A CHURCH leader today urged East Lancashire to pray for troubled Royals Diana and Charles and stressed "only they can sort out the turmoil in their lives."

The call came from Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev Alan Chesters, after thousands of local people cried with Di during last night's explosive Panorama interview.

The Princess of Wales' eyes watered as she admitted adultery, bulimia, bouts of depression and inflicting harm on herself.

She also revealed her feelings about Charles's admitted adultery with his close friend Camilla Parker Bowles and declared that she would "fight to the end" to preserve her Royal role.

The Princess risked a furious backlash by agreeing to the frank interview but East Lancashire was full of sympathy for her today.

Even anti-Royalists admitted feeling sad at her plight, although some felt the interview had brought the end of the monarchy a step closer.

Mr Chesters said: "It is a matter of judgement as to whether the Princess' decision to broadcast will help to resolve the very sad situation in which she finds herself.

"She is clearly trying to work through a wide range of complex emotional and constitutional issues which affect her life. "I continue to believe that, as with all marital problems only the couple and their immediate family and friends can ultimately find a solution.

"I am sure that all Christian people will uphold the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family in their prayers, as I will do myself."

Blackburn MP Jack Straw, Labour's chief spokesman of the Royal Family and a supporter of slimming down the monarchy refused to be drawn on the interview today and would only say: "It was certainly interesting television."

But Hyndburn MP Greg Pope backed Diana's call for the monarchy to be reformed and added: "No one objects to money from the civil list going to the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales but there are too many others who get it."

Burnley MP Peter Pike said the Prince and Princess had both done the monarchy a great disservice and had brought forward the day when it will be abolished."

Pendle Labour MP Gordon Prentice predicted: "The genie is out of the bottle and things can never be the same again after what was said."

East Lancashire Euro MP Mike Hindley supports the abolition of the monarchy but he refused to use last night's interview as an excuse to call for Royal heads to roll.

He said: "I think there has always been a good case for republicanism, based on being more democratic.

"But that has nothing to do with the personal success, sadness or faults of whoever is King or Queen at the moment.

"I think it is a very sad spectacle to see any individual being so intimate in public about their private life.

"But I wouldn't want to comment on what effect that will have on the monarchy."

Allies of the Prince were today rallying to his cause in the wake of last night's interview.

Defence minister Nicholas Soames dismissed the interview as "a very calculating and very polished performance".

But there were some people who didn't bother watching last night's Panorama. Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson said today: "I didn't watch it. I think the whole thing has become a farce."

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