:: Princess Diana ::: 1961 - 1997
::: Lady Diana ::: Princess of Wales :::
Metasearch
for international Diana websites:
Princess Diana 1961 - 1997
Welcome to this Princess Diana page.
We used to maintain a page which listed various lovely and interesting
sites about Lady Diana - in honor of this incredible woman.
Diana, Princess of Wales died on Sunday, 31 August 1997 following a
car crash in
Paris. The worldwide public
mourning at the
death of Lady Diana shows the sympathy to this incredible women. Even after her
death, however, the Princess is still in the public interest and from time to
time some secret
news get published.
Already in her lifetime, after
Dianas marriage
with Prince Charles, she was called "the
Queen of Humanity". She was a real royal star and one of the most
fascinating woman of her time. The crisis in her
married life and
the following
separation didn`t change the public sympathy to Diana. If you want deeper
informations, photos or something more about Princess Diana, then have a look at
the following links.
Early Years of Princess Diana
Diana was the youngest daughter of Frances Ruth Burke-Roche (daughter of the
fourth Baron Fermoy) and Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp. Therefore Diana was a direct descendant of King Charles I of England. On the death of her paternal grandfather, Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th
Earl Spencer in 1975, Lord Althorp became the eighth Earl Spencer, and his
daughter Diana acquired the courtesy title of Lady Diana Spencer. She was educated
in Norfolk and at boarding school in Kent. At 16 Diana attended Institut Alpin
Videmanette, a finishing school in Rougemont, Switzerland.
Marriage and Family Life
In
1980, at the age of 19 DIana caught the eye of the
Prince of Wales, Charles on a polo match. A romance began and he proposed to her in February of
1981. Their wedding took place at
St Paul's Cathedral in
London on
July 29, 1981, in front of a massive global television audience. Diana
Spencer was now the first
Englishwoman to marry an heir to the throne since 1659 when
Lady Anne Hyde married the Duke of York, the future
James II of England.
Diana gave birth to two children,
Prince William Arthur Philip Louis in
1982 and
Prince Henry Charles David Albert in
1984.
After the birth of
William, Diana sufferred from
post-natal depression. She later developed the
eating disorder
bulimia nervosa, and made a number of
suicide attempts. Her most serious suidice attempt was in
1982 when, while pregnant with
Prince William, she threw herself down a set of stairs. It has been
suggested that in her
suicide attempts the Princess did not in fact intend to end her life,
and was merely making a 'cry for help' (so-called 'parasuicide').
In one of her own interviews, released after her death, she said that
Charles, Prince of Wales had accused her of
crying wolf when she threatened to kill herself. But, although her life
may not have been in serious danger, there was certainly a significant risk
that she would
miscarry her baby.
In the later
1980s her marriage to Charles fell apart, an event at first kept quiet
and then sensationalised by the world media. Both Charles and Diana had
friends who spoke to the
press, accusing the other party of
adultery. Charles had a
relationship with
Camilla Parker-Bowles (the so-called
Squidgygate
affair), while Diana was seeing
James Gilby, and she later confirmed she had had an
affair with
James Hewitt (her riding instructor).
Although Diana and Charles separated in
1992, their divorce was not finalised until August
1996.
Charity Work
During the mid-to-late
1980s, Diana became well known for her support of charity projects, and
is given considerable credit for her campaigning against the use of
landmines and diminishing the stigma associated with
AIDS.
In April
1987, Diana was the first high-profile
celebrity to be photographed touching an
AIDS-infected person. Her contribution in changing the public opinion of
AIDS sufferers was summarised in December
2001 by
Bill Clinton at the 'Diana, Princess of Wales Lecture on AIDS', when he
said:
In 1987, when so many still believed that AIDS could be contracted
through casual contact, Princess Diana sat on the sickbed of a man with
AIDS and held his hand. If the Princess of Wales could hold the hand of a
man with AIDS, who could claim to be above it? She showed the world that
people with AIDS deserved not isolation, but compassion. It helped change
world opinion, helped give hope to people with AIDS, and helped save lives
of people at risk.
Perhaps her most widely publicised charity appearance was in January
1997, when she visited the
HALO Trust de-mining organisation on-site in
Angola. The pictures of Diana touring a minefield, in helmet and
flak jacket, were seen worldwide. In August that year she visited
Bosnia with the
Landmine Survivors Network. Her interest in landmines was focussed on
the injuries they create, often to children, long after the conflict for
which they are intended has finished. She is widely credited
as an influence on the
British Government, and other nations, in their signing of the
Ottowa Treaty in December 1997 (after Diana's death) banning
anti-personnel landmines.
Books About Princess Diana »
Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton is an
updated edition of the book Princess Diana secretly helped Morton
write in 1992. It contains transcripts of tapes in which Princess
Diana talks frankly about her life and her relationship with Prince
Charles. Princess Diana even helped to pick the pictures that
illustrate the book. New chapters cover Princess Diana's last years,
her romance with Dodi Fayed, and her tragic death.
»
Diana: Her New Life, also by Andrew Morton. This sequel to
Diana: Her True Story tells how Princess
Diana went on with her life after her separation from Prince
Charles.
»
Diana by Irene Frain. Biography that presents Diana as forever torn between
the demands of reality and the illusions of appearance. Out of print, but
available from Alibris.
»
Diana's Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved by Christopher
Andersen. Published in 2001, this is an interesting account of Diana's close
relationship with her two sons, and what happened to the boys in the years after
her death. The book includes an excellent selection of black-and-white
photographs.
»
Diana, an English Rose by Susan Skinner. Includes over 400 color photos of
the princess. The author was part of Diana's official press team. Available at
Amazon.co.uk
»
The Day Diana Died by Christopher P. Andersen is a detailed
account of the last day of Princess Diana's life and what happened
afterward. Gives interesting insight into Prince Charles' true
grief over Diana's death and his mother's seeming indifference.
»
The Bodyguard's Story: Diana, the Crash, and the Sole Survivor by Trevor
Rees-Jones and Moira Johnston. The long-awaited account by the sole survivor of
the accident which claimed Princess Diana's life. Rees-Jones provides an unusual,
up-close and honest look at Diana's last days and her relationship with Dodi
Fayed. This book makes it clear that Fayed's bodyguards did their best to
protect the couple under difficult circumstances. Out of print, but available
from Alibris.
»
Diana; Her Life in Fashion by Georgina Howell. Includes 220 illustrations,
160 in color. Even if you're not into fashion, you'll find this book interesting
and fun. Out of print, but available from Alibris.
»
Diana: The Secrets of Her Style by Diane Clehane. Interviews, designer
sketches, and photographs reveal how the princess was transformed into a fashion
icon. From Alibris.
»
Dressing Diana by Tim Graham. Very popular book with numerous color photos
of Diana in her working wardrobe, diplomatic wardrobe, casual wardrobe, and more.
Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.
»
Diana: The Secret Years by Simone Simmons. The author is an "energy healer"
who treated Diana and eventually became her personal friend. Andrew Morton
called this book "a fascinating insight into Diana's last years from a true
insider."
»
Diana: Closely Guarded Secret by Ken Wharfe and Robert Jobson. Wharfe, who
served as the princess's chief bodyguard for several years, discusses Diana's
relationship with her mother, her love affairs, and other little-known details
of her life. Wharfe has praised Diana as a "warm-hearted and fun-loving woman"
who "really did make a difference."
»
Kip's Flowers for Diana by Kip Dodds, forward by Paul Burrell, photographs
by Andy Earl. The author created flower arrangements for Princess Diana for
three years.
»
The Housekeeper's Diary: Charles & Diana Before the Breakup by Wendy Berry.
As housekeeper to Prince Charles and Princess Diana at their Highgrove mansion
from 1985 until their 1992 separation, Berry witnessed the slow disintegration
of their marriage. This book was banned in the United Kingdom.
»
Love and War by James Hewitt. The author reveals the details of his lengthy
affair with Princess Diana. Available from Alibris.
»
Princess in Love by Anna Pasternak. Another account of Diana's romance with
James Hewitt, published while Diana was still alive. Out of print, but available
from Alibris.
»
Diana: Her Last Love by Kate Snell. About Diana's relationship with heart
surgeon Hasnat Khan. (UK)
»
Diana and Dodi: A Love Story by Rene Delorm and Nadine Taylor. Delorm, who
worked for Dodi Fayed, witnessed Diana and Dodi's romance as it unfolded. Out of
print, but available at Alibris.
»
Diana: In Pursuit of Love by Andrew Morton. Based on the tapes Diana made
for Morton, including never-before published comments, and recent interviews
with her friends, advisors and colleagues. Includes more than 75 color photos.
Published in June 2004. (UK)
»
A Royal Duty by Paul Burrell. Explosive allegations by Princess Diana's
trusted butler, including the claim that Diana predicted that someone would
arrange her death in a car crash. Published in October 2003. (UK)
»
Deber Real by Paul Burrell. The Spanish-language version of "A Royal Duty."
Published in March 2004.
»
Frances: The Remarkable Story of Diana's Mother by Max Riddington, Gavan
Nade. Biography of Princess Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, based on
interviews with her. Includes previously unseen photographs. Published in
January 2004. (UK)
»
Diana: Death of a Goddess by David Cohen. Claims that the late Princess
Diana "found herself out of her depth in the company of drug dealers, arms
dealers, and secret service operators." Published in March 2004. From
Amazon.co.uk
»
Diana, Princess of Wales. A British documentary about Princess Diana's life.
Includes video from her funeral.
»
Diana: The True Story is a documentary from A&E's "Biography" series.
Includes candid interviews and the first complete look behind the inner demons
that haunted Princess Diana from early childhood.
»
Diana, Queen of Hearts. Academy Award-winning director Richard Attenborough
hosts this tribute. Diana is presented through video clippings, photographs, and
interviews with those who knew her best. The documentary accentuates the
positive impact she had upon the world and the joys she found in her life,
mainly in her love for her children.