FORMER PARLIAMENT MEMBER SAYS QUEEN PROTECTED GRANDKIDS

Queen Elizabeth shouldn't have been criticized for keeping a stiff upper lip over the death of Princess Diana, says a former member of Parliament.

Sir Fergus Montgomery spoke to a crowd of about 200 people at a Common Hour program Wednesday at Southeast Missouri State University's Dempster Hall.

The event was sponsored by the Harrison College of Business and its master-of-business-administration program.

Earlier in the day he sat down for an interview with a Southeast Missourian reporter.

Montgomery said the royal family remained at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the days prior to the Sept. 6 funeral because the queen was trying to shield Princess Diana's two sons from the press.

"Not only is she a queen, but she is a grandmother," said Montgomery. "She believed those boys should be protected from the media and the photographers," he said.

Many Britons criticized the royal family for not publicly displaying their grief. But Montgomery defended the actions of the royal family: "A lot of people want to grieve in private," he said.

Montgomery wasn't prepared for the enormous outpouring of grief over Princess Diana's death.

"She was an enigma," he said. Prior to her death she was criticized by some in Britain as being manipulative and a schemer, he said. But Montgomery said Princess Diana was "like a breath of fresh air" to many in Britain.

"The royal family tend to be staid," he said. But that wasn't the case with Princess Diana. "She had charisma and glamour, and above all she cared about people," he said.

The suddenness and tragedy of her death contributed to the huge outpouring of grief, Montgomery said.

"I don't think we will ever, ever have another funeral like that in the United Kingdom."

Montgomery said the British monarchy will remain.

The royal family no longer has political control of the nation as it did centuries ago, but the monarchy is the country's biggest tourist attraction, he said.

The 69-year-old Montgomery served off-and-on in the House of Commons for 34 years. He first won election in 1959, winning by 98 votes. He retired last May.

Montgomery was born in a strong socialist area of Britain. His father was a socialist.

A member of the Conservative Party, Montgomery said he never would have been elected to Parliament if he had had to stand for election in that district. But in Britain lawmakers don't have to live in the district that they represent, Montgomery said.

He praised former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the only prime minister this century to win three successive elections for that post.

When Thatcher came to power in 1979, labor unions held tremendous political power. He said Thatcher stood up to the trade unions.

"There were people who said Britain was ungovernable," said Montgomery.

Thatcher's government dismantled some of the socialist programs and stripped away some of the power of labor unions.

Montgomery credited Thatcher for Britain's decision in 1982 to go to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

The military action proved popular at home and helped Thatcher win re-election, he said.

The Labor Party's Tony Blair was elected prime minister in May, ending 18 years of Conservative Party rule.

Blair has championed many conservative views. "Blair is not a socialist," said Montgomery.

Blair moved the Labor Party to the center and made its politicians electable, Montgomery said. The Labor Party won partly because it was well organized and its members stuck together, Montgomery said.

"They papered over the cracks very well and we didn't," he said.

Blair has an enormous majority in Parliament today, said Montgomery.

But three key groups of Labor Party backers -- doctors, nurses and teachers -- all want substantial pay raises from the government.

Blair could find that hard to do given his promise not to raise taxes, Montgomery said.