“I don’t go by the rule book…. I lead from the heart, not
the head”
Diana Francis Spencer was born on July 1, 1961 in
Sandringham, Norfolk. The Spencer family was a close ally to the British Royal
Family since decades. Diana’s grandmothers had served as the Queen ladies-in-waiting.
She was referred to as ‘Duch’ amongst her family due to her
duchess attitude since the very beginning of her life. She was a prospective
bride to Prince Charles since her early childhood.
Diana first met Charles in 1997 at the age of 16. The Prince,
at that time was 29 and dating Diana’s sister, Sarah. He dated a few other
women before he decided to get married to a 20 year old Diana.
They saw each other for a year and in less than 13 meetings,
the two decided to get married. After all, the Prince had a duty towards his
country. She spent months at the Royal Family’s residence before getting
married on July 29, 1981.
Their wedding was televised worldwide and was referred to as
the ‘Wedding of the century’. The couple look happier than ever as England
welcomed their future Queen.
After the nuptials, the popularity of the new Princess of
Whales did not die. She received more attention from the media and her life
before being a Princess was yet in talks. She was referred to as the Peoples
Princess.
The People’s Princess
Her beauty, youth and down-to-earth personality envisaged
the people of Britain and the world. Before being a Princess she worked
part-time at a nursery school and lived in an apartment with a few of her
friends.
She belonged to the masses. She was a commoner, who strived
to earn for a living and partied with her girl-friends. This portrayed a humane
touch to the Royals and their living. Diana was a new face to the Royal family
and she surely contributed to good media attention for the Royal family before some
controversies.
She was called the People’s Princess because of how
relatable her life was to any British commoner. She worked as a baker, an
accountant, a shop assistant, a teacher, before getting married to the Prince. It
was a dream love story until the marriage began to fall apart.
The Princess of Whales was not afraid to be transparent with
her emotions. The British media had captured her emotions at several occasions
including her unhappy marriage and her struggle with bulimia.
She visited various charities, hospitals and fundraisers for
the underprivileged and spread awareness. This was not just a part of her royal
duty, but the Princess showed deep interest in the welfare of the people. Her charm, kindness, soft-spoken nature, had people gushing
over the new Princess.
Not only was she a humble Princess, but she was the Princess
every country would dream to have. She was empathetic with the people and spoke
to them like they were her family. She made people feel understood and loved.
Apart from her duty towards her country, she was also a
mother. At a mere age of 21, she gave birth to Prince William, and became a
dedicated mother. However, she maintained a good balance between her family and
royal duties.
A Doting Mother
The Princess of Whales loved her family dearly which was
portrayed when she ignored the Royal protocol and took part in a race for her
son, Prince William. Several pictures of the potential Queen were made viral as
she ran like never before and won the race for her son.
After returning from her royal duties, the Royal Princes
were often seen waiting for their mother at the gates of the Palace or at the
Navy Dock. Many adorable videos surfaced where the Royal family is seen to be
happy and cheerful in the presence of their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
An unfortunate choice made by Diana and Charles was when they
decided to have Prince Harry, their second child, in the midst of an unstable
marriage. Diana tried her best to protect her children and her failing marriage
but this was not a one-man-job.
She mentioned in her autobiography, “Diana: Her True Story”,
that she struggled with postpartum depression and was placed in a tough stance
to choose herself over her family.
Powerful Statements
The first royal protocol she broke was not wearing gloves.
The Princess shook hands with the people without any gloves since she did not believe
in any form of prejudice. She was a firm believer in giving the people a new
ray of hope and treating them with kindness.
In 1987, while AIDS was at its peak, many rumours were being
spread around about the disease. Most of the world chose to be ignorant about
it while the Princess of Whales set out and made a strong statement.
AIDS was a taboo then and the patients were considered as
untouchables. Diana broke the royal protocol and hugged those suffering from
AIDS. She spoke to them, respected them, treated them as humans and broke the
stereotype. This was one of her most acclaimed statements.
During her visit to a landmine, she raised a strong
statement while wearing a protective bomb suit and walking across the field. She
proved to the people that it was not an easy job and one to be taken for
granted.
In her other visitations to refugee centres, she sat amongst
the refugees and provided them with good food. When she visited the army
personnel, she made sure the correct equipment was provided and their safety
was taken care of.
During her visit to hospitals and charities, she was often
spotted with children sitting on her lap and speaking to them. On one occasion,
she even put a Pakistani child to sleep on her lap during an event. She proved
that she was not just some Princess. She was here to create an impact.
Death of the People’s
Princess
On 31st August, 1997, the Princess of Whales
succumbed to a car accident. Immediately, several conspiracy theories were
developed and the Royal family was being criticized. She is survived by her two
sons and her divorced husband, Prince Charles.
Her death was heart wrenching and came as a shock to the world.
The people of the world mourned the loss of the beloved Princess. The world
stood in solidarity with her two young sons, William aged 15 and Harry, 12.
The gates of Buckingham Palace were flooded with flowers and
the streets of England fell silent. Love and respect poured in from all over
the world. She deserved all of it.
After all, she was not just a Princess by duty, but a Princess
by heart. The People’s Princess.
Written by Jerusha Patel
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