She said to my mum that I had lovely hair and asked what my name was. She then said, “Can I pick him up?” ’
It was at that moment that Diana gently lifted the 6lb 1oz child from his cot – carefully, so as not to disturb the wires monitoring his condition – and gazed down at him.
‘From what my mum said, she truly cared,’ said James. ‘She was there all day. It wasn’t just for a picture. The photograph was taken by my grandfather, Brian.
‘He said she was lovely and acted like a normal person. She was just there to help others.
‘She wanted to send a little bit of hope to people who were at their lowest.
‘It gave a lot of families comfort when she turned up – a belief that everything was going to be OK. She lifted everyone’s spirits.
‘I was the only baby she picked up – the golden arms of Diana held me. She was so heartwarming, so maybe that’s what helped me to keep on fighting. She may have passed on a little bit of her love and got me through it, who knows?’
Now a strapping 6ft-tall plasterer, James Whetton loves to tell the story of the angel that held him in her arms so lovingly.
Credit goes to the owner.