holidaying in the Caribbean.
Peter Monnas, 14, who was in the same house as William at Eton College,
was visiting Guadeloupe in the French Antilles with another school friend.
Police have refused to say how the accident happened, but it is believed Peter
was a passenger on the jet-ski when he fell off at high speed.
Described as a "popular and well-liked boy", he had only recently joined the
school. Pupils on their Easter break received news of the accident in a letter
from the master of Manor House, Andrew Gailey. Mr Gailey said last night:
"Peter was a super chap. Everyone is deeply shocked. He was tremendously
lively and had a great sense of fun. He was very hard working, bright and
played in all the house sports teams."
Headmaster John Lewis said Peter was "in his first year, and was an able and
spirited boy who had made a good start at Eton". His father, Alexander
Monnas, was not at the family home in Kensington, London, yesterday. A
housekeeper said he had gone away for a few days to come to terms with the
tragedy.
Peter's death coincided with news that Thomas Kadnan, 19, who left Eton
last year, had died from a drugs overdose in the Indian city of Manali. Mr
Kadnan was working at an Indian school during a gap year before going to
university to read philosophy. He lived in Kew, west London.
~*~
Affair with Diana let down Army, admits
Hewitt(Electronic Telegraph)
By Sally Pook
JAMES HEWITT believes he let down the Army by having an affair with
Diana, Princess of Wales, he says in an interview broadcast tonight.
The former cavalry officer also claims that the Prince
of Wales knew of his relationship with the Princess
and says they would discuss it at polo matches. In
the digital television interview with Christine
Hamilton, wife of the disgraced former MP Neil
Hamilton, he repeats his conviction that it would
have been "easier" if he had been killed in the Gulf.
He said: "I do feel as though I have let the Army
down and that really hurts actually." Hewitt was in
the Gulf when his affair with the Princess became
public. He says he spoke to her just before he went
into combat and claims there could have been a
"mole" who may have recorded a conversation he
had with her on a satellite telephone.
He said: "I have got this hang-up in my mind it would have been much easier if
I had been killed in the Gulf." Hewitt has claimed before that Buckingham
Palace and Downing Street knew about his relationship with the Princess, but
now claims that the Prince of Wales also "approved".
He said: "Yes, of course he did. I spoke to him about it, you know, when we
met at polo, when he would inquire how the riding lessons were going." He
claims that, although the relationship was started by the Princess, they were
brought together deliberately. "People seem to forget that she was very lonely,
very ill, very sad and needed an outlet. And I think I was the outlet. She
wanted to meet me again and it was arranged for her to do so."
Hewitt later says that the relationship ended because it was too difficult to
continue but that the Princess was "quite cool" when it was exposed. The
former cavalry officer has been condemned for his willingness to cash in on his
relationship.
The Princess accused him of betrayal during her interview with the BBC's
Panorama programme, a move widely interpreted as Hewitt's refusal to burn
the letters she wrote to him. In today's interview, he says: "I wasn't intending
to publish, sell or disclose the letters. I had big offers to and I didn't even
correspond with the people who had written offering money."
~*~
Hewitt: Charles okayed affair
James Hewitt, former lover to Princess Diana, claims Prince
Charles knew about his wife's extramarital affair and
"approved."
In a BBC interview to be aired tonight, Hewitt said Prince
Charles discussed the 5–year love affair with him during polo
matches.
"Yes, of course he did. I spoke to him about it you know, when
we met at polo, when he'd enquire how the riding lessons
were going," Hewitt said.
Hewitt met Princess Diana in 1986, when he became riding
instructor to her children Prince William and Prince Harry.
Hewitt, who tabloid newspapers have dubbed a "cad in a
cravat" and "the most hated man in Britain", has published two
books and numerous articles about the affair since he was
dumped in 1993.
Princess Diana acknowledged their relationship during a
television interview in 1995 and said she had "adored" Hewitt
but felt let down by him.
Hewitt told the BBC he believed his introduction to Princess
Diana was deliberately arranged.
"People seem to forget that she was very lonely, very ill, very
sad and needed an outlet. And I think I was that outlet," Hewitt
said.
Hewitt, a former Life Guards cavalry officer, also said he let
down the army by having the affair and speculated it would
have been better if he had been killed in 1991 when he was
stationed in the Persian Gulf.
"I do feel as though I have let the army down and that really hurt
actually," said Hewitt. "I've got this hang–up in my mind. It
would have been much easier if I'd been killed in the Gulf War,
for everyone concerned."
Following Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash in
August, 1997, Hewitt was quoted saying he tried to recreate
the accident – comments he denied.
"I have driven through the tunnel, strangely enough in a
Mercedes, and I was surprised at how short and how straight it
was. I didn't recreate it and I think that's sick," Hewitt said.