The Queen's refusal to grieve publicly for Diana, Princess of Wales led to her being lampooned, vilified and even sparked calls for her abdication. Her Majesty's attitude, however, may have been more in keeping with public opinion than previously thought, writes Chris Hastings.

Confidential BBC documents show that nearly half the population (44 per cent) felt alienated by the blanket media coverage of the Princess's death and funeral, which they thought was excessive and over-emotional.

The papers, which reveal that the BBC spent more than £3.7 million on the coverage of the death and funeral, also show that the corporation came to regret the use of phrases such as "mood of the nation" and "public grief" during its bulletins.