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Diana, the landmine campaigner

Diana Was Set to Become Blair's Ambassador for Britain

Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Prime Minister, Tony Blair discussed a special role for her as an overseas "ambassador" for Britain just weeks before her death, Downing Street has confirmed.

The Princess herself told a journalist that not only had Tony Blair recognised her skills - he had asked her to undertake "missions" abroad for Britain.

Mr Blair regarded her as a potential standard bearer for Britain of unparalleled ability, Government sources said.

A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Blair and Diana had discussed a role for her when she visited Chequers with her sons several weeks ago.

The Prime Minister discusses what was to be Diana's new role
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One source said: "Clearly Diana was one of the best ambassadors Britain has ever had or is ever likely to have. The Prime Minister had discussed with her how her role might be developed."

The words confirmed Diana's version of events, disclosed in an interview with The New Yorker magazine, just published in Britain.

Missions

Asked about Mr Blair's accession to No 10, she said: "I think at last I will have someone who will know how to use me. He's told me he wants me to go on some missions."

Diana did not go into detail, but she said she would like to go to China and claimed: "I'm good at sorting people's heads out."

The late Princess of Wales would clearly not have taken on any role resembling that of a formal ambassador for the British Government.

Downing Street would not go into details of the kind of work Diana would have done, but a spokesman said she would not have been deployed for trade promotions.

A report in the Observer newspaper says Mr Blair wanted to give her a Government platform for her campaigns and her charity work.

But given the Prime Minister's desire to promote a modern image for the country, he is likely to have wanted to present her as a symbol of a new and unstuffy Britain.

Controversy

However, had Diana not died and had Mr Blair pursued the idea, his approach would have been almost certain to prompt furious political controversy and charges that he was seeking to cash in on the princess's image to boost his Government's standing.

The move was also likely to have drawn Diana herself further into the political arena. There were rows when she appeared to back Labour and oppose the Tories over policies on the manufacture and export of landmines.

Downing Street would not comment on the Observer report that Diana recently took media advice from Mr Blair's circle - including the Prime Minister himself, his press secretary Alastair Campbell, the Minister Without Portfolio, Peter Mandelson, the Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, and the International Development Secretary Clare Short.

Spin Doctor

But, in her New Yorker interview, Diana told editor Tina Brown that she had advised the Royal Family to hire a Mandelson-style media adviser.

She said: "I tried again and again to get them to hire someone like him (Mr Mandelson), to give them proper advice, but they didn't want to hear it.

"They kept saying I was manipulative. But what's the alternative? To just sit there and have a them make your image for you?"