Who else could have honored AIDS awareness more with a hug other than the venerated Princess Diana? Haunted by romantic illusions and the tumultuous attention of the crushing media, the Princess of Wales lived her life honestly and with compassion, all the way until it was unfortunately cut short in 1997. More on her wrongful demise later.
The “People’s Princess,” born on July 1st, 1961 near Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Diana Frances Spencer formed an empathetic devotion towards humanitarian causes. In her early life, she was the youngest daughter of divorced parents Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, their separation possibly hinting towards her lack of educational prowess in school as well as low self-esteem. Nonetheless, she took a maternal interest in her beloved brother Charles Earl Spencer, who provided her with endless joy. Additionally, her primary school left her with an assortment of nicknames, one of which was Duchess, from the Walt Disney animated film The Aristocats. Long after her childhood, finishing school tested her ability to complete comprehensive tasks, such as simple tests. This lack of skill most likely stretched from her demands to become a housewife, pressed down upon her from her parents. She never developed the desire for country sports. She never could differentiate between the expectations of a midteen and a royal adult. But perhaps her extra professions gave her a deserved taste of clarity, like her brief term as a kindergarten teacher at the Young England School in Pimlico, or to look after the infant son of an American couple in a small London flat.
The most significant event in Diana’s life involved her marriage with Prince Charles in 1981, nearly a year after Prince Charles proposed to her at a barbecue party. What a location, no? Anyway, of course Diana accepted. She knew her role in royal society—to bear children, to live, and to love . . . maybe. However, she couldn’t say no, not after Prince Charles’ uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten was assassinated. Her sympathy was truly too great for this world. And then the prince had received what he ordered: a beautiful virgin with an unwavering pedigree and gossamer. Diana had forever been set on a husband and growing old together, but her friends weren’t very assured on their compatibility, especially since Charles was raised off of completely different values. The wedding attracted a media audience of more than 600,000 people waiting for the arrival of the first Englishwoman to marry an heir to the throne in over three years outside of Buckingham Palace.
So what further? What better way than to connect the new heir to the public then have her first tour in Wales? Not only did she impress the delightful hosts by her reverence and panache, but she also delivered a speech in Welsh. Her popularity skyrocketed to massive levels, eventually threatening Prince Charles’ ego. Once people started to complain that they could not see Diana traveling by car, Charles became distressed.
Following a very skewed timeline, Diana produced two children, William on June 21st, 1982, and Henry (called Harry) on September 15th, 1984. In 1983, the children were brought on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, breaking royal tradition, but starting in 1982, Diana had already been involved in many solo-tours around the world to advocate for the destruction of land mines, compassion for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, working with numerous children’s welfare groups. She encouraged her sons to grow up the same, supporting those around them with consideration and responding to the needs of their friends. Also, Diana made sure to take them to visit many patients either suffering cystic fibrosis or AIDS once again.
Unfortunately, her detachment from social norms polluted her life with stigma and bigotry from particular reporters focused on revealing her legs through long skirts, but she fought back maturely with minimalist clothing. Diana was now a fashion icon by 1995 for all women, having her dresses auctioned off to raise money for charity. Doesn’t she just rock every style?
Princess Diana and Prince Charles divorced in 1996, leaving her with the decision to abandon many charities as a key patron, but this wouldn’t stop her from attending campaigns for countless illnesses. The notion that soon hit her would be one of common fears: was it ever love from the start? Her constant battle with emotions of ambivalence included onslaughts of bulimia, an eating disorder, and three attempts to exit this world. What was more troubling was the continuous “friendship” between her ex-husband and his prior ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles. While Charles had his own hidden baggage, Diana equally knew her way around secrecy. She often entrusted herself in men for emotional support, most commonly her friend Emad Mohamed “Dodi” al-Fayed, the son of the owner of the fabulous London department store Harrods. There is much debate on the status of their relationship, but she did enjoy his warm presence. No matter how caring the family was, their wealth came at a crossroads when they put their faith in a drunk and reckless chauffeur. Following a pursuit of the paparazzi, a vehicle containing the drunk driver, a bodyguard, Dodi al-Fayed, and Diana crashed into a pillar connected to an underground expressway in Paris. Only the bodyguard survived.
Diana officially passed at 4:00 am, August 31st, 1997. Grief poured through the nation, ensuing disagreements between London citizens and the paparazzi. By noon on Sunday, bouquets filled the streets with the love of the people; the love she once exchanged with them. She became a saint, but the burial place of saints’ often do not go untouched from destruction. For the safety of her memory, she was moved to a private island in Althorp, though only a number of people know the exact location. On July 1st, 1998, a museum was opened up in Althorp to honor her and to enlighten visitors on her achievements. On July 31st, the government announced the complete ban on landmines. In 2005, Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles.
As adults, Prince William and Prince Harry have taken initiative to live up to their mother’s legacy, often involving themselves in charities, and of course, efforts to fight AIDs. Prince William proposed to his wife Catherine (known as Kate Middleton), his wife taking on the title of Princess of Wales in 2022. William used Diana’s engagement ring. They named their child Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. As for Prince Harry, he included some of Diana’s stones into his wife’s engagement ring, Meghan Markle. Camilla received the title of Queen of Consort, never assuming Princess of Wales. Diana may be gone today, but her future lives on.
Sources:
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/diana-princess-wales