The summer of 1994 was uncharacteristically warm for Great Britain. Hot, sunny days were followed by close, sticky nights — and by the end of June, pressure had started to build. The last week of the month was an explosive one, meteorologically and culturally. On Friday June 24, an exceptionally severe thunderstorm hit the south east of the UK, diffusing so much grass pollen it triggered a sudden and short-lived asthma epidemic. Two days later, and after years of mounting speculation, the British press broke the news that Prince Charles had accidentally revealed his unfaithfulness to Princess Diana during an ITN documentary. (When asked if he had stayed loyal to his wife, the Prince of Wales nodded. "Yes absolutely," he said before adding of his marriage "until it became irretrievably broken down.")
