Biography of Diana, Princess of Wales
Lady Diana Spencer
The Honorable Diana Frances Spencer was born 1 July, 1961 -
the third daughter and fourth child of Viscount & Viscountess Althorp.
In 1976, her father became Earl Spencer. Lady Diana was educated at
a Kent boarding school, West Heath, and a Swiss finishing school before
moving to London in 1979.
The Royal Wedding
Although she had known Prince Charles as a child,
another meeting in 1979 kindled
the spark of romance. Their wedding on 29 July, 1981 was watched by
700 million people worldwide.
Inside Kensington Palace
Diana's suitability as a royal bride was touted far and wide in the press,
but the reality inside the marriage was quite different. Unknown to
the public, Prince Charles had continued his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles,
and this had a devastating effect on his young wife. As a result,
Diana developed the eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, resulting
in unpredictable mood swings and behaviour that led Prince Charles
and the Palace to put the blame for the failing marriage squarely
on the Princess.
Motherhood
Despite the turmoil inside their marriage, Charles and Diana celebrated the
births of William in 1982, and Harry in 1984. Diana was an excellent
mother who made a concentrated effort to raise her sons to be in touch
with the real world, as well as educating them about the heritage
into which they were born. She also did everything she could to help
her sons live as normal a life as possible despite the attentions
of the press and public.
Princess of Wales
Diana's compassion for and interaction with the unfortunate, the ill, the
downtrodden, and the elderly was soon recognized worldwide. Despite
the often negative portrayal of Diana in the press as an airhead clotheshorse,
it can never be denied that she brought energy, commitment, and humanity
to her work, and made a genuine difference to the charities and causes
she dedicated herself to, and to the people she met.
Princess of Fashion
Throughout her years in the public eye, Diana was recognized as one of the world's
most beautiful and stylish women. Through her fashions, she would
almost single-handedly revive the dull and dormant British fashion
industry. In the summer of 1997, she broke with tradition and raised
nearly $3 million for AIDS and cancer-related charities with the auction
of 80 of her evening gowns through Christie's Auction House.
The Fairytale Ends
The marriage continued to fail, and, in December of 1992,
Charles and Diana announced
their official separation. Diana withdrew from public life for a short
period, and then re-emerged on the world's stage with renewed energy
and enthusiasm, breaking away from the traditional royal role to undertake
causes that were dear to her, such as her campaign to ban anti-personnel
land mines. On 28 August, 1996, the marriage that had begun with such
high hopes in 1981 ended in divorce.
Queen of Hearts
On 31 August, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales,
was killed in an automobile crash
in Paris. Her death prompted an unprecedented reaction of grief and
loss worldwide.
She is remembered for her warmth, beauty, humor, strength,
and compassion.
Most notably, she is remembered as a loving and devoted
mother, the role she considered most important.
