This Day in History: Princess Diana dies

On this day in 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in Paris’ Pitie-Salpetiere Hospital after suffering massive chest injuries in an early morning car accident. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, was killed instantly in the 12:25 a.m. crash, as was driver Henri Paul, who was drunk and lost control of the Mercedes in a highway underpass. He was driving at excessive speeds in a reckless attempt to escape paparazzi photographers.
Diana’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees Jones, escaped with serious but nonfatal injuries. He was the only one wearing his seat belt. The death of Diana, beloved by millions for her beauty and good nature, plunged the world into mourning.
Born on July 1, 1961, in the home that her parents rented on Queen Elizabeth II’s estate at Sandringham, England, Diana Frances Spencer used to play in her childhood, with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, the younger sons of Queen Elizabeth. When her father inherited the title Earl of Spencer in 1975, she became known as Lady Diana Spencer. After completing her education, Lady Diana became a kindergarten teacher at a fashionable school in a suburb of London.
Her romance with Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth began in 1980, they were engaged in February 1981. Diana’s beauty and shy demeanor made her an instant media sensation, and on July 29, 1981, nearly one billion television viewers in 74 countries tuned in to witness her marriage to the heir to the British throne at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The couple had two children: Prince William (1982), and Prince Harry (1984).
However, the fairy tale couple grew apart under the ubiquitous eyes of the world’s tabloid media. In 1992, Diana and Charles formally separated and reached a final divorce agreement in August 1996. The princess maintained a high public profile and continued to promote many humanitarian causes, including support for AIDS victims and a campaign against land mines. She became involved with millionaire Dodi Al Fayed, the son of the Egyptian-born owner of the Harrods department stores in late 1996.
The tragic death of Diana caused an outpouring of British national feeling not seen since the celebrations surrounding the end of World War II. Mourners brought more than a million bouquets of flowers to the royal palaces and waited in line more than 12 hours to sign books of condolences. More than 3,500 phone lines were set up to take donations for a memorial fund, and within a year the charity fund raised $133 million, of which $48 million came from sales of Elton John’s memorial recording “Candle in the Wind 1997” and $20 million from official Diana souvenirs.
A state funeral was held for Diana at Westminster Abbey on September 6. Diana’s coffin was taken from Kensington Palace to the Abbey on a horse-drawn gun carriage, and an estimated one million mourners lined the route. Diana’s sons, William, 15, and Harry, 12, joined their father, Prince Charles; grandfather Prince Philip; and uncle Charles, the Earl of Spencer, to walk the final stretch of the procession with the casket. The only sound was the clatter of the horses’ hooves and the peal of a church bell.
The service, watched by an estimated two billion people worldwide, sacrificed royal pomp for a more human touch. Workers associated with Diana’s various charities represented 500 of the 2,000 people invited to attend the funeral.
Elton John, a friend of Diana, lent a popular touch to the ceremony when he sang “Candle in the Wind,” accompanying himself on piano. After the service, Diana’s body was taken by hearse to her family’s ancestral estate near Althorp, north of London. In a private ceremony, she was laid to rest on a tree-shaded island in a small lake, securely beyond the reach of the camera lens.