Diana belonged to the ancient English family of Spencer-Churchill. At the age of 16 she met the Prince of Wales, Charles. 
At first, the prince was expected to marry Diana's sister, Sarah, but over time, Charles came to the realization that Diana was an incredibly "charming, lively and witty girl who was interesting to be with." 
Returning from a naval campaign on the ship "Invincible", the prince proposed to her. The wedding took place 6 months later. 
Some saw signs of an unhappy marriage in the ceremony. 
While pronouncing his marriage vows, Charles got confused in his pronunciation, and Diana did not say his name quite correctly. However, at first peace reigned in the relationship between the spouses. 
“I am crazy about marriage when there is someone to whom you devote your time,” Princess Diana wrote to her nanny Mary Clark after the wedding. Soon the couple had two sons: in 1982, Prince William, and in 1984, Prince Henry, better known as Prince Harry. 
It seemed that everything was going perfectly in the family, but soon rumors leaked to the press about the prince’s infidelity and that he often leaves his young wife alone. Despite the insults, Diana, according to her nanny, truly loved her husband. “When she married Charles, I remember writing to her that he was the only man in the country whom she could never divorce. Unfortunately, she could,” Mary Clark recalled. In 1992, a sensational announcement was made in Great Britain about the separation of Charles and Diana, and in 1996 their marriage was officially dissolved. The reason for the separation was the difficult relationship between the spouses. Diana, hinting at her husband's longtime close friend Camilla Parker Bowles, said that she could not bear a marriage of three. 
The prince himself, according to their mutual friends, never tried to hide his love for Camilla, with whom he began a relationship even before the wedding. It is not surprising that after the divorce proceedings the public was on Diana’s side. After a high-profile divorce, her name still did not leave the pages of the press, but this was a different Princess Diana - an independent, business woman, passionate about charitable activities. She constantly visited hospitals for AIDS patients, traveled to Africa, to areas where sappers are working hard, removing numerous anti-personnel mines from the ground. 
Significant changes also took place in the princess's personal life. Diana began an affair with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan. They carefully hid their romance from the press, although Hasnat often lived with her in Kensington Palace, and she stayed for a long time in his apartment in the prestigious Chelsea district of London. Khan's parents were delighted with their son's companion, but he soon told his father that marrying Diana could turn his life into hell due to the deep cultural differences between them. He claimed that Diana is “independent” and “loves going out,” which is unacceptable to him as a Muslim. 
Meanwhile, as close friends of the princess claimed, for the sake of her fiancé she was ready to sacrifice a lot, including changing her faith. Hasnat and Diana separated in the summer of 1997. According to a close friend of the princess, Diana was “deeply worried and in pain” after the breakup. But after some time she began an affair with the son of billionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed Dodi. At first, this relationship, according to her friend, served only as a consolation after the breakup with Hasnat. But soon a dizzying romance broke out between them; it seemed that a worthy and loving man had finally appeared in Lady Di’s life. The fact that Dodi was also divorced and had a reputation as a social philanderer all the more increased the interest in him from the press. Diana and Dodi had known each other for several years, but only became close in 1997. In July, they spent the holidays in Saint-Tropez with Diana's sons, Princes William and Harry. The boys got along well with the friendly owner of the house. Later, Diana and Dodi met in London, and then went on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea on board the luxurious yacht Jonical. 
Diana loved to give gifts. Dear and not very dear, but always imbued with her unique care for everyone who surrounded her. She also gave Dodi things that were dear to her. For example, the cufflinks that the most beloved person in the world gave her. August 13, 1997 The princess wrote the following words about her gift: “Dear Dodie, these cufflinks were the last gift I received from the person I loved most in the world - my father.” “I give them to you because I know how happy he would be if he knew into what reliable and special hands they fell. With love, Diana,” the letter says. In another message from Kensington Palace, dated August 6, 1997, Diana thanks Dodi al-Fayed for a six-day vacation on his yacht and writes of her "endless gratitude for the joy he has brought into her life." Towards the end of August the Jonical approached Portofino in Italy and then sailed for Sardinia. On August 30, Saturday, the couple in love went to Paris. The next day Diana was due to fly to London to meet her sons on the last day of their summer holidays. Later, Dodi's father stated that his son and Princess Diana were going to get married. A few hours before his death in a car accident in Paris, Dodi al-Fayed visited a jewelry store. Video cameras captured him choosing an engagement ring. Later that day, a representative from the Ritz Hotel in Paris, where Diana and Dodi were staying, came to the store and picked up two rings. One of them, according to Dodi's father, was called "Dis-moi oui" - "Tell me yes" - worth 11.6 thousand pounds sterling... On Saturday evening, Diana and Dodi decided to have dinner at the restaurant of the Ritz Hotel, which he owned Dodie. 
In order not to attract the attention of other visitors, they retired to a separate office, where, as was later reported, they exchanged gifts: Diana gave Dodi cufflinks, and he gave her a diamond ring. At one o'clock in the morning they prepared to go to Dodi's apartment on the Champs-Elysees. Wanting to avoid the papparazi crowding the front entrance, the happy couple used a special elevator located next to the hotel's service exit. 
There they got into a Mercedes S-280, accompanied by bodyguard Trevor-Reese Jones and driver Henri Paul. 
The details of what happened a few minutes later are still unclear, but the terrible truth is that three of these four died in an accident that occurred in an underground tunnel under Delalma Square. It was not without difficulty that Princess Diana was removed from the crippled car, after which she was immediately sent to the Petey Salptrier hospital. The doctors' fight for her life was unsuccessful. 
The accident, which occurred on the night of August 31, 1997 in the Alma tunnel in Paris, was the result of the flagrant negligence of the driver of the car, who got behind the wheel while intoxicated and drove the Mercedes at an unacceptably high speed. The provocateur of this accident was also the pursuit of the princess's car by a group of paparazzi photographers. It was a death due to negligence. That was the jury's verdict at the six-month trial that ended Monday evening at London's High Court. This verdict is final and cannot be appealed. The longest and most intense trial in the history of British justice, I would like to believe, dotted all the i’s. In more than ten years since the death of the “people's princess,” there have been about 155 statements about the existence of a conspiracy to kill Lady Di. The leading violin in defending this version has been played all these years by the most offended person involved in this case - billionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed, owner of the largest London department store Harrods, the Fulham football club and the Ritz hotel in Paris, the father of the person killed in this accident Dodie. He literally declared “war” on the British royal family and publicly named the queen’s husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, as the instigator of the plot to kill the son and princess. The executor is the British intelligence services. It was Mohammed Al-Fayed who insisted on holding a trial with a jury; it was he who persistently demanded that the Duke of Edinburgh and Diana's sons, Princes William and Harry, appear in court. The royal family was not summoned to appear in court. British democracy, for all its enviable ripeness, has not yet matured enough to issue subpoenas to its monarchs. Only the press secretary of the Duke of Edinburgh appeared at the trial, presenting to the investigation a hitherto unpublished correspondence between Diana and her father-in-law, touching in its warmth. About 260 witnesses appeared at the trial for the deaths of Diana and Dodi. Testimony was given via video link from the United States, France and Australia. Titled ladies of the court, Diana's friends, testified. Her butler Paul Burrell, who made a considerable fortune for himself from fiction about the princess. Her lovers, who revealed to the world the details of their romance with the princess. The only survivor of the accident was bodyguard Trevor Rhys-Jones, who was severely crippled. The pathologist who performed Diana's autopsy and confirmed in court that no signs of the princess's pregnancy were found, but that it was not possible to detect them in a very short time. And therefore, Diana took this secret with her to the grave. Mohammed al-Fayed unveiled a monument to his son Dodi and Princess Diana at his London department store Harrods. The opening of the new monument coincides with the eighth anniversary of the death of Dodi and Diana in a car accident, the Guardian reports. 
Bronze Diana and Dodi are depicted dancing against the backdrop of waves and the wings of an albatross, symbolizing eternity and freedom. According to Mohammed al-Fayed, this monument seems a more appropriate sign of remembrance than the memorial fountain in Hyde Park. The sculpture was sculpted by Bill Mitchell, an artist who has worked for al-Fayd for forty years. At the opening of the monument, Mohammed al-Fayed said that he named this sculptural group “Innocent Victims.” He believes that Dodi and Diana died in a fake car accident, their untimely deaths being the result of murder. "The monument is installed here forever. Nothing has been done so far to perpetuate the memory of this amazing woman who brought joy to the world," al-Fayed said. 
The life story of Diana Spencer is shrouded in secrets, many of which still remain unsolved and cause heated discussions.
The novels of the most popular representative of the British royal family were practically the stuff of legends.
Diana's last love was the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed Dodi, the relationship with whom developed rapidly (as if in a mad fever).
In 1996, Diana began dating Pakistani Hasnat Khan, whom she met at the Royal Brompton Hospital.
Hasnat Khan
Their relationship lasted about a year and a half.
They say that it was with Hasnat that Diana again thought about marriage, but the difference in outlook on life still did not allow the couple to build a harmonious relationship.
In 1997, Diana separated from Khan, and her heart became free again.
Many people dreamed of meeting one of the most popular women in the world and the ex-wife of Prince Charles, and therefore Diana had no end to invitations to social events and parties.
Among them was a message from Egyptian businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed, who invited the princess to visit his apartment at an expensive resort in Saint-Tropez.
The billionaire, of course, intended to pay all the expenses of Diana and her sons - 15-year-old William and 12-year-old Harry.
There were many reasons not to refuse the businessman: a break with Hasnat Khan, still simmering feelings and fears about the divorce from Prince Charles, a desire for radical changes in life.
Diana didn’t think for long; soon she and her children flew to visit a stranger with a dubious reputation, Al-Fayed, and the paparazzi followed her.
Dodi Al Fayed
Reporters managed to take many pictures from Al-Fayed's yacht Jonical.
While on the Cote d'Azur, Mohammed introduced the princess to his son Dodi, whom many considered a ladies' man and was credited with having an affair with Julia Roberts.
They say that Diana immediately liked Dodi.
Judging by the photographs where Diana is relaxed and crazy, this is so.
Al-Fayed’s friends recall that after his first meeting with Diana on the yacht, he almost immediately decided for himself that not a single other woman who had been in his life could be even closely compared with her.
And above all, this concerned the actress Kelly Fisher, with whom Dodi was having an affair at that time.
This relationship had to be severed.
Kelly Fisher
True, for some time Al-Fayed, according to one of his former assistants, hesitated and simultaneously communicated with two women at once: Fisher was waiting for Dodi in the villa, while the heartthrob seduced the unsuspecting Diana on the yacht.
The father forced Dodi to put an end to his affair with the actress, who insisted that his son leave her as soon as possible (well, of course, such a loon... what if the fish jumps off the hook. Or game.
Only I think that Diana longed for a man’s love, to be needed by at least someone, she herself threw herself at everyone in a row, grooms, trainers, Pakistani doctors, that Dodik would not have escaped from this)
The paparazzi regularly supplied the tabloids with fresh photographs of Diana and Dodi vacationing together on yachts, and it was al-Fayed who was riding in the car with her on that tragic evening of August 31, 1997.
One of the princess’s employees, majordomo Rene Delorme, almost ten years after the couple’s death in a car accident, said that al-Fayed intended to propose to Diana: “He showed me a beautiful ring, all in diamonds,” Delorme told the British newspaper Daily Express.
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Celebrity biographies
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01.07.17 10:46
Princess Diana was included in the list of "100 Greatest Britons", taking third place in it. And even now, many years after the death of Princess Diana, her personality is of great interest, and daughter-in-law Kate Middleton is constantly compared to her mother-in-law. The death of Princess Diana and the life of Princess Diana are shrouded in mysteries that can no longer be solved.
Princess Diana - biography
Representative of an ancient aristocratic family
Princess Diana of Wales, whom everyone called “Lady Diana” or “Lady Di” for short, was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham (Norfolk). Then her name was Diana Frances Spencer. She belonged to a noble family: her father John Spencer was Viscount Althorp (and later Earl Spencer) and was distantly related to the Dukes of Marlborough (to which Winston Churchill belonged). Also in John's family tree were the bastards of the brother kings Charles the Second and James the Second. Princess Diana's mother's name was Frances Shand Kydd; she could not boast of such ancient noble roots.
The early biography of Princess Diana took place in the family nest of Sandgreenham, with the same governess who raised Frances working with her. After home schooling (primary school), the future Princess Diana went to Sealfield private school, and then moved to Riddlesworth Hall preparatory school. Even then, her father and mother were divorced (divorced in 1969), Diana came under the care of John, like her brother and sisters. The girl was very worried about the separation from her mother, and after that she could not establish a relationship with her strict stepmother.
Newly hired teacher's assistant
In 1973, Princess Diana entered an elite girls' school in Kent, but did not graduate, showing poor results. Having become Lady Diana (when John took over the peerage from his deceased father), the 14-year-old girl moved with her family and her newly-made father, the Earl, to Althorp House Castle in Northamptonshire.
Another attempt to send Diana away from home was made in 1977, when she moved to Switzerland. But, unable to bear parting with her loved ones and her homeland, Diana left Rougemont and returned home. Princess Diana's biography continued in London, where she was given an apartment (for her 18th birthday). Having settled into her new home, Diana invited three friends to be neighbors and got a job in a kindergarten in Pimiliko as a teacher’s assistant.
Personal life of Princess Diana
Hunting meeting
In 1981, she was destined to become Princess Diana of Wales, and we’ll talk about that.
Before she left for Switzerland, Diana was introduced to Queen Elizabeth II's son, Prince Charles, who was taking part in a hunt held at Althorp. This happened in the winter of 1977. But the serious relationship between Princess Diana and Charles began later, in the summer of 1980.
They went on a weekend together (on the royal yacht Britannia), and then Charles introduced Diana to her parents, Elizabeth II and Philip, at the Windsor's Scottish castle, Balmoral. The girl made a good impression, so Charles’s family did not contradict their romance. The couple began dating, and on February 3, 1981, the heir to the throne proposed to Diana at Windsor Castle. She agreed. But the engagement was announced only on February 24. Princess Diana's famous ring with a large sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds cost £30,000. Later it was passed on to Kate Middleton - Princess Diana's eldest son William gave it to the bride upon their engagement.
The most expensive “wedding of the century”
Princess Diana's wedding took place on July 29, 1981 in London's St. Pavel. The celebration began at 11.20, 3.5 thousand distinguished guests were present in the temple, and 750 million viewers watched the “wedding of the century” on TV. Great Britain rejoiced; the Queen declared this day a holiday. After the wedding there was a reception for 120 people. The wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles is recognized as the most expensive in the history of the country - 2.859 million pounds were spent on it.
Princess Diana's wedding dress was made of airy taffeta and lace, with very puffy sleeves, by fashion designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Then it was valued at 9 thousand pounds. Hand embroidery, antique lace, a daring neckline, rhinestones and a long ivory train all looked stunning on the slender bride. To be on the safe side, two copies of Princess Diana's outfit were sewn together, but they were not needed. The newlywed's head was decorated with a tiara.
Desired heirs William and Harry
Princess Diana and Charles spent their honeymoon on a Mediterranean cruise on the yacht Britannia, stopping in Tunisia, Greece, Sardinia and Egypt. Returning to their homeland, the newlyweds went to Balmoral Castle and relaxed in a hunting lodge.
There is also a biopic “The Queen”, about the events after the death of Princess Diana; Helen Mirren portrays Elizabeth II in it.
A bright, extraordinary, freedom-loving personality and wonderful mother, Princess Diana will live in the hearts of millions of people. Her fate was very difficult; having married “because it was necessary,” young Diana dreamed of having a wonderful family and a loving husband.
However, her husband Prince Charles continued to meet with his mistress Camilla, whose existence Lady Di, unfortunately, knew. This fact did not give her peace and a normal life. The woman was constantly in a state of anxiety and suspicion towards her husband.
Over time, she began to look for female happiness on the side. Diana changed many lovers. According to rumors, Hasnat Khat was her only true love, but her lover broke off the relationship in 1997. Then Diana began dating Dodi Al Fayed.
He was the son of an Egyptian billionaire who owned department stores and hotels. Dodi himself was a film producer.
After breaking up with Hasnat Khan, it was very difficult for Diana, she needed consolation. The woman had many invitations from various wealthy men. She responded to one of these. Why not. Dodi's father, Mohammed, invited her and his sons William and Harry to his apartment on the Cote d'Azur. At first, Diana went there with her children; they rode on the Jonikal yacht. Mohammed introduced her to his son, Dodi.
This is where the love story began. Within a few months, the princess and the producer began to relax together on a yacht and even took a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea.
Unlike Khan, Al Fayed was very serious about the princess. They say that he left his girlfriend, model Kelly Fisher, for her sake. There is another opinion that it was simply beneficial for Dodi to have a relationship with Diana, just like her. But he didn’t leave Kelly Fisher. There are also rumors that the princess was pregnant at that time by Hasnat Khan, and she simply needed a wealthy father for the child. One of the priests reported that Lady Di asked him whether people of different faiths could get married.
One way or another, on the day the lovers died, they spent the night at the Ritz Hotel in Paris together. The man bought a ring, perhaps he wanted to propose to Diana. Trying to hide from the paparazzi, the couple ran out of the back door of the hotel and drove away in a car. However, they began to catch up. Hiding from journalists, the driver increased speed and lost control. As a result of the tragedy, both Diana and her new lover Dodi died.
Perhaps the tragedy was staged, and the brakes in Diana’s car were deliberately turned off. But Al Fayed’s assistant said that both the route and the lovers’ car were changed at the last moment, so no one could have time to break their brakes.
More than twenty years have passed since Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed tragically died.
Former BBC journalist royal correspondent Michael Cole, who knew the couple well, talks about their relationship.
Princess Diana's romance with Dodi Al-Fayed was her first official romance since becoming a free woman again. After 15 years in the House of Windsor, she could finally do what she wanted. Before that, she also had a love relationship, but she was forced to keep it a secret because, despite the fact that she and Prince Charles had not lived together for several years, she was still officially his wife. They divorced only in 1996.
The summer of 1997 was the first anniversary of her divorce, and at 36, Lady Diana no longer needed to hide.
The princess was in love and did not care what those who knew her might think of her. But during the seven idyllic weeks that she was with Dodie, neither of them said a word in public. They were completely passionate about each other and did not think about the opinions of others.
They weren't trying to attract media attention. They never posed for photographs, but they didn't hide either.
Former royal correspondent Michael Cole writes: “Knowing the Princess as a sincere person, I have no doubt that she would never have gone with Dodie if she had not been in love.”
But the most important men in her life have always been her sons, Princes William and Harry. She would never do anything to upset them. She didn't want them to be teased at school about their mother's relationship with Dodi if it was just a holiday romance.
“That's why I'm sure she planned to spend her life with Dodie, who adored her and told me straight out that he would never have another woman for him,” says Michael Cole.
For the princess, after years of torment with her husband's friends who spread rumors that she was mentally unstable, it was a revelation: she had found a warm, kind and generous man who considered her the most wonderful woman he had ever met.
Dodi had dated some extremely beautiful girls during his years as a film producer, but with the princess it was different. And for Diana, after many years in an unhappy marriage, love became warmth on a beautiful summer day.
Dodie showed Michael Cole glossy brochures that showed the house he had just bought in Malibu outside Los Angeles. This was originally the home of Julie Andrews. Diana said that she would like to live in America. She believed that the Americans would give her a rest.
Dodi also showed Cole photographs of three apartments in Paris that he was looking at for himself and the princess. She no longer wanted to live in the UK, but wanted to be close enough to see her sons.
Those who believe their relationship was just a fling forget or are unaware that the Princess consulted an Anglican priest about Dodie. She wanted to know if, as a Christian, she could marry a Muslim. She was told that it would be possible. The priest, Father Frank Gelli, confirmed that the princess introduced him to Dodi, who he found “one of the nicest guys I've ever met.”
Both Dodie and Diana flew by helicopter to Derbyshire to the home of a trusted spiritual guide. Why? He could give advice to the woman about their future together.
The couple didn't pose for photos, but they didn't hide either.
Dodie had the means to care for the princess, who admitted to actress Rita Rogers that she came with “a lot of baggage from the past.”
“Dodi was willing to bear this burden, and I know that the princess appreciated it. But the main thing that attracted Diana to Dodi was the love she saw in the Fayed family.”
When she was 6 years old, she saw her mother leave to marry another man. Diana at that time wanted one thing more than any other: to be part of a happy, close-knit family. This did not work out for her either in childhood or in her marriage to Prince Charles. In Dodi's family, she was finally able to see and feel it. Dodi had many younger brothers and sisters, and they all treated Diana with great warmth and love, which was very important to her.
The most important men in Diana's life were always Princes William and Harry
After her first celebration with the Fayed family had passed, Diana called Rita Rogers to thank her for organizing the event. She said: “We're all sitting here in KP (Kensington Palace) suffering the worst kind of withdrawal. We just had the most wonderful holiday of our lives.”
On August 31, 1997, Dodi asked his valet, Rene Delorme, to place the ring on the nightstand in his Paris apartment when they returned from dinner. He also said to put the champagne on ice.
Rene believed that the engagement was inevitable. But, of course, Dodi and Diana did not return.
Former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole writes: “What remains in my everlasting memory is the enormous courage and resilience of Mohammed Al-Fayed and his family as they dealt with the death of their eldest son and the princess in the glare of constant media attention.
People were deeply touched by Dodi's loss and expressed their sympathy for his father in a way that was heartwarming to see. Why did Diana's death affect people so much? I think it's because she was able to connect people with the best side of herself.
People saw that Lady Di was on the verge of her new and happy life with Dodi when her life was suddenly cut short, so horribly and cruelly.”
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