FULL NAME: Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer)
DATE OF BIRTH: 07/01/1961 (Cancer)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Sandringham, UK
EYE COLOR: Blue
HAIR COLOR: blond
FAMILY STATUS: Married
FAMILY: Parents: John Spencer, Frances Shand Kydd. Spouse: Prince Charles. Children: William Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry of Wales
HEIGHT: 178 cm
OCCUPATION: Princess of Wales
Biography:
From 1981 to 1996, the first wife of Prince Charles of Wales, heir to the British throne. Popularly known as Princess Diana, Lady Diana or Lady Di. According to a survey conducted in 2002 by the BBC, Diana was ranked 3rd in the list of the hundred greatest Britons in history.
Born July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk to John Spencer. Her father was Viscount Althorp, a branch of the same Spencer-Churchill family as the Duke of Marlborough and Winston Churchill. Diana's paternal ancestors were of royal blood through the illegitimate sons of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of his brother and successor, King James II. The Earls Spencer have long lived in the very center of London, in Spencer House.
Diana spent her childhood in Sandringham, where she received her primary education at home. Her teacher was governess Gertrude Allen, who also taught Diana's mother. She continued her education in Sealfield, at a private school near King's Line, and then at Riddlesworth Hall preparatory school.
When Diana was 8 years old, her parents divorced. She stayed to live with her father, along with her sisters and brother. The divorce had a profound impact on the girl, and soon a stepmother appeared in the house, who disliked the children.
In 1975, following the death of her grandfather, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer and she received the courtesy title "Lady", reserved for the daughters of high peers. During this period, the family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Northamptonshire.
At the age of 12, the future princess was accepted into a privileged girls' school at West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent. Here she turned out to be a bad student and could not graduate. At the same time, her musical abilities were beyond doubt. The girl was also interested in dancing. In 1977, she briefly attended school in the Swiss city of Rougemont. Once in Switzerland, Diana soon began to miss home and returned to England ahead of schedule.
In 1978, she moved to London, where she first stayed in her mother’s apartment (who then spent most of her time in Scotland). As a gift for her 18th birthday, she received her own apartment worth £100,000 in Earls Court, where she lived with three friends. During this period, Diana, who had previously adored children, began working as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten in Pimlico.
Diana first met Charles, Prince of Wales, at the age of sixteen, in November 1977, when he came to Althorp on a hunting trip. He dated her older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. One weekend in the summer of 1980, Diana and Sarah were guests at one of the country residences, and she saw Charles playing polo, and he showed serious interest in Diana as a potential future bride. Their relationship developed further when Charles invited Diana to Cowes one weekend for a ride on the royal yacht Britannia. This invitation followed immediately after a visit to Balmoral Castle (the Scottish residence of the royal family). There, one weekend in November 1980, they met with Charles's family.
Over the course of five years of married life, the spouses' incompatibility and an age difference of almost 13 years became obvious and destructive. Diana's belief that Charles had an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles also had a negative impact on the marriage. Already in the early 1990s, the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales fell apart. The world media first hushed up the event and then made a sensation out of it. The Prince and Princess of Wales spoke to the press through friends, and each blamed the other for the collapse of their marriage.
Diana presenting the trophy to Guillermo Gracida Jr. at a polo tournament at Guards Polo Club in 1986
The first reports of difficulties in the relationship between spouses appeared already in 1985. Prince Charles has reportedly rekindled his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. And then Diana began an extramarital relationship with Major James Hewitt. These adventures were described in Andrew Morton's book "Diana: Her True Story", published in May 1992. The book, which also showed the suicidal tendencies of the unfortunate princess, caused a storm in the media. In 1992 and 1993, recordings of telephone conversations were leaked to the media, which negatively reflected on both royal antagonists. Tape recordings of conversations between the Princess and James Gilbey were provided to the Sun newspaper's hotline in August 1992, and transcripts of intimate conversations were published in the newspaper the same month. Next, in November 1992, tapes containing intimate details of the Prince of Wales's relationship surfaced. and Camille, also picked up by the tabloids. On 9 December 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced the couple's "amicable separation" in the House of Commons. In 1993, the Trinity Mirror newspaper (MGN company) published photographs of the princess in tights and cycling shorts while working out at one of the fitness centers. The photographs were taken by the owner of the fitness center, Bruce Taylor. The princess's lawyers immediately demanded an indefinite ban on the sale and publication of photographs around the world. Despite this, some newspapers outside the UK managed to reprint them. The court upheld the claim against Taylor and MGN, prohibiting further publication of the photographs. MGN eventually apologized after facing a wave of public criticism. It was said that the princess received £1 million in legal fees and £200,000 was donated to charities she headed. Taylor also apologized and paid Diana £300,000, although it was alleged that members of the royal family helped him financially.
In 1993, Princess Margaret burned “particularly personal” letters Diana wrote to the Queen Mother, deeming them “too personal.” Biographer William Shawcross wrote: "No doubt Princess Margaret felt she was protecting her mother and other members of the family." He suggested that Princess Margaret's actions were understandable, although regrettable from a historical perspective.
Diana blamed Camilla Parker-Bowles, who had previously had a relationship with the Prince of Wales, for her marital problems, and at some point she began to believe that he had other affairs. In October 1993, the princess wrote to a friend that she suspected her husband of having an affair with his personal assistant (his sons' former nanny), Tiggy Legg-Brooke, and that he wanted to marry her. Legg-Bourke was hired by the prince as a young companion for his sons while they were in his care, and the princess was resentful of Legg-Bourke and dissatisfied with her attitude towards the young princes. On December 3, 1993, the Princess of Wales announced the end of her public and social life.
At the same time, rumors began to appear about the Princess of Wales's affair with James Hewitt, a former riding instructor. These rumors were made public in Anna Pasternak's 1994 book entitled "The Princess in Love", which was made into a film of the same name by director David Green in 1996. Julie Cox starred as the Princess of Wales, and Christopher Villiers portrayed James Hewitt.
On 29 June 1994, in a television interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, Prince Charles appealed to the public for understanding. In the interview, he confirmed his extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, saying he rekindled the relationship in 1986 when his marriage to the princess was "irretrievably broken down." Tina Brown, Sally Bedell-Smith and Sarah Bradford, like many other biographers, fully supported Diana's 1995 BBC Panorama confession; in it she said that she suffered from depression, bulimia and subjected herself to self-torture many times. The show transcript records Diana's confessions, confirming many of the problems she told interviewer Martin Bashir about, including "cuts on her arms and legs." The combination of illnesses from which Diana herself said she suffered led some of her biographers to suggest that she had borderline personality disorder.
On August 31, 1997, Diana died in Paris in a car accident along with Dodi al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul. Al-Fayed and Paul died instantly, Diana, taken from the scene (in the tunnel in front of the Alma bridge on the Seine embankment) to the Salpêtrière hospital, died two hours later.
The cause of the accident is not entirely clear; there are a number of versions (the driver was intoxicated, the need to escape at speed from being pursued by paparazzi, as well as various conspiracy theories). The only surviving passenger in the Mercedes S280 with license plate 688 LTV 75, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (Russian)English, who was seriously injured (his face had to be reconstructed by surgeons), does not remember the events.
On December 14, 2007, a report was presented by the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard, Lord John Stevens, who stated that the British investigation confirmed the findings that the blood alcohol content of car driver Henri Paul at the time of his death was three times higher than the French legal limit. legislation In addition, the speed of the car exceeded the permissible speed in this place twice. Lord Stevens also noted that the passengers, including Diana, were not wearing seat belts, which also played a role in their deaths.
Princess Diana as a child
Diana was born in Norfolk on the private estate of the Windsor dynasty, Sandringham. Diana's ancestors through her father John Spencer came from royal families through the illegitimate son of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of James II. Frances Rood, Diana's mother, was also from an aristocratic family. Diana spent her childhood in her native Sandringham Palace. There the girl received her primary education at home.
Little Diana. (pinterest.com)
Diana in childhood. (pinterest.com)
Her governess was Gertrude Allen, who had previously taught Diana's mother. A little later, the girl entered Silfield private school, and then Riddlesworth Hall preparatory school.
Diana as a teenager. (pinterest.com)
In 1969, Diana's parents divorced. The girl remained to live with her father in her home. Diana's sisters and brother stayed with them. The eight-year-old girl was very upset about the separation of those closest to her. Soon John Spencer married for the second time. The new stepmother did not like the children. Living in her own family was becoming increasingly difficult for Diana.
The Spencer Family, 1975. (pinterest.com)
When Diana was 12 years old, she was accepted into a privileged school for girls in Kent. Alas, Diana was unable to cope with her studies; she was never able to finish school. However, teachers noted her unconditional talent for music and dancing.
School years. (pinterest.com)
In 1975, Diana's grandfather, John's father, died. John Spencer automatically became the eighth Earl of Spencer, and Diana herself received the title of Lady. At the same time, the whole family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House (Nottroughtonshire).
Youth
In 1977, Diana entered school in Rougemont (Switzerland). Soon the girl began to feel very homesick. As a result, in 1978, she decided to return to her native England.
Young Diana. (pinterest.com)
With a pony. (pinterest.com)
At first, Diana lived in the London apartment of her mother, who then mainly lived in Scotland. Two years later, in honor of her 18th birthday, Diana received an apartment in Earls Court as a gift. There she lived for some time with three friends.
Diana decided to find a job and got a job as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten in central London. Diana adored children, so work was a joy for her.
Princess Diana and Charles
Diana met her future husband in the winter of 1977. At that time, Prince Charles came to Althrop to hunt. Diana took a liking to the noble young man at first sight.
On July 29, 1981, Diana and Charles married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. A lush silk taffeta wedding dress with huge sleeves, a deep neckline and a long train, decorated with hand embroidery, pearls and rhinestones, has become one of the most famous dresses in history.
Charles and Diana on their wedding day. (pinterest.com)
3.5 thousand guests were invited to the ceremony, and 750 million people watched the wedding process live.
During the honeymoon, 1981. (pinterest.com)
In Scotland, 1981. (pinterest.com)
In 1982, Diana gave birth to a son, William. Two years later, another child appeared in the family - son Harry.
Family photo. (pinterest.com)
Diana and Charles with children. (pinterest.com)
Diana with children. (pinterest.com)
Princess Diana and Dodie
In the early 1990s, the relationship between Diana and Charles became cold. The discord between the spouses occurred due to Charles's intimate relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a married woman whom the prince dated before the wedding.
Diana herself kept in touch for some time with James Hewitt, her riding instructor. As a result, in 1992, Diana and Charles separated, but decided not to file a divorce. Queen Elizabeth II insisted on an official break. In 1996, Diana and Charles signed all the necessary documents.
In 1997, information appeared in the press that Lady Diana began a whirlwind romance with Dodi Al-Fayed, a successful film producer and son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Diana and Dodi. (pinterest.com)
However, neither Diana herself nor her close friends confirmed this fact. It is likely that these were rumors.
Social activity
Lady Diana was called the “queen of hearts” - the woman was famous for her tender attitude towards the people, her care for those who were much less fortunate in this life than herself. Thus, Diana was quite actively involved in charity work, was an activist in the fight against AIDS, was engaged in peacekeeping activities and opposed the production of anti-personnel mines.
Princess in Moscow, 1995. (pinterest.com)
In 1995, Princess Diana of Wales visited Moscow. She visited the Tushino Children's Hospital and donated expensive equipment. The next day, Diana went to primary school No. 751, where she opened a branch of the Waverly House fund for helping disabled children.
Death of Princess Diana
On August 31, 1997, in a tunnel under the Pont Alma in Paris, Diana, Dodi Al-Fayed, Trevor Rhys Jones (bodyguard) and Henri Paul (driver) were involved in a car accident.
Dodi and Henri died on the spot. Diana was taken to the Salpêtrière hospital. For two hours, doctors fought for the life of the princess, but the injuries she received turned out to be incompatible with life.
The cause of the accident is still unknown. Trevor was unable to reconstruct the chain of events. Journalists put forward several versions of the disaster: Henri Paul's drunkenness, speeding in the hope of breaking away from the paparazzi, and a conspiracy theory against Diana.
Fifteen years ago, on the night of August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car accident in Paris.
Diana, Princess of Wales, née Lady Diana Frances Spencer, is the former wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, and the mother of Princes William and Harry.
In 1975, Diana's father Edward John Spencer assumed the title of Earl.
Diana studied at Riddlesworth Hall School in Norfolk and West Heath School in Kent, then at school in Chateau d'Oex in Switzerland.
After finishing school, she returned to England and began working as a kindergarten teacher in London.
Their first son, William, was born on June 21, 1982, and their second son, Harry, was born two years later on September 15, 1984.
After the divorce, Diana was deprived of the right to be called a member of the royal family, but she retained the title of Princess of Wales.
There are several versions of the cause of Princess Diana's death.
In January 2004, hearings were launched to establish the circumstances of the death of Dodi al-Fayed and Princess Diana.
The hearing was adjourned pending an investigation into the Paris car crash and was resumed on 2 October 2007 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The jury heard testimony from more than 250 witnesses from eight countries.
Following the hearings, the jurors came to the conclusion that the illegal actions of the tabloid journalists who were pursuing their car, and the careless driving of the car by the driver Henri Paul. The main cause of the accident was said to be drunken driving by Henri Paul.
By the end of 2013, Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana lived after her divorce, . The couple will move into the new wing, which was occupied by Queen Elizabeth II's sister, Princess Margaret, until her death.
On June 21, 2012, on his thirtieth birthday, Prince William inherited it from his late mother. The total amount was ten million pounds sterling (about $15.7 million).
Many books have been written about Princess Diana, films have been made, including the film “Unlawful Killing” directed by Keith Allen, which was shown at the 64th Cannes Film Festival.
In September 1997, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was founded using public donations and proceeds from the sale of souvenirs, including Elton John's single "Candle In The Wind" dedicated to the princess. fund).
In March 1998, it was announced that the foundation would provide grants of £1 million to each of the six charities officially supported by Princess Diana (English National Ballet, Leprosy Mission, National AIDS Society, Centrepoint, Children's Hospital Great Ormond Street, Royal Marsden Hospital).
Grants of £1 million were also provided to the Children's Osteopathic Center and organizations that help landmine victims. A further £5 million was shared among around 100 other charities in the arts, health, education, sport and children's sectors.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Twenty years ago, on August 31, 1997, a car accident occurred in a tunnel in front of the Alma bridge on the Seine embankment, in which Diana Frances Spencer died. Princess Diana was not just a public favorite, but also a public figure and philanthropist. With Dina's participation, hundreds of charitable foundations were created in different countries. Diana supported organizations that helped people with AIDS, the Royal Mardsen Foundation, the Leprosy Mission, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Centerpoint Homeless Centre, the English National Ballet and many others.
Many of Diana's trips around the world were associated with visiting homeless people, refugees, people with disabilities, and people with HIV. In the second half of the 1990s, Princess Diana was active in efforts to ban anti-personnel landmines. To convince governments to abandon this type of weapon, Diana traveled to many countries, from Angola to Bosnia, visiting hospitals and mobile hospitals to see with her own eyes the consequences of using high-explosive mines.
"Philanthropist" recalls Princess Diana's major charitable projects, including her visit to Russia in 1995.
Attitude towards patients with HIV
In April 1987, Princess Diana was invited to Middlesex Hospital to open the UK's first AIDS ward. At that time there was a lot of speculation about AIDS and a lot of fear. Princess Diana wanted to dispel this myth; in the department, she took off her gloves and shook hands with all the patients at the clinic. Photos of Princess Diana shaking hands with an HIV patient have spread all over the world. From that moment on, Diana began to deal with the problems of combating AIDS.
So, in February 1989, the princess visited New York, where she visited the Harlem Hospital for Children with AIDS. She spent an hour and a half there and spent most of the time talking with the children and staff. “Underneath the external shine hides a heart of real gold,” the media wrote after this visit. “She did it spontaneously, tenderly picking up a seven-year-old boy from Harlem who was dying of AIDS. How many of us millions of mothers would do this? We are assured that there is no risk of contracting the world's worst disease through hugs, but babies have wet hands and slobbery kisses. Can we honestly admit that we would not have felt the fear rather than the all-encompassing tenderness that Diana felt when she confessed: “I feel very sad when I think about how I held that little boy in my arms. I still think about him."
In subsequent years, she regularly visited children with AIDS, including visits to a hospice in Toronto and a hospital for HIV orphans in Rio de Janeiro.
After Diana's death, Gavin Hart, founder of the National AIDS Trust, said: "In our opinion, Diana did more to help people with HIV than anyone else, and to this day no one is doing anything like it." .
Help for lepers
Princess Diana often went on missionary trips to countries where leprosy rates remained high. She was a patron of The Leprosy Mission, and visited hospitals in India, Nepal, and Zimbabwe. She easily communicated with patients, spent a lot of time with them, and thus helped fight public opinion and myths about this disease.
“It always seemed important to me to touch lepers, to shake their hands, so I wanted to show people that these patients are the same people, that they are not outcasts. You can touch people with leprosy and not get infected,” said Diana.
Homeless and refugees
In 1992, Princess Diana became a trustee of London's Centerpoint homeless center and helped them a lot until her death. Diana took both her sons, Prince William and Harry, with her to the center. At the age of 23, Prince William continued his mother's work and became a trustee of this organization.
He told The Telegraph: “My mother showed me this side of life many years ago. This was a real revelation for me and I am very grateful to her for this.”
Love for children
Princess Diana loved children very much, loved to play and communicate with them. She was a patron of the Royal Mardsen Hospital, which had a good oncology department, and of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. There are many photographs of Princess Diana where she talks to children, hugs or listens to them.
In an interview, she talked about working at the Royal Brompton Hospital: “I go there at least three times a week, spend several hours with the children, sometimes just holding their hands or talking. Some of them will live, some will not, but each of them needs love here and now. I want to give them this love.”
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The fight to abolish anti-personnel mines
In January 1997, Princess Diana visited Angola as part of a Red Cross mission; the number of mines remaining in the land was then estimated at nine million, out of a population of 10 million people. “I read statistics that in Angola there are more people with amputated body parts than anywhere else in the world,” Diana recalled. “But even knowing all this, I was not prepared for what I saw.”
The princess also visited the most heavily mined city in Angola, Quito. There she walked through a recently cleared field. For safety, she put on a blue bulletproof vest and covered her face behind a special bulletproof screen.
Diana's son Prince Harry, a trustee of The HALO Trust, was also in Angola and wore a suit, in one of his speeches he called on the whole world to get rid of weapons by 2025.
ANGOLA – JANUARY 05: Diana, Princess of Wales wearing protective body armor and a visor visits a landmine minefield being cleared by the charity Halo in Huambo, Angola (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)
Ballet and theater
The princess was very fond of ballet, and after her divorce in 1995, she became even more active in helping non-profit organizations. And the only project not related to social issues was the English National Ballet. She often went to performances and took her sons, William and Harry, with her. She held fundraising balls and galas, which helped raise hundreds of pounds to support the theatre.
Princess Diana and Mother Teresa
In February 1992, Diana came to India and visited a shelter for abandoned children, a leper colony and a hospice founded by Mother Teresa in Calcutta. Inside the hospice, she saw rows of cots on which lay hundreds of sick and dying people.
Upon returning to Kensington Palace, Lady Diana wrote: “Finally, after so many years of searching, I have found my way. When I arrived at Mother Teresa’s hospice, the sisters of mercy sang a solemn hymn especially for me. It was an unforgettable spiritual experience. My spirit literally soared. The emotions were so strong that they could not help but have a huge impact on me. I only now realized that with all my heart, with all my soul I want to do this business on a global scale.”
Princess Diana in Russia
On June 15-16, 1995, Princess Diana flew to Moscow. One of her things to do in the capital was a visit to the Tushino Children's Hospital, to which the princess had previously provided charitable assistance (Diana donated medical equipment to the hospital).
“A very calm and persistent woman. She went into the trauma department, and there were children there after road and train accidents, and she saw all the wounds. Even those accompanying her fainted, but she calmly walked through the department,” recalled Viktor Shein, at that time deputy chief physician for surgery at the Tushino hospital
According to the participants of the visit, during the visit to the hospital, the princess violated the protocol of the meeting: she ignored the offices of the heads of the clinic, passing by, because she was in a hurry to the wards of small patients and the playroom. Diana persistently asked her translator to translate in detail everything that the children told her. In the playroom, the princess surprised everyone: she sat on her knees in front of the kids and started playing with them.
On June 16, 1995, at the British Embassy in Moscow, Princess Diana was awarded the International Leonardo Prize. This public award is awarded to philanthropists and people who have made personal contributions to the development of the humanitarian field.
Inspiration and support
Even after death, the name of Princess Diana continues to help.
In September 1997, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was founded using donations and proceeds from the sale of memorabilia, including Elton John's single "Candle In The Wind" dedicated to the princess. ).
In March 1998, it was announced that the foundation would provide grants of £1 million to each of the six charities officially supported by Princess Diana (English National Ballet, Leprosy Mission, National AIDS Society, Centerpoint, Children's Hospital Great Ormond Street, Royal Marsden Hospital).
Now the organization helps hospices and palliative care, homeless people and refugees, prisoners, the fund issues grants to hundreds of organizations around the world.
Since its founding in 1998, the fund has raised and distributed more than £138 million in aid and grants (2012 figures).
Currently, the work of the fund is supervised by the sons of Princess Diana - Prince William and Prince Harry.
Princess Diana always sought to instill in her sons a love of charity and a desire to help people. She took William and Harry with her when she visited patients in hospitals and the homeless. The now grown brothers actively support all the social projects that their mother helped.
Anna
Because her whole life took place with the participation of photographers. Even death. It happened that she was a princess.
Tanto
For some reason, all of Diana’s good deeds took place with the participation of photographers. True charity is not public.
Diana Frances Spencer, Princess of Wales is the first wife of Prince Charles of Wales (from 1981 to 1996), heir to the British throne. Also known as Lady Diana or Lady Di.
So, here is a short biography of Princess Diana.
Biography of Princess Diana
Princess Diana was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk. She grew up and was brought up in an English aristocratic family. Her father John Spencer, holder of the title Viscount Althorp, was a military and political figure. Frances Shand Kydd's mother also came from an aristocratic family.
An interesting fact is that Princess Diana belonged to the same family as.
Childhood and youth
Diana spent her entire childhood in Sandringham, where she was educated at home. She then studied at the elite Sealfield School, after which she continued her studies at Riddlesworth Hall.
The future princess had a rather flexible character, but was somewhat stubborn. The teachers recalled that Diana really liked and. In her drawings, she often depicted her father and mother, who decided to divorce when she was only 8 years old.
Princess Diana as a child Diana suffered the separation of her parents very painfully. Having reached the age of 12, she was sent to study at the prestigious West Hill School for Girls.
During this period of her biography, Diana became seriously interested in music and dancing, but her studies did not cause much enthusiasm. According to some sources, exact sciences were difficult for her, which is why she repeatedly failed exams.
In 1977, Diana met Prince Charles for the first time. It is curious that at this meeting the young people did not show any interest in each other.
In the same year, the girl was sent to study in. However, after staying in this country for a short time, the future princess returned home because she experienced strong nostalgia for her homeland.
In 1978, Diana received an apartment as a gift from her mother, in which she began to live with 3 friends. The future princess loved children very much, as a result of which she later got a job in a local kindergarten as a teacher’s assistant. She always remained simple and friendly, and was not afraid to take on any job.
Prince Charles and the wedding
In 1980, Diana met again with Prince Charles, whose parents wanted to find him a worthy wife. It is worth noting that Queen Elizabeth was very concerned that her son had a romantic relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, who was legally married.
However, when romantic feelings flared up between Diana and Charles, the prince's relatives were delighted. They say that even Camilla was sincerely happy about this.
Diana Spencer and Prince Charles Initially, the prince invited Diana on his yacht, after which he took her to Balmoral Palace to meet her relatives. Later, Charles proposed to his beloved, to which she agreed.
The engagement was officially announced on February 24, 1981. At the same time, the British were able to see the bride’s famous ring - an expensive sapphire encrusted with 14 diamonds.
The wedding of Charles and Diana became the most expensive wedding ceremony in history. It took place in St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29, 1981. Before the wedding, a parade was organized through the capital's streets.
Members of the royal family rode in carriages, accompanied by cavalry. Along the road along which the wedding procession passed, about 600 thousand British people gathered, wanting to see the bride and groom. An interesting fact is that Lady Diana was the first Englishwoman in the last 3 centuries to become the wife of the heir to the throne.
Wedding of Diana and Charles The groom was dressed in the full uniform of a naval commander, while the bride wore a luxurious white dress with an 8-meter veil. On Diana's head was a tiara decorated with precious stones.
The wedding ceremony was watched by about 750 million television viewers around the world. In total, more than £3 million was spent on the wedding.
Divorce
Initially, there was complete idyll between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but later the family union cracked. Articles began to appear in the press talking about Charles's love affairs.
In particular, he continued to date Camilla Parker-Bowles, as a result of which Diana found it increasingly difficult to maintain a family hearth.
An interesting fact is that the prince did not even try to hide his connections with his mistress. At the same time, Queen Elizabeth supported her son in every possible way, which further complicated the situation. This led to Diana also having a favorite in James Hewitt, who was a riding coach.
In 1995, there were rumors that Princess Diana was having an affair with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, whom she met by chance in the hospital. However, due to different social status and Diana’s official marriage, their relationship could not continue.
In 1996, Queen Elizabeth insisted on a divorce between her son and Princess Diana. Thus, their marriage lasted only 5 years. In this union they had two boys - William and Harry.
After the divorce, Diana was repeatedly spotted in the company of film producer and son of Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed. However, it is difficult to say how close their relationship was.
Death
On August 31, 1997, while visiting Princess Diana, she died in a car accident. Besides her, there were three other people in the car, including the driver. The car crashed into a concrete support while driving under the Alma Bridge.
Princess Diana's wrecked car Princess Diana died 2 hours later in a local hospital. Other passengers also died, except the princess's bodyguard, who suffered serious head injuries.
Lady Di's death was a real shock not only for the British, but also for people around the world. The princess's funeral ceremony took place on September 6. Diana Frances Spencer found peace on the Spencer family estate of Althorp in Northamptonshire, on a small island.
Sea of flowers at Princess Diana's palace At the moment, experts cannot agree on the true cause of the car accident.
- Some investigators suggest that Diana's driver tried to break away from the car with the paparazzi.
- According to another version, the accident could have been faked.
In fact, there are many assumptions and theories regarding the tragedy that occurred.
10 years after the terrible accident, Scotland Yard police confirmed the fact of twice the speed limit on this section of the highway. In addition, investigators announced that the driver had alcohol in his blood that was three times the legal limit.
Today, a copy of the torch of the New York Statue of Liberty, located near the site of the tragedy, has been turned into a spontaneous memorial to Princess Diana.
Memory
Lady Di, as many called the princess, was greatly loved by her compatriots. She devoted a lot of energy and time to charity.
The woman periodically transferred large sums of money to various funds. In addition, she repeatedly provided material and moral assistance to ordinary people.
In 1998, Time named Diana one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2002, according to a BBC poll, Diana was ranked 3rd on the list of the greatest Britons. Thanks to this, she was ahead of Queen Elizabeth and other monarchs.
The deceased princess was sung in songs by various famous performers, including Elton John, Depeche Mode and others. 10 years after the tragedy, the premiere of a film took place, which told about the last day of Diana’s life.
Perhaps in the future we will learn the true cause of the car accident that claimed the life of the beloved Princess Diana.
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