‘Old habits die hard’: Sonia Gandhi recalls Clinton’s glances, warm encounters with Princess Diana

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has offered a glimpse into her encounters with some of the world's most prominent personalities, recalling former US President Bill Clinton's visit to India, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's conversations about his love life and her warm meetings with the late Princess Diana.

In her memoir, Belonging: A Journey Of Love, Gandhi recounts several personal moments involving world leaders and members of the British royal family, offering candid observations about their conduct and conversations.

One of her recollections concerns Clinton's 2000 visit to India, when he stayed at the Sheraton hotel with his daughter, Chelsea, and members of his delegation. Gandhi said she met him along with India's then External Affairs Minister and found him friendly, informal and confident.

However, she noted that Clinton appeared more interested in sharing his views on Kashmir than listening to India's position. He described the region as a "nuclear flashpoint" and "one of the most dangerous places on earth", she wrote.

Gandhi also recalled a reception hosted by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Clinton's honour. Referring to the controversy surrounding the former US President's relationship with Monica Lewinsky, she made a pointed observation about his behaviour at the gathering.

"The Monica Lewinsky scandal had subsided a little by then, but old habits die hard; at the reception held by Prime Minister Vajpayee in his honour, I noticed him every now and then surreptitiously sizing up the more striking women present," she wrote.

Another memorable episode in the memoir relates to Sarkozy's 2008 visit to India. The French President had travelled without his then partner, Carla Bruni, reportedly after being advised that bringing her along could create an awkward situation at official functions because they were not married.

Gandhi recalled being amused when the wife of then Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, seated next to Sarkozy at a banquet, began asking him about his plans to marry Bruni.

"It was said that he (Sarkozy) had been advised not to bring her (Bruni) because they were unmarried, which would have been awkward at official functions. Seated at the banquet table, I was amused when the wife of our Vice President Mohammad Ansari, seated next to him, proceeded to quiz him good-naturedly about his marital plans. Was he going to get married? And if so, had the date been decided? Was he missing her?" she recalled.

Sarkozy, she wrote, appeared unbothered by the questions and readily shared details of his relationship, responding while continuously messaging Bruni on his phone.

Gandhi met the couple again a few years later at a private dinner hosted by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife. By then, Sarkozy and Bruni were married and arrived together.

Describing Bruni, a former model and popular European singer-songwriter, Gandhi wrote that all eyes were on her as she entered in an elegant gown. She recalled Sarkozy as being clearly besotted with his wife.

While Bruni spoke cordially but sparingly, Sarkozy held forth on what India should do, addressing Manmohan Singh in what Gandhi felt was an arrogant manner. She said he appeared unmindful that he was speaking to someone more senior, experienced and knowledgeable.

Sonia Gandhi's memories of Princess Diana

Gandhi devotes considerable space in her memoir to her encounters with the British royal family, particularly Princess Diana. She recalled that the royal family had shared a long association with the Nehru-Gandhi family and that her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, had enjoyed a good relationship with then Prince Charles.

But it was Diana who left the strongest impression on her.

"The real star of that family had of course been Princess Diana: tall and slim, with large blue eyes, an enchanting smile, and a magnetic personality. I can never forget how ravishing she was as a bride when Rajiv and I attended their wedding in 1981. But when they came to India in 1992, it was evident that things were not going well in the marriage," she wrote.

Gandhi recalled meeting the royal couple during their 1992 visit to India, on the same day Diana was photographed sitting alone on a bench in front of the Taj Mahal, an image widely associated with the monument's romantic symbolism.

She described Charles as forthcoming and amusing, while Diana appeared morose despite looking striking in a red and purple two-piece suit. The two spoke about the places Diana had visited and enjoyed during her trip.

The meeting also led to a warm exchange between Diana and Gandhi's mother, who was visiting at the time. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, then a child, was keen for her grandmother, whom she called 'Nonna', to meet the princess.

Gandhi said Diana noticed that her mother was unusually quiet and asked why. Priyanka explained that her grandmother had been told not to speak because she knew only Italian.

Diana burst into laughter and then warmly greeted Gandhi's mother in Italian, making an effort to pronounce the words with the correct accent.

Gandhi remembered that Diana continued to engage with her mother even as the royal couple prepared to leave.

"After tea and more chat, we were seeing them off to their car when she stopped halfway, turned back to wave to my mother, and called out, 'Ciao. Nonna!' After I presented the royal couple with my book Rajiv, she wrote to me, telling me how much she had admired my husband," she wrote.

Gandhi also recalled another meeting with Diana in London, where she had been invited for tea with the royal couple. Diana arrived wearing a black suit with a white collar and joked, "I am feeling like a crow!"

In another encounter, Gandhi unexpectedly found herself sitting next to Diana at a hairdresser's. She decided to pass the princess a handwritten note with a simple greeting, but soon realised she had misspelt 'Hi' as 'Hye'.

By then, Diana had already placed the note in her handbag, leaving Gandhi wishing she could retrieve it.

"How I wished I could have snatched back the note! But it was too late; she had already put it into her handbag. She turned to me with a smile of recognition, and we exchanged a few words in hushed tones, not wanting to attract attention," she wrote.

Gandhi said that was the last time she met Diana. Recalling the criticism the princess faced at the time, she said she had continued to sympathise with her.

"There was a lot of criticism of her at that time: She was spoilt and complaining; she had everything; why was she behaving as if she had been wronged? I must say I felt for her throughout, and still do," she wrote.

Published by HarperCollins India, Belonging: A Journey Of Love traces Sonia Gandhi's journey from her childhood in post-war Italy to her life in India, her relationship with Rajiv Gandhi and the personal losses that shaped her life.

(With IANS inputs)