This starts off well as an amusing satire on the Diana phenomenon and the British royal family but it lacks substance and soon begins to drag. I kept waiting for an interesting plot to develop but sadly it failed to materialise and I struggled to keep reading.

JB Miller, Duch, Riverdale Avenue Books, February 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

What fun, I thought, as I saw the premise for this book – Diana is living in Paris, having lost her memory but recognised as Diana by a school friend. But JB Miller has given so much more to attract a much broader audience than those who miss Diana, might like to see the British royal family exposed, or want a partisan view of the William and Kate versus Harry and Meghan stories that clutter the media.

The essential Diana is no longer her appearance, although that remains attractive at times; her fashionable dress, although the white pyjamas she wears have their place on the catwalk under her spell; or her ability to speak and be heard, although that too, is sometimes successful. It is the hugs that she bestows that have a mystical quality, somewhere Diana’s magic is intact - and possibly in this woman in her sixties who is saved from the Seine, her first words being that she is Diana.

JB Miller has woven an elegant story line with understanding of the hearts of those who miss her, those who feared or resented the public’s fascination with her while she was alive, and those for whom she became an icon after her death. Her followers, her detractors, and the royal family to which she belonged and then left behind, as well as the media feature. All are treated with humour and sensitivity, as well as being metaphorically prodded with wonderfully sharp observations.

Together, Duch and her friend Wombat, are poignant characters, contributing to a belief that this woman in her sixties with greying hair and a worn expression, together with a fleeting beguiling smile, could be Diana. But there are also intricate explanations and interpretations of her life before she was saved from the Seine. The relationship between Duch and her publicist of ‘that’s news to me’ fame provides the questioning attendant on the public’s wholehearted endorsement of Diana’s return. King Charles also has a full role, and he and their sons and daughters-in-law are portrayed with wit, and kindness as well. Camilla is quietly and covertly important, as is Camille.

This is a book to be savoured, to meditate upon, and to enjoy. As I thought, fun, but also poignant and so clever.

Quite funny with some insights which seems pretty spot on, but the pace dragged a bit for me. The ending was an unexpected twist and brought it back to life,

It's an interesting premise, but the problem with books that try to imagine what the Royal Family is like is that the characters all come off looking like caricatures and/or buffoons. The satire just didn't keep me interested.

This isn't my usual kind of book but I'm always interested in Diana. However this book left me flat and it just felt a bit ridiculous. I know it's lighthearted/satire but Charles having therapy and imagining a French teacher suckling Camilla's breasts? William being on Eastenders?
Sorry, but not for me.

This book was a trip! I’ll never pass anything Princess Diana related. It was satire but as a person who definitely wasn’t ready to see Diana go (I was actually a kid when it happened) it’s nice to think of a version of her out there somewhere living her best life. Although we know she would never abandon her sons it’s still nice to think about. I also enjoyed the fun insights on Prince Charles and William.
Definitely an entertaining read to get lost in. Excited to hear people’s thoughts and how the book is received