How Diana, ‘the people’s princess’, changed the world forever
International icon – whose death, aged 36, after car crash on August 31, 1997 led to global outpourings of grief – remembered for her love of fashion and drive to help others
It is 22 years since Diana, Princess of Wales – the former wife of Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and mother of both Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex – died at the age of 36.
She was first propelled into the international spotlight at the age of 20, when she married Charles in a lavish ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981.
She was one of the naughtiest parents. But she understood that there was a real life outside of palace walls
However, their troubled marriage ultimately imploded, turning the couple into tabloid fodder.
Diana went on to become an international icon in her own right. Her sophisticated style helped to dictate fashion trends. Her dedication to charitable causes won her admiration and accolades.
In the wake of her death in Paris, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair famously referred to her as “the people’s princess”.
The mass, global outpouring of grief following her death in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, proved it was an apt observation.
[People should] carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you
Read on for some of key moments from her life.
Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, to a prominent British noble family.
Her brother, the Earl Spencer, recalled that she was “incredibly brave”, even as a young girl.