Editing Daily Express (section)

===Diana, Princess of Wales===
The ''Daily Express'' gained a reputation for printing [[Death of Diana, Princess of Wales conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales]] as front-page news. ''[[The Independent]]'' and ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2006 both published a selection of then recent ''Express'' headlines on the topic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jack|first=Louise|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-express-and-diana-cover-ups-spies-and-conspiracies-429277.html|title=''The Express'' and Diana: Cover-ups, spies and conspiracies|work=The Independent|date=18 December 2006|access-date=1 April 2020|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925093951/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-express-and-diana-coverups-spies-and-conspiracies-429277.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/may/09/pressandpublishing.themonarchy|title=Any old Diana headline here|work=The Guardian|date=9 May 2006|access-date=1 April 2020|archive-date=31 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831002447/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/may/09/pressandpublishing.themonarchy|url-status=live}}</ref> This practice was satirised in ''[[Private Eye]]'' as the ''Diana Express'' or the ''Di'ly Express'', and has been attributed to Desmond's friendship with regular ''Eye'' target [[Mohamed Al Fayed|Mohamed Fayed]].<ref group=note>For instance in the "Hackwatch" column of ''Private Eye'' #1174, 19 December 2006.</ref> The articles regularly quoted Fayed with the newspaper describing its campaign as "Our relentless crusade for the truth".<ref>{{cite book|last=Gregory|first=Martyn|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZPJjwm6ITMC&pg=PT141|title=Diana: The Last Days|location=London|publisher=Virgin Books|year=2007|page=141|isbn=978-0-7535-4431-0|access-date=23 September 2020|archive-date=16 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516225826/https://books.google.com/books?id=vZPJjwm6ITMC&pg=PT141#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006 and 2007, these front-page stories consistently appeared on Mondays, and ended only when the paper focused instead on the [[Madeleine McCann]] story (see below).

According to ''[[The Independent]]'' in 2006: "The Diana stories appear on Mondays because Sunday is often a quiet day."<ref name="Independent Hill">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/peter-hill-an-appetite-for-battle-467118.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416073750/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/peter-hill-an-appetite-for-battle-467118.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 April 2008|title=Peter Hill: An appetite for battle|date=20 February 2006|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|first=Raymond|last=Snoddy|access-date=11 June 2014}}</ref> In February and March 2010, the paper returned to featuring Diana stories on the front page on Mondays.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

In September 2013, following an allegation raised by the estranged wife of an [[Special Air Service|SAS]] operative, the ''Daily Express'' returned to running daily Princess Diana cover stories.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/428276/SAS-quizzed-over-Diana-death|title=SAS quizzed over Diana death|newspaper=Daily Express|date=10 September 2013|first=John|last=Twomey|access-date=11 June 2014|archive-date=14 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714161316/http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/428276/SAS-quizzed-over-Diana-death|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429017/Army-slated-for-not-taking-allegations-of-SAS-aided-Diana-death-seriously|title=Army slated for not taking allegations of SAS aided death seriously|newspaper=Daily Express|date=13 September 2013|access-date=11 June 2014|first1=John|last1=Twomey|archive-date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715015019/http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429017/Army-slated-for-not-taking-allegations-of-SAS-aided-Diana-death-seriously|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429312/EXCLUSIVE-How-David-Cameron-knew-of-Princess-Diana-murder-plot|title=How David Cameron knew of Princess Diana murder plot|newspaper=Daily Express|date=14 September 2013|access-date=11 June 2014|first1=John|last1=Twomey|archive-date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715001312/http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429312/EXCLUSIVE-How-David-Cameron-knew-of-Princess-Diana-murder-plot|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429536/EXCLUSIVE-SAS-s-lamping-unit-used-laser-to-dazzle-Princess-Diana-s-driver|title=SAS's lamping unit used laser to dazzle Diana's driver|newspaper=Daily Express|date=15 September 2013|access-date=11 June 2014|first1=Donal|last1=MacIntyre|archive-date=14 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714233820/http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429536/EXCLUSIVE-SAS-s-lamping-unit-used-laser-to-dazzle-Princess-Diana-s-driver|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429799/Soldier-s-claim-SAS-ordered-to-kill-Princess-Diana-ups-pressure-for-murder-investigation|title=Soldier's claim SAS ordered to kill Princess Diana ups pressure for murder investigation|newspaper=Daily Express|date=16 September 2013|access-date=11 June 2014|first=Giles|last=Sheldrick|archive-date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715005959/http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/429799/Soldier-s-claim-SAS-ordered-to-kill-Princess-Diana-ups-pressure-for-murder-investigation|url-status=live}}</ref>