From the Evening News, June 5, 1992 - THE Princess of Wales took an overdose of pills in a "desperate" attempt on her own life, according to a report today.

The bid was "never intended to be more than an agonised cry for help in the depths of despair at her unhappy marriage," according to Palace insiders, quoted by a national newspaper. The Princess telephoned the Prince of Wales, who called in a doctor immediately. The story, says the newspaper, is in a new book, Diana, a Princess and Her Troubled Marriage, by Nicholas Davies, which is due to be published next month in America.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

June 5, 1977

MORE than a quarter of Bolton's town centre car parking spaces could have disappeared without replacement by 1980. The problem is causing a giant headache for Bolton Council because of the massive cost of solving it. Director of Engineering, Mr Harry Hibbert, told the Technical Services Committee yesterday that new development in the town could mean the loss of 1,300 of a total of 4,200 spaces in and adjoining the town centre in three years' time.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

June 5, 1952

WHEN the Queen, escorted by her Household Cavalry, rode from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guard's Parade today for the ceremony of Trooping the Colour at her official birthday parade, it was the first time that a sovereign Queen of England had ridden at a public ceremony since the days of the first Elizabeth nearly four centuries ago.

Queen Mary came out of her second-floor balcony at Marlborough House to see the procession. Erect and proud, she watched the splendour of the first public pageant since her granddaughter's ascent to the throne. The Queen Mother, in unrelieved black, and Princess Margaret, also in black but with a white hat, together with other members of the Royal family, watched at the windows overlooking the parade ground.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

June 5, 1902

THE Garden City movement is assuming shape. A well-attended meeting was held in London on Monday by the Garden City Association, and shilling souvenir tickets had been freely purchased by Garden City enthusiasts.

Earl Grey presided at the meeting, which was to "consider how far congestion and overcrowding in large cities can be relieved by a concerted movement of manufacturers, co-operators, and others to new areas, on which arrangements would be made to securing for the migrating people the whole of the increased value which their presence would give to the sites."

Mr W.H. Lever, on rising to speak, was hailed with hearty cheers. He recognised, he said, the advantage which the carrying out of such projects as this could give to our country. The prize to be won, he said, was to raise a superior artisan class contented and happy.