Not many people in today’s time would know, but Princess Diana wasn’t born in a royal family. She was a nursery assistant who went on to become the princess of people’s hearts. Everyone was captured by her innocent beauty, her deep eyes and calm kindness that could melt hearts.
She also had an unrelenting commitment to helping others. Her kindness went beyond her royal responsibilities. She supported organisations that helped the homeless, AIDS patients, and landmine victims. She had the public’s attention and a sense of intimacy with people that is rarely associated with royalty.
It was because of her genuineness. It especially included the way she raised her sons in a hands-on, accessible manner. She was compassionate, vocal, and genuinely human. Diana forever changed what it meant to be a modern royal.
Ever since she joined the royal family, she has been under relentless scrutiny. It may have started as an innocent interest in the new bride of the royal family, but then it became predatory. Then Prince Charles‘ behaviour and whispers of his infidelity caused people to get more curious about her.
29 July 1981: Lady Diana Spencer marries her Prince amidst splendor and fanfare at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London pic.twitter.com/jkl6F4VKrQ
— ALL PRINCESS DIANA (@princessdibooks) July 28, 2020
The media wanted to get into every part of her life. Every Diana story was a hit, so they wanted more from her. Where they praised her for being more human than most of the royal, they also criticised her for being too human, where the general public appreciated her benign, genuine nature, the royalty didn’t like that she was so unconventional and so open.
Her mental health was severely strained due to all this chatter. It made her feel helpless and alone. She literally died because paparazzi just couldn’t leave her alone. They didn’t see a young girl or a tortured woman; they just wanted more stories.
Princess Diana made headlines when she shook hands with HIV patients and was photographed walking through minefields. pic.twitter.com/esCaO2XgD1
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) September 1, 2017
Diana made history in 1987 when she publicly shook hands with an AIDS sufferer without wearing gloves. Her one single gesture did more for the support of AIDS patients than any other campaign run by NGOs and welfare agencies. It was during the time when fear and false information about HIV/AIDS were widespread.
Her one handshake helped change public views and humanise the pandemic. It was a daring gesture of compassion that defied convention and stigma.
Interview with Princess Diana about how she will never be Queen, 1995 pic.twitter.com/VkPaN9UAp1
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) January 3, 2023
Her 1995 interview with Panorama on the BBC was equally impactful. She talked candidly about her inner difficulties, her husband’s adultery, and her battles with bulimia. The interview’s substance rocked the monarchy to its foundation. It also fundamentally changed the public’s perception of royal life. People no longer thought of royals as chosen by the gods but as humans who were capable of mistakes and errors.
It brought the royals down from the pedestal they had kept themselves on.
Diana not only started to live by her rules, but she even loved them. In the last months of her life, her romance with Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed attracted international attention. It also sparked criticism from elements of the elite and the press. It showed how elites were xenophobic and classist.
The story behind Princess Diana’s iconic revenge dress (1996) pic.twitter.com/3O35uSvVfp
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) November 27, 2024
It was not only the words she spoke that had the impact, but also her fashion. Diana frequently made statements with her wardrobe selections. Who could forget the iconic “revenge dress.” She wore that deep plunging neck black dress on the evening
Prince Charles came clean about his adultery. The dress was not about the glamour or sensuality. It was rebellious.
Her every ensemble, from denim and jackets to off-the-shoulder dresses, challenged conventional royal norms.
Princess Diana was many things—activist, teacher, charity patron and style icon—but the job she loved most was being a mother. 💕 pic.twitter.com/vyKIEXbRwp
— People (@people) August 4, 2017
Diana picked her kids’ initial names, gave them public hugs, and even took them to amusement parks. All these were against centuries of royal tradition. She urged that they get a taste of “real life.” It also included encountering the homeless and developing empathy early on.
Diana and Prince Charles eventually got divorced as a result of Diana’s increasing confidence and rejection of royal custom. Her personal hardships and being open about her mental health brought her public admiration and rejection from the institute she has been a part of for a long time.
This is why she was adored #PrincessDiana ❤ pic.twitter.com/YrnYpRxfat
— Paula Matanovich🍷 (@paulamatanovich) October 6, 2021
The public still views royals from Diana’s glasses of perception. She is still shaping the legacy of the royal family. Both Prince William and Prince Harry have used her influence to help them forge their own careers. From philanthropy to mental health activism, her rebellious compassion is evident in contemporary royal narratives. It demonstrates that her influence extends well beyond scandal and spectacle.
Here are few moments of joy of Diana with her kids.
Diana would be so proud of William and Kate and their little family.
She would be proud of how Prince Harry would do anything to keep his family safe.
Royals could learn a thing or two about parenthood from her.
