Diana (Princess of Wales)
Diana Frances Spencer, Princess of Wales
5 min read
Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, heir to the British crown, in 1981, becoming Princess of Wales. A global media figure devoted to humanitarian causes, she died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« I'd like to be a queen of people's hearts. »
Key Facts
- Born in 1961 into a family of the British aristocracy (the Spencers)
- Married Prince Charles on 29 July 1981 in a wedding watched by hundreds of millions of viewers
- Led humanitarian campaigns, notably against anti-personnel landmines and on behalf of AIDS patients
- Divorced Prince Charles in 1996
- Died on 31 August 1997 in a car crash in the underpass beneath the Pont de l'Alma in Paris
Works & Achievements
Her commitment helped drive the international mobilization that led to the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines, signed in late 1997.
Diana served as president of this renowned London children's hospital, supporting many causes related to sick children.
Her visits to and gestures toward AIDS patients helped change public attitudes toward the disease.
Diana devoted herself to people suffering from leprosy, breaking taboos by touching them in public.
Diana put 79 of her dresses up for sale to fund efforts against AIDS and cancer, shortly before her death.
Anecdotes
On 29 July 1981, the wedding of Diana and Prince Charles at St Paul's Cathedral in London was broadcast on television and watched by around 750 million viewers worldwide, one of the largest media events in history.
In April 1987, Diana publicly shook the hand of an AIDS patient without wearing gloves. At a time when many wrongly believed the disease could be passed on through simple contact, this gesture helped change the way the public viewed those who were ill.
In January 1997, Diana walked through a partially cleared minefield in Angola, wearing a flak jacket and a visor, to support the international campaign against anti-personnel landmines. The images travelled around the world.
Nicknamed the “people's princess” by the press, Diana was relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. It was while fleeing these photographers that the car carrying her crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris on 31 August 1997.
At her funeral on 6 September 1997, the singer Elton John performed a rewritten version of *Candle in the Wind*, retitled *Goodbye England's Rose*. The single became one of the best-selling of all time, with its proceeds donated to charity.
Primary Sources
There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.
Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty.
I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being.
Key Places
Royal estate near which Diana was born in 1961, at Park House. Her family was close to the British Crown.
Site of her wedding to Prince Charles on 29 July 1981, watched by hundreds of millions of viewers.
Diana's official residence in London, where she lived with her sons William and Harry.
Site of the fatal car crash that occurred during the night of 30 to 31 August 1997.
Site of her national funeral on 6 September 1997, an event of worldwide mourning.
Ancestral estate of the Spencer family where Diana is buried, on an island in the middle of a lake.