There have been further radio interviews for respected feminist theologian Dr Niamh M. Middleton, who is calling on the Church of England to canonise Princess Diana.

Dr Middleton, the author of Jesus and Women: Beyond Feminism, published by The Lutterworth Press, believes that the late royal should be made the world’s first “patron saint of feminism” in recognition of the gender discrimination she fought against across her adult life.

Princess Diana, who died 26 years ago, was a “true martyr to her sex” and deserves the title more than any other woman this century,  says Dr Middleton.

She should also credited as the posthumous heroine of the #MeToo movement, she adds. 

Over the last week, Dr Middleton, formerly of Dublin City University, has spoken on a wide number of BBC and commercial stations, suggesting that the Anglican Church puts in place a mechanism for canonisation similar to that used in the Catholic Church. 

Doing so, she says, may help to win back young churchgoers after decades of declining congregations.