Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances; n e Spencer ; 1 July 1961 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family and an international personality of the late 20th century as the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales , whom she married on 29 July 1981. The wedding, which was held at Harry , currently second and third in line to the thrones of the 16 Commonwealth realm s.
Early life Diana Spencer was born at Park House, Sandringham in Norfolk , England, the youngest of three daughters of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (later the 8th Earl Spencer ) and his first wife 1st Duke of Marlborough among his ancestors. Her mother, who was of English and Irish descent, was a daughter of the Sarah and Jane , and a younger brother, Charles . She was baptised on 30 August 1961 at St Mary Magdalene Church by the Rt Revd Percy Herbert (rector of the church and former Bishop of Norwich and Blackburn ), and her godparents were: the Lady Mary C! olman; Mr John Floyd (the chairman of Christie’s ); Mrs William Fox; Mr Alexander Gilmour; and Mrs Michael Pratt. Royal descent On her father’s side, she was a descendant of King Charles II of England through four illegitimate sons: Education Diana was first educated at Silfield School, Kings Lynn , Norfolk, then at Riddlesworth Hall in Norfolk , and at Sevenoaks , Kent , where she was regarded as a poor student, having attempted and failed all of her Institut Alpin Videmanette , a finishing school in Lady Sarah . Diana reportedly excelled in swimming and diving, and longed to be a professional ballerina with the . She studied ballet for a time, but then grew to 5’10″, far too tall for the profession. Relationship with the Prince of Wales .]] Prince Charles had previously been linked to Diana’s elder sister Sarah, and in his early thirties he was under increasing pressure to marry. Under the Act of Settlement 1701 , royals forfeit thei! r succession rights to the Throne if they marry “papists! ” (Roman Catholics). Diana’s Church of England faith, presumed virginity and native Englishness appeared to render her a suitable royal bride both legally and socially. Engagement and wedding Their engagement became official on 24 February 1981, after Diana selected a large 30,000 ring, 85,700 in today’s terms, consisting of 14 diamonds surrounding a sapphire, similar to her mother’s engagement ring. The ring was made by the then crown jewellers Garrard but unusually, for a member of the Royal Family, the ring was not unique and was, at the time, featured in Garrard’s jewellery collection. The ring was later used in 2010 as the engagement ring of Kate Middleton , the fianc e of Diana’s elder son Prince William. Children On 5 November 1981, Diana’s first pregnancy was officially announced, and she frankly discussed her pregnancy with members of the press corps. In the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington on 21 ! June 1982, Diana gave birth to her and Prince Charles’s first son and heir, . Amidst some media criticism, she decided to take William, still a baby, on her first major tours of Australia and New Zealand, but the decision was popularly applauded. By her own admission, Diana had not initially intended to take William until it was suggested by the . Problems and separation , and United States President in November 1985.]] During the early 1990s, the marriage of Diana and Charles fell apart, an event at first suppressed, then sensationalised, by the world media. Both the Prince and Princess of Wales allegedly spoke to the press through friends, each blaming the other for the marriage’s demise. Divorce Diana was interviewed in a BBC Panorama interview with journalist Martin Bashir , broadcast on 20 November 1995. In it, Diana asserted of Hewitt, “Yes, I loved him. Yes, I adored him.” Of Camilla, she claimed “There were three of us in this marriage.! ” For herself, she said “I’d like to be a queen of pe! ople’s hearts.” On Charles’s suitability for kingship, she said: “Because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.” Landmines In January 1997, pictures of the Princess touring an Angolan minefield in a ballistic helmet and flak jacket were seen worldwide. It was during this campaign that some accused the Princess of meddling in politics and declared her a ‘loose cannon.’ In August 1997, just days before her death, she visited Bosnia with the Landmine Survivors Network . Her interest in landmines was focused on the injuries they create, often to children, long after a conflict is over. All Honourable Members will be aware from their postbags of the immense contribution made by Diana, Princess of Wales to bringing home to many of our constituents the human costs of landmines. The best way in which to record our app! reciation of her work, and the work of NGOs that have campaigned against landmines, is to pass the Bill, and to pave the way towards a global ban on landmines. Death On 31 August 1997, Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in Paris, which also caused the deaths of her then boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed and the acting security manager of the , Henri Paul , who was their chauffeur. Millions of people watched the princess’s funeral. Conspiracy theories and inquest The initial French judicial investigation concluded that the accident was caused by Henri Paul’s . From February 1999, Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed (the owner of the Paris Ritz, for which Paul had worked) maintained that the crash had been planned, accusing MI6 as well as paparazzi . The following day Al-Fayed announced he would end his 10-year campaign for the sake of the late Princess of Wales’s children. Tribute, funeral, and burial The sudden and un! expected death of a very popular royal figure brought statements from s! enior figures worldwide and many tributes by members of the public. People left public offerings of flowers, candles, cards and personal messages outside Kensington Palace for many months. Memorials in Harrods.]] Immediately after her death, many sites around the world became briefly ad hoc memorials to Diana, where the public left flowers and other tributes. The largest was outside the gates of Kensington Palace . Permanent memorials include: Memorabilia Following Diana’s death, the Diana Memorial Fund was granted intellectual property rights over her image. In 1998, after refusing the an official license to produce Diana merchandise, the fund sued the company, accusing it of illegally selling Diana dolls, plates and jewellery. In California, where the initial case was tried, a suit to preserve the right of publicity may be filed on behalf of a dead person, but only if that person is a Californian. The Memorial Fund therefore filed the lawsuit on behalf of the estate! and, upon losing the case, were required to pay the Franklin Mint’s legal costs of 3 million which, combined with other fees, caused the Memorial Fund to freeze their grants to charities. Diana in contemporary art Diana has been depicted in contemporary art since her death. Some of the artworks have , as well as paying tribute to Diana’s compassion and acknowledging her perceived victimhood. Recent events On 13 July 2006 Italian magazine Chi published photographs showing the princess amid the wreckage of the car crash, despite an unofficial blackout on such photographs being published. The editor of Chi defended his decision by saying that he published the photographs simply because they had not been previously seen, and that he felt the images are not disrespectful to the memory of the Princess. Contemporary opinions and Diana dancing at the ]] From her engagement to the Prince of Wales in 1981 until her death in 1997, Diana was an iconic presence on the world! stage, often described as the world’s most photographed woman. S! he was noted for her compassion, style, charisma, and high-profile charity work, as well as her difficult marriage to Prince Charles. Titles, styles, honours, and arms Titles and styles Honours British honours Arms Legacy On 29 August 2007 Peruvian photographer Mario Testino announced that on 20 November he would auction a signed photo of Diana for the benefit of Peru earthquake (in London by Phillips de Pury & Co). The photo appeared in a 1997 issue, and shows Diana wearing a black dress. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground was erected in Kensington Gardens at a cost of 1.7 million. Diana’s family announced in 2010 they would auction art and horse-drawn carriages that once belonged to Althorp House. Fashion designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel , responsible for much of Diana’s fashion including her wedding dress, announced in May 2010 they were auctioning 30 lots of clothing, measurements, and related items. Ancestry See also Notes References! Further reading External links Hot! Sarah Ferguson
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