Everyone’s favorite princess maintains her fan following, even 25 years after her death. Thousands of fans gathered outside the Kensington home to commemorate Princess Diana death anniversary. The much-loved princess passed away in an unfortunate fatal car accident on 31st August 1997. The people’s princess (a popular slogan associated with her) was quick to establish a special place in everyone’s hearts. Therefore, her death left countless people devastated.
Due to her immense fan following, crowds of people gathered again to mark the silver jubilee of their princess’s death. While many gathered outside Kensington Palace, numerous also made their way to the bridge above the underpass where the crash happened. Fans left flowers and beautiful messages in memory of Princess Diana on the bridge. The Flame of Liberty, a gold leaf-covered imitation of the Statue of Liberty’s flame adorns the northern end of the Pont de L’Alma. This spot became the unsanctioned memorial spot in Paris for the princess.
Outside Kensington Palace, a beautiful flower arrangement that spelled out “Princess Diana” commemorated her memory. Furthermore, pictures and messages by her admirers further glorified the gates of the palace. Many local admirers admitted that they would make annual visits to these gates in order to memorialize their princess’s memory. An admirer, Julie Cain, stated that she would travel over 300 miles each year from Newcastle to Kensington for the deceased princess. She added, “We just come here, do the memorial and, you know, we just chat about things that she used to do, you know, to … let people know that we will never forget the princess, we will never forget what she’s done.” Cain hopes that by doing this, she and others like her can continue Princess Diana’s legacy for as long as it may be possible.
Julie Cain and her friend Maria Scott arrived early on the 31st of August 2022 (like they do each year since 1997). Scott stated that Princess Diana’s charming personality and love for others truly made her stand out from the crowd. Seeing so much of the princess, from the royal wedding to her multiple public appearances made viewers more intrigued with her life. Maria explained, “And, you know, you see, she was like a part of your life because you were seeing that every day on the television. She was in newspapers and magazines. She was all over. And you felt like she was part of your life.”
On Princess Diana death anniversary, let us take a quick look at her beautiful life and unfortunate demise.
Early Life and Marriage to Prince Charles
Diana became the Princess of Wales following her marriage to Princes Charles, the Prince of Wales. While not of royal blood herself, she was part of the British nobility. She grew up on the Sandringham estate and was close to the British royal family. In 1981, Princess Diana got engaged to Prince Charles, the rightful heir to the British throne. At the time of her engagement, she was just 20 years old and worked teacher’s assistant for nursery children. The wedding took place in the same year at St Paul’s Cathedral. Moreover, it soon became the wedding of the century due to its extensive media coverage and the hype surrounding it.
Although not of royal blood, Diana gained an immense fan following from the general public. Her love and regard for her followers soon gave her the title of “the People’s Princess”. While she received unfathomable love from her fans, her married life was not quite as glamorous. The princess faced multiple hurdles in her marriage due to Princess Charles’ extramarital affairs.
In 1992, following multiple rumors regarding her husband’s infidelity, the pair separated. The media did not seem to leave the troubled marriage of the royal couple alone. After being in the spotlight for years, the pair officially divorced in 1996.
Royal Duties as the Princess of Wales
On becoming the Princess of Wales, Diana was soon to take hold of her official duties. She often represented the Queen of England on multiple crucial occasions in many domains of the Commonwealth. Princess Diana also managed to draw media attention through her out-of-the-box charity works. While she did start her charity work with a predominant concentration on children and the elderly, she soon steered in a different direction. The Princess of Wales did revolutionary work towards raising awareness and acceptance of AIDS patients. Nevertheless, her work did not just end there. Her campaign with International Red Cross to completely eradicate land mines drew major media attention as well. Her idea to walk across a field of potential landmines truly shocked the public.
While Princess Diana had a shy personality, her jolly nature and kindness drew the entire world toward her. Furthermore, her undeniably good looks and charismatic personality led her to win many hearts. Hence, regardless of the unfortunate nature of her marriage, people just could not stop loving their princess. Her dressing choices also made her a fashion icon in the 80s and 90s.
Princess Diana Death
In 1997, Princess Diana met with an unfortunate accident in the Pont de L’Alma tunnel of Paris. The ill-fated accident occurred while the princess tried to flee the paparazzi. The fatal crash also led to the demise of her driver, Henri Paul, and her friend (and rumored love interest) Dodi Fayed. The funeral for the Princess of Wales took place on the 6th of September 1997 and had extensive media coverage. The televised funeral amassed an audience of over 32 million just within the United Kingdom. Outside of the UK, millions of others also sobbed and stuck to their screens to bid the princess a final farewell.
Following the princess’s death, many conspiracy theories arose regarding her untimely death. Nevertheless, none of them were proven to this day. Regardless of the conspiracies, the world came together to mourn Princess Diana’s death. And even after 25 years of her death, her fans continue to remember and mourn their idol. Princess Diana truly did leave an impact on all the lives she touched.
