Saturday 31 August 1997 is one of these days that you remember exactly where you were. The whole world woke up with the devastating news of Diana’s death. At first I thought it was a joke, but soon I saw the news on the television and watched all day… She was only 36…

Youth

Diana was born Diana Frances Spencer on the 1st of July 1961. Her parents were John Spencer, Viscount Althorp and Frances Spencer (née Roche). She had two older sisters and one younger brother. Both her grandmothers, Cynthia Spencer and Ruth Roche had served as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Within the family, she was also known informally as “Duch”.

Diana always stated that she did not have an happy childhood. At the age of seven, Diana’s parents got divorced. Her mother remarried with Peter Shand Kydd in 1969. It was an ugly divorced and in the end Lord Althorp won the custody of the children with the support from his former mother-in-law, Lady Fermoy. In 1976, her father Lord Althorp married Raine, Countess of Dartmouth. Diana and Raine were not getting on very well. In 1975, when her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, Diana became Lady Diana and the family moved to Althorp.

As a teenager, Diana was quite shy. She loved music and was an accomplished pianist. She also excelled in swimming and diving, and studied ballet and tap dance. She went to a finishing school in Switzerland (Institut Alpin Videmanette), but left after the first term. Back in Londen, she shared her mother’s flat with two school friends. She took a couple of different jobs. On er 18th birthday, her mother bought her her own flat at Coleherne Court in Earl’s Court where she lived with three flatmates.

Marriage

In 1977, Charles, the Prince of Wales, was dating Diana’s older sister Sarah. Diana met him during that courtship. They later met again in 1980 and Prince Charles started considering her as a potential future bride. She soon was invited at Balmoral and everything went quite quickly. He proposed in February 1981 and she accepted. Their engagement was officially announced on 24 February 1981 when they gave their famous interview during which Charles said the infamous words “Whatever love means”… In the months prior to their wedding, Diana first moved in with the Queen Mother at Clarence House and later at Buckingham Palace.

The wedding took place on 29 July 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral. Fun fact, Diana was so nervous that she inadvertently reversed the order of his first two names, saying “Philip Charles” Arthur George instead. From then on, she was known as Diana, Princess of Wales.

Children

Soon after their wedding, in November, it was announced that the couple was expecting their first child. On 21 June 1982, their son Prince William was born. He soon became a big brother as their second son, Harry, was born on 15 September 1984.

Diana was born to be a mother and tried to give her sons a wider experiences than was usual for royal children. She tried to be a hands-on mom doing as many (school)activities as possible.

Marriage in trouble

Charles and Diana were two very different persons and ultimately, their marriage broke down. After five years, both started relationships elsewhere; Diana with Major James Hewitt and Charles resumed his relationship with his former girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles. As Hewitt had the same haircolor as Harry, the media speculated that Hewitt was the father. But the dates just don’t match.

By the late 80s, cracks in their marriage became visible. They were oviously cold to eachother. The War of the Wales was spread widely in the tabloids. In 1992, Andrew Morton’s book, Diana: Her True Story, was published. At first, Diana denied being involved. Later it was revealed that she actually had conducted secret interviews and had sent the tapes to Morton. After her death Morton published an updated edition, Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words.

Panorama Interview

The Queen and Prince Philip wanted the pair to reconcile but that seemed impossible. In December 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced the couple’s “amicable separation” to the House of Commons.

During the next couple of years, a lot was published about the estranged couple. Transcripts of phone conversations were published; Charles gave a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby on 29 June 1994. In the interview, he admitted his relationship with Parker Bowles after his marriage to Diana had “irretrievably broken down”. Diana’s answer was fantastic with her revenge dress!

On 20 November 1995, the famous Panorama interview aired with journalist Martin Bashir. Amongst many things, Diana said: “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” It was recently revealed that Bashir misleaded Diana and her brother to have her accept to give the interview. The interview was the final straw and the Queen advised the couple to divorce. In July 1996, the couple agreed on the terms of their divorce and all was finalised on 28 August 1996.

Free woman

After her divorce, Diana remained at Kensington Palace. During her marriage she supported many charities. She continued to support many of them close to her heart like landmines and HIV.

She dated the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, who was called “the love of her life” by many of her friends. She even visited his family in Pakistan (in secret). But Khan found it too complicated being a very private person. Their relationship lasted almost two years. It probably ended by the summer of 1997. It’s arguable to say that she dated Dodi Fayed to make him jaleous.

She met Dodi, Mohamed Al-Fayed’s son, when he invited her for a holiday with her sons in the South of France. They soon after started to date. It was very much on the mind of the tabloids by the end of August.

Death

On 31 August 1997, while in Paris, Diana died in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. The couple had been staying in the he Hôtel Ritz Paris, but wanted some privacy and asked Dodi’s chauffeur Henri Paul, to drive them to Dodi’s flat. The paparazzi chased them adn the car hit one of the pillars in the tunnel.

The world was in chock and her funeral on 6 September, was watched by millions of people.

Legacy

It’s been over 25 years, but still Diana remains an icon and is often spoken about. Let’s not forget her.

A lot has been written about her, this is a selection:

Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton

Diana: Style Icon: A Celebration of the fashion of Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales
by Dan Jones

And my favourite coffee table book: Diana: The Portrait by Rosalind Coward

For more pictures of Diana, have a look at my Pinterest board: