How did Princess Diana spend her last birthday? On what would have been her 60th, we look back at the beloved royal’s final celebration on July 1, 1997

On July 1, 1997, Princess Diana turned 36, and as well as celebrating, she was also in the process of establishing her new life outside the British royal family.

It was a year since her divorce from Prince Charles had been finalised, she was throwing herself into her charity work around the globe, and a Vanity Fair article had been published just the previous day in which the “people’s princess” had spoken about how she was looking forward to “rebuilding” her life.

“Nothing gives me more pleasure now than being able to love and help those in our society who are vulnerable,” she told the publication.

Little did anyone suspect that within a few weeks of her 36th birthday, her life would be cut tragically short in a car accident in Paris in the early hours of August 31.

This year would have seen Diana celebrating her 60th birthday, and in honour of what would have been a huge bash, no doubt, we look at how the Princess of Wales marked what was to be her last birthday.

Flowers and gowns

Princess Diana’s former chef Darren McGrady told Hello!: “Princess Diana didn’t really want to celebrate her birthdays, it meant another year older.” But despite this, he said Diana’s birthday was always a busy day, “not from a culinary aspect but all of her charities and friends sending flowers”.

In fact, according to Tina Brown’s 2007 biography The Diana Chronicles, no fewer than 90 bouquets of flowers were sent to Kensington Palace that year. In anticipation of the charity event Princess Diana was to attend that night, a special package from fashion designer Jacques Azagury arrived at the Palace – a stunning floor-length black beaded gown.