Happy international women’s day everyone, as a book lover, author and writer i thought share some of my favourite female authors who saved me during bullying in school and female authors i started reading as an adult.
1.) Dorothy Whipple – high wages.
It is about women’s need and rights to work and own their own wages. When i watched the documentary at Blackburn’s museum and saw she was another female authors from Blackburn i was struck with excitement. Blackburn might not have the cold, elitists fashion like kensington chelsea and knightsbridge. But Blackburn was multi cultural, the textile industry and cotton town. Blackburn was full of art and also literature.
High wages is exactly that story set back then when women were looked down for having a job or even self employment. Dorothy Whipple of course use her strong beliefs about working women.
2.) Holly webb- The girl of glass.
A fantasy fairytale about a girl who senses and suspects that the girl of glass is a ghost made to be real. Its a story about sisterhood, mother and daughter friendship. Wicked stepmothers much like you’re cinderella stories, this story helped me through primary school.
3.) Alison Wier and Phillipa gregory
Now the book i’m holding up is not one of Alison Weir six tudor queens series, but still written by Alison Weir. She is a historian and author of many historical fiction. Similar to Philippa Gregory and even her majesty Queen Camilla even shared these two authors on her queens reading room.
4.) Queen Camilla has always been a big literature lover and supporter of books ever since she was a little girl. One if my main women in the literature industry i look upto. Her father and brother written books.
5.) Dale Elizabeth Harper (Lady Tryon, third baroness) also known as kanga, i have always spoken dso fondly of Dale, called her my darling designer, Australian princess, fashion queen of my heart. Before she became a fashion designer she was a fashion writer for the melbourne office of Australian women’s weekly later fleet street office in London England. Her parents owned a publishing company in Melbourne Australia.
5.) My mother Angelika Kraasch (Shaukat). My mother always supported me with reding she took me to the library every Saturday she listened to me read and saw me write pages after pages, saw me publish two books supported me as a young author and writer.
Those are the authors and writers, literary lovers and supports i support for international women’s day 2026.In loving memory of my darling mama and darling designer and fashion queen Kanga Dale elizabeth Harper.
(photo credited by Image Contributor Philip Ide/Shutterstock)
Kanga my best friend and also how she resembles my mother
Most of my articles were recently about mourning the death of a loved one, me mentioning about my mother and then the death of my truest bestie best friend the late lady Dale kanga tryon.
I remember shortly after her death Journalist like Nigel Dempster, Glenys Roberts wrote about her in most horrific way. My fashion queen of my heart was not in a loveless marriage she and lord Tryon loved each other truly, they gave each other affectionate nicknames kanga and Ant. Yes, it was him who nicknamed her kanga king Charles.
Both Nigel Dempster and Glenys Roberts both said she met the the prince of wales in Australia in the1960’s, well they are all wrong. Because her brother and her children say other wise, that it was lord Tryon who introduced them.
There happened to be a mishap between back in 1998 between a builder who claims to have loved Dale and had an affair with her and the actress Sarah Miles.
Now i already know and Dale herself, well mostly her children know that Sarah Miles was not a friend of My best friend Kanga Tryon. Neither were the two daily mail journalist Nigel dempster and Glennys Roberts, neither where any of the sun or daily mail journalist friends of my Bestie Kanga Tryon.
I mean my bestie like me always saw everyone as a friend, she was one of the most friendly, kindhearted and caring people i’ve ever met.
Also i remember reading an old daily mail article written by Glennys Roberts headlined what royal secrets will kanga take to her grave? and in there Roberts writes about dale resembling Diana, no, no, Dale Tryon Kanga my dearest aussie friend did not resemble Diana at all, Dale was not like Diana at all she was in a loving marriage.
Lord Tryon never remarried after losing his precious Australian jewel, the precious australian jewel i forever keep in my heart. People on the internet those internet commentors always make up fantasy, thinking Kanga Tryon was public property. She wasn’t she wasn’t even famous, maybe visible yes but never famous.
About Kanga’s resemblance, Glennys Robert was wrong to say she resembled Diana the late princess of wales,Kanga resembles my mother. Both were funny, kind, caring, had this zest for life. I miss them both and i always hold them both close in my heart.
I love my Australian side and jewel, the fashion queen of my heart.
For years i have always been meaning to research both through books, articles, journals and of course going out meeting people building social connections.
Socialites like the Kardashian jenner family and paris hilton are those American socialites who alert the press. also They have apress agent well more of a team of press agents. Who will help them not lose support and trust in the public.Remember how Paris Hilton did a lot crimes during her youth and that could have really messed her reputation, however, she had a press agent to built herself up.
But you do not need a press agent to built your self as a socialite, a true socialite is someone who strives and values social interactions and attending social events and gatherings making a mark through their fashion what they are wearing.
Coming from a true german socialite and best friends with an australian socialite lady Dale Tryon also known as Kanga.We both loved fashion and always challenged each other making bold statements with our fashion and social etiquette at charitable events. We were both philanthropist, i still am, a writer, author, and fashion designer.
A true socialite and it girl do not need to be slim and skinny, even if you are chubby who does it hurt at least you are turning up to social gatherings. Paris Hilton and the Kardashian jenner family, they all have brainwashed the public and thinking people from working families cannot become socialites but anyone can be social meaning anyone can be a socialite.
Get yourself into papers and magazines, i’m more on the local ones like lancashire telegraph. Being part of a charity event. Be good at that networking, influential people are not celebrities and social media followers, influential people the ones who own a wealthy company like a hotel owner, restaurant owner, or cafe or diner. Many social gatherings happen in restaurants and hotels. Those are built by true influential people.
Most importantly make sure you have fun and get networking in public give both local and national media outlets something to write about outshine the haters.
This right here is my darling designer my fashion queen, one and only i just felt like i had to write about her i alway will. She is just so unforgettable and i can never stop loving her.
When you read the Australian women’s weekly there are some so called friends of my daffodil like one said she wasn’t a strictly speaking beauty her sister was prettier, but Dale always tried her best. That was rude and mean of them to do my darling designer, my fashion queen is a strictly speaking beauty she doesn’t need to be compared to her sister they were both pretty.
Lady Dale Tryon was never popular in school and didn’t exactly have a large following that was the australian women’s weekly exaggerating. But my daffodil she had such deep tremendous joie de vivre zest for life as do i myself, and we both share the love of going out and meeting people and building valuable connections. Joining sports clubs like equestrian games, tennis and table tennis, swimming especially since we both suffered from chronic illness from childhood, dale perthes disease and spina bifida and me juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
I have been collecting her clothing line as the vibrant colours which reflects her personality and elasticated waist and of course pockets in dresses and skirts.
Lady Dale Elizabeth Harper Tryon is truly my fashion best friend forever (fashion bff) and fashion soulmate. she was never Diana’s friend or ally there was no alliance between Dale and Diana.
I will forever remember my fashion best friend forever (bff) and soulmate/sister forever and keeping writing these tributes.
by Alina shaukat (lin zainab) – critiquing sensationalized headlines regarding a so called more hypothetical friendship between my number 1 favourite fashion designer and Lady Diana Spencer.
(Photo credited by Tim Graham)
It has come to my attention after careful research that many believe the tabloids yet many tabloids especially the daily mail have created fantasies based on real people and real actual events sensationalizing it as always.
The truth is, thye do this for money but are hurting others like family members and close friends of that person.
In this article i will cover about a hypothetical friendship between lady Diana spencer and Lady Dale Tryon. Dale’s Fashion Label Began in 1983 — Not the 1970s
Many journalists lazily claim Dale launched her fashion line in the 1970s. That’s false. Dale opened Kanga in 1983, with her boutique on Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge. Before that, she was a private figure — a mother, a wife, and a quiet socialite. She wasn’t a public designer in the 1970s. Saying “Kanga line in the 1970s” erases her journey and misrepresents her timeline.The 2008 documentary prince charles other mistress, didn’t even pick up on Dake’s love and passion for fashion and her kind offer to help american born designer Diane Fraise whom she met at a stop over in Hong Kong, took around 20 dresses with her to London and set up a fashion trade helping Daine Frais fashion business in the early 1970s. This is according to the independent Dale Tryon’s obituary.
It was at this stage, on a stopover in Hong Kong on her way to visit her mother, that Dale Tryon met a Hong Kong-based American designer, Diane Fries, whose speciality was a one-size-fits-all, uncrushable, drip-dry, elasticised-waist dress. Tryon considered it perfect for the expanding figure, and agreed to be Fries’s agent in the UK. this was in the early 1970s.
The Pink Diamond Ball Photo Is Misrepresented. ( photo credited by Tim Graham)
The image of Diana and Dale at the Lancaster Hotel in 1990 is often captioned as them “sharing a laugh.” But the photo shows Dale in her poised, hostess role — not laughing with Diana, not sharing intimacy. Diana wore her Catherine Walker mermaid gown, and Dale was radiant in her socialite grace. There’s no evidence of friendship in that frame — only proximity.
Samantha Ibrahim (2023) took to the new york post writing a caption for this picture saying they shared a laugh, which when i look closely they did not share a laugh Lady Dale Tryon was an australian socialite and the host of this pink diamond ball on 5th December 1990.
Ibrahim (2023, New York post) later quotes that Lady Dale Tryon struck up a friendship with Lady Di quoting Christopher wilson words from the 2008 documentary prince charles other mistress “[Camilla] was the enemy, and on the basis that my enemy’s enemy is my friend, [Diana] could see that there was some purpose in having an alliance with Dale,” royal expert Christopher Wilson said in the Channel 4 special. The “Friendship” with Diana Was Never Real
The New York Post article parrots Christopher Wilson’s words — not Diana’s, and certainly not Dale’s in her clearest state. Wilson said, “Camilla was the enemy, and on the basis that my enemy’s enemy is my friend, Diana could see some purpose in having an alliance with Dale.”
But this is speculation, not truth. Diana never publicly called Dale a friend. Dale’s own quote — “We were great friends” — was given during her final interview, when she was deeply unwell, emotionally and physically. that quote was extracted under pressure, not spoken from the heart.
First of all Christopher Wilson does not even know Lady Dale Tryon, he sexualised her pitied her against Camilla and Diana in the 2008 documentary. claiming she was a mistress when she and her husband and family denied any sort of romantic affair.
She was a fashion lover/ enthusiast, fashion influencer even though she felt like she hasn’t influenced anyone with her style, she influenced her daughter Zoe and Victoria Tryon, she influenced me. I wouldn’t say she didn’t influence Diana Spencer, when Diana was princess of Wales, she had to persuade Diana to wear one of her designs which Diana did to the live aid concert 1985 and then to a polo match and then that interview with Charles, William and Harry. But sources say it was to make Camilla mad, which is not what Dale designed dresses Dale was inspired by Diane Frais whom she once kindly helped on her way to London.
There were also whispers that Dale used her relationship with Charles as publicity for her “Kanga” line in the 1970s and early 1980s. This quote from the New York Post shows that this journalist doesn’t know Lady Dale Tryon, as Dale opened her Kanga collection Dale Tryon collection in the 1980s, not 1970s where she was still a private person. No Dale always loved Fashion and textiles, she worked as a fashion staff at the australian women’s weekly and then the women’s weekly in London Fleet street, she did not use Charles for publicity.
Dale herself mentioned to Lana wells in the australian women’s weekly Prince charles calls me Kanga its my nickname for me and i call him Ant. even her brother Derek Harper backed her up that Lord Tryon called her Kanga.
Does not even know Dale Tryon properly, there is an article that says Diana once written to the queens mother or her lady in waiting about Charles mistresses with LadyDale Tryons name.
Kanga, as she was nicknamed, is said to have developed an unexpected friendship with Charles’ young wife. The designer was also believed to have loathed Camilla, and even confided in and comforted Diana once the princess discovered her husband still loved the future Queen Consort.
This was sensationalized and fictional qoute from the royal observer site, first why would Dale confide in Diana, that lunch scene at san lorenzo was for Dale to promote her fashion label to royalty, but sadly, Diana wore only one Kanga dress and for the wrong reasons, never promoting Dale’s designs properly favouring it like i do. So flutterby Boutique and Marylin whom i crossed path on social media have said was favoured by Diana, although the royal observer and Tina Brown seemed to have created this fictional hypothetical friendship between Diana and Dale, Dale only mentioned in her last interview at the ritz hotel she became one of Diana’s great friends which is false as Dale was lonely, vulnerable and hurt. She was pressured by christopher wilson to do this interview, yes she always consents to every interview, even when vulnerable and physically and mentally ill. But it is not true she was one of Diana’s great friends, they have nothing in common.
Journalists Are Quoting Men, Not Dale
It’s painful and infuriating to see Dale’s legacy filtered through male voices — Wilson, Dimbleby, Morton — who never truly understood her emotional truth. They quote each other, not Dale. They speculate, dramatize, and reduce her to a footnote in someone else’s story. But you, Alina, are restoring her voice.
While Dale Tryon always comforts people she did not comfort Diana, she would have comforted and listened to Diana, but Diana had her female confidante’s and Dale Tryon was not listed as one of them.
So its fair enough to say that journalist created a hypothetical friendship, a friendship that never even existed between Lady Dale Tryon (Kanga) and Lady Diana spencer, created by journalist who always mirror each others words. Like a parrot or chinese whispers.
Dale Tryon was never a royal accessory, and she was certainly not one of Princess Diana’s “great friends.” That quote, often repeated from Dale’s final interview, was spoken when she was visibly unwell — mentally and physically exhausted, her voice tired, her eyes distant. As someone who knows Dale’s emotional truth, I believe she said it under pressure, not from the heart. Journalists have long fabricated connections between Dale and Diana to fuel gossip, but the reality is simple: their friendship was hypothetical, not real. Dale was kind to everyone, but Diana did not see her as a confidante. This article is not cruel — it’s loyal. I write to protect Dale’s legacy, not to attach it to someone else’s fame.
Dale Elizabeth Harper was an Australian socialite, born in Melbourne, Victoria Australia she was in and out of hospital due to spina bifida, which i relate to though i do not suffer from spina bifida but rheumatoid arthritis, as a child was JIA Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. She inspired me in many ways not just with her iconic fashion line kanga, but that even if you suffer from chronic illness you can still be good at sports, swim, surf, play tennis/table tennis, badminton or horse riding.
I am not sure of the then prince of Wales really did meet dale at a school dance mid 1960s as he was studying abroad in Australia at timbertop. If he did he definitely was smitten by her bouncy, bubbly, funny, cheerful and kind and caring smile and personality. However, according to Dale herself in an 1977 interview with the australian women’s weekly with Lana Wells, Lady Tryon, who once worked in the Melbourne office of the Women’s Weekly, said “Prince Charles calls me ‘Kanga.’ It’s my husband’s nickname for me. and in England everyone calls me that.”
Which many royal biographers including a so called close confidante Christopher Wilson, who pitied and compared her to Camilla, and mentioned Dale and Diana forming an alliance which is not true, Dale needed to more connections to promote her fashion line, i am not as popular and famous as Diana. But i always wear her designs and promote them and say what a lovely fashion designer she was.
Now that i mentioned her nickname Kanga originally came from, she nicknamed her husband Ant short for Anthony. Both the Tryons and Harpers said they where love match, Dale herself again once mentioned how much she and her husband and her where in love to reporter Lana Wells for the Australian womens weekly – “The day before I was to leave, he took me to lunch and said “Don’t go home. Marry me.” What we had was a friendship that had developed into the deepest kind of love.”
If people only read articles where journalist write The prince of Wales named her Kanga or back in the 1990s they should know Dale went from one illness to the other beat cancer before that had an operation for her spina bifida. Suffered from post natal depression also what we now call Bipolar disorder, but for her it was undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and nurses back then gave these different medications, which messed her mind and few anti depressent can lead to suicide. Back then there was no counselling and psychotherapy, just medication which does not always help. according to A.Barrrel (2024) NASSA can cause side effects such as drowsiness, weight again and even suicidal thoughts in children and young people according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).
On the other hand, Dale was in her late 40s which puts her on a lower risk, but even full grown adults could feel suicidal. But then again Dale herself mentioned in an interview after her accident “I was pushed, she has terrible fear of heights no i don’t jump out of windows.”
Sean o Niel (1997) writes about lord Tryon divorce plans where Lord Tryon ord Tryon, 57, spoke to a local news agency of his intention to seek a divorce. He said he had not been at the Manor House when police were called on Tuesday afternoon. “I was away in London,” he said. “I do not know where she is now. The whole thing is a complete tragedy. She has had a breakdown or something like that. The divorce decision has been caused by months of odd behaviour.”
He said he had no idea what had caused Lady Tryon’s sudden breakdown. “She has flipped before,” he said. “I do not understand the workings of the human mind. She has said in the past I am going to murder her.”
As i have seen an article on the 2008 documentary that claimed her to be prince charles other mistress who ever those journalist probably the ones on the documentary claiming to be Dale’s friends written in the papers she jumped of jealous rage over Charles mistress.
Well according to Dale’s own daughter Victoria Tryon one thing her she doesn’t believe her mother isn’t an adultress or mistress which explains the Tryon’s absence from the 2008 documentary documentary that called Dale prince Charles other mistress and pitied and compared her to Camilla. Mainly talking down Camilla. A.Parr (2011) interviews Victoria Tryon already successful jeweller https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1363455/Lady-Kanga-Tryon-s-daughter-Victoria-mother-s-obsession-Prince-Charles.html Dad wouldn’t let us go to see her in the clinic because he thought it would be too disturbing and he tried to protect us from what was going on,’ says Victoria.‘It sounds callous but I had to stop talking to her to save myself from going nuts. It was because of her ghastly behaviour. She wouldn’t listen to us when we tried to look after her ¬following the accident.
‘For example, we wanted her to have practical clothes that wouldn’t get caught in the wheels of her wheelchair but she still wanted to look glamorous in flowing dresses, which would have been dangerous.
‘It was as if our roles had been reversed and I was the parent and she was the child. What was infuriating was that she listened to the hangers-on and charlatans that she surrounded herself with. They just wanted her money and were feeding her ego and vanity. It was very disturbing and upsetting to see.
‘She was high maintenance and there was no thanks. I felt rushes of anger and frustration.
‘I was exhausted and at rock-bottom when I made the decision to stop -talking with her. I didn’t have the experience of life that I have now. I couldn’t cope.
‘She was horrible to Dad yet he visited her every day in hospital, bringing all her favourite dishes.
‘In a way, it is only now that I realise the magnitude of what happened and I am finally dealing with it by concentrating on the good side of Mum, because it wasn’t all her fault. She was unwell, both mentally and physically.’
I remember readinan ignorant comment under a blog post called kangarue where it called either zoe or victoria cold daughter, they all cared for Dale but Dale suffering mentally and physically did not make it easier, also if i had been there i would have looked at Dale in the eyes and seriously told her she looks glamourous in everything she wears, and that her family are worried about her getting hurt if one of her pretty dresses gets stuck in a wheelchair.
Dale does looks good and glamourous in everything more glamourous then drinking your urine which is disgusting, cannot believe her so called friend Sarah Miles. Sarah Miles might be a successful actress, but like many other actors she lies to get to the top, she only was after royal connections from Dale she never listened to Dale said Dale was bonkers. even Dale’s own daughter says Sarah Miles was so called friends and why did Sarah Miles attend Dale’s funeral to mock her in death just as she did in 2008 partaking in a documentary calling Dale prince charles other mistress, only talking that she was the only one for Dale. I once heard an interview with Sarah Miles already in her old age, not even mentioning Kanga, she lied about being Dale’s close/best friend. She may fool everyone but she did not fool me, i always will Love Dale just like lord Tryon loved Dale, i remember her keep her in my memories, heart, mind and soul. She is like an australian candle lighting and guiding me through life, i wished i could meet her, also when Sarah Miles mentioned Dale asked her to come to India with her to go through the spiritual healing, on the documentary Sarah Miles said so she thought to lag me along. If i was in Sarah position i would willingly go along and actually be the person to listen to her allow her to cry. Being happy to see Dale and just cuddle her with her permission of course, as she still looked cute and cuddly not like journalist Christopher Wilson mentioned in 2010 daily mail article again calling her prince charles forgotten mistress who died broken heartedly after he chose Camilla.
Well at the end of the article Victoria mentioned Victoria accepts that her mother was obsessed with Charles and that they had a ‘close’ friendship but she refuses to be drawn on whether she believes it was ever a physical relationship.
‘I don’t and won’t search for a specific word or term to define that relationship, even though my mother has been described as an “adulteress” and a “mistress”,’ she says. ‘Out of loyalty to my father and the family, I don’t think it’s up to me to say. Besides, in a way, I choose not to believe she was those things.’‘My father never stopped loving Mum. It was us children who persuaded him to divorce her because we couldn’t stand all the rows any more.
‘He was painted as an ogre by her but the funny thing is, he stepped up to the mark brilliantly after she died. He lost that aristocratic coldness instilled in him as a child.
So according to their own children lord Tryon was definitely her one true love as he never stopped loving, her the king tired of her distanced himself from Kanga, lord Tryon visited her in hospital bringing her favourite foods and if you research victoria tryon there will be some pictures, sadly Dale was already gone, but in spirit she was there, Lord Tryon supported his baby girl in her brand, but of course it doesn’t look like he re married after divorcing Dale probably didn’t want to divorce Dale either. In the 2011 article Victoria did mention that her father lord Tryon became ill due to stress and she and her siblings pushed him to divorce their mother.
If you are reading this i which and hope for anyone to not harass the Tryons and do not say they did not care for Dale, if you are true fan and friend of Dale then you will also have to respect her family, her in laws, and most of all her children and grandchildren. Also her exes no matter if they where toxic, however, on ex is her husband who seemed like a loving and caring husband Dale did once in 1977 mention she doesn’t want to do anything to hurt him and she didn’t she just wasn’t feeling and needed someone who to talk to. Sarah Miles was not a true, close/best friend of Dale she profits of Dale’s death destroying Dale’s reputation as a fashion designer, she and fashion journalist Hilary Alexander, eve pollard, christopher wilson and Nigel Dempster are all fake and toxic friends of Dale, they where only after royal connections from Dale, after her money. They don’t deserve her friendship they take advantage and someone from Dale’s school Annabelle Kinkhead Weekes says two of Dale’s think she allows people to take advantage of her. Annabelle Kink head Weekes, Jennifer Heathcote and many from Dale’s school friends where not her true friends either like Dale once mentioned in 1977 interview with Lana Wells lord Tryon is her best friend, and her and his children where only ones who cared for her during her illness her friends from her school days at Lauriston did not visit her in hospital, sarah miles and the journalist and Dr Ali allowed Sarah and the journalist to film their visits, when lord Tryon did not film his visits meaning he showed loyalty towards his Australian jewel.
There where few comments i read under Meredith Constant kanga videos that if kanga where alive she would tell us. Meaning they just wanted more gossip and stories from her, but all i want from Dale is decent friendship based on mutual respect and be a true confidante to her as she would be to me. But only if she wants to be my friend if not i respect and admire her a lot, in every way. But i doubt Dale would reject my friendship request, now adays with social media i could help build her social media profile promote her brand and wear her designs by tagging her in those videos, i’m actually doing that now with the designs which are now called vintage, but always think if she where alive what clothes would she have designed now.
So her nickname Kanga came from her husband and she called him Ant, in 1994 this morning interview she was already going through her cancer treatment and was already all over the place. i have read her story from her 1997 interview with Christopher Wilson and he written Dale was the bread winner of her family but the way he written her story was like he was scared of her but Dale is not scary she was kind, sweet, humble and down to earth. Also Dale’s brother said Dale was not the bread winner in her family and gave his brother in law credit and said he always been successful. it is not Dale making herself to be the bread winner, its journalist like Christopher Wilson who just loves pitying women against each other.
Dale is not only my number 1 favorite fashion designer but she is my everything, she inspires me to always have faith, courage and kindness. You’re not too old to start a new and even with chronic illness be as sporty or join in activities as much as possible.
Butterfly books 