Diana biography. Princess of Wales, born Lady Diana Frances Spencer. Loved the attention to her person

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01.07.17 10:46

Princess Diana was included in the list of "100 Greatest Britons", taking third place in it. And even now, many years after the death of Princess Diana, her personality is of great interest, and daughter-in-law Kate Middleton is constantly compared to her mother-in-law. The death of Princess Diana and the life of Princess Diana are shrouded in mysteries that are no longer destined to be solved.

Princess Diana - biography

Representative of an ancient aristocratic family

Diana, Princess of Wales, known as "Lady Diana" or "Lady Dee" for short, was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk. Then her name was Diana Frances Spencer. She belonged to a noble family: her father John Spencer was Viscount Althorp (and later Earl Spencer) and was distantly related to the Dukes of Marlborough (to whom Winston Churchill belonged). Also in the pedigree of John were the bastards of the king brothers Charles II and James II. Princess Diana's mother's name was Francis Shand Kydd, she could not boast of such ancient noble roots.

The early biography of Princess Diana took place in the family nest of Sandgringham, with the same governess who raised Francis. After home schooling (primary school), the future Princess Diana went to a private school in Sealfield, and then moved to a preparatory school Riddlesworth Hall. Even then, her father and mother were divorced (divorced in 1969), Diana came under the care of John, like her brother and sisters. The girl was very worried about separation from her mother, and after that she could not establish relations with a strict stepmother.

Newly trained assistant teacher

In 1973, Princess Diana entered an elite women's school in Kent, but did not finish it, showing poor results. Becoming Lady Diana (when John took over the peerage from his deceased father), the 14-year-old girl moved with her family and the newly-made earl to the Noramptonshire castle of Althorp House.

Another attempt to send Diana away from home was made in 1977, when she moved to Switzerland. But, unable to bear the parting with relatives and homeland, Diana left Rougemont and returned home. The biography of Princess Diana continued in London, where she was presented (on her 18th birthday) with an apartment. Having settled in a new home, Diana invited three friends to be neighbors and got a job in a kindergarten in Pimiliko as an assistant teacher.

Princess Diana's personal life

Meeting on the hunt

In 1981, she was destined to become Diana, Princess of Wales, and we'll talk about that.

Before she left for Switzerland, Diana was introduced to the son of Queen Elizabeth the Second, Prince Charles - he took part in the hunt arranged in Althorp. It happened in the winter of 1977. But a serious relationship between Princess Diana and Charles began later, in the summer of 1980.

They went on a weekend together (on the royal yacht Britannia), and then Charles introduced Diana to his parents, Elizabeth II and Philip - this happened in the Scottish castle of the Windsor Balmoral. The girl made a good impression, so the Charles family did not argue with their romance. The couple began dating, and on February 3, 1981, the heir to the throne proposed to Diana at Windsor Castle. She agreed. But the engagement was announced only on February 24. The famous ring of Princess Diana with a large sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds cost 30 thousand pounds. Later, it passed to Kate Middleton - the eldest son of Princess Diana William gave it to his bride at the betrothal.

The most expensive "wedding of the century"

Princess Diana's wedding took place on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul. The celebration began at 11.20, 3.5 thousand eminent guests were present in the temple, and 750 million viewers watched the “wedding of the century” on TV. Great Britain rejoiced, the queen declared this day a day off. After the wedding, a reception was held for 120 people. The wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles was recognized as the most expensive in the history of the country - 2.859 million pounds were spent on it.

Princess Diana's wedding dress was made of airy taffeta and lace, with very puffy sleeves, by fashion designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Then it was estimated at 9 thousand pounds. Hand embroidery, vintage lace, a bold neckline, rhinestones and a long ivory train - all this looked great on a slender bride. For insurance, two copies of Princess Diana's toilet were sewn, but they were not needed. The bride's head was adorned with a tiara.

Desired heirs William and Harry

Princess Diana and Charles spent their honeymoon on a Mediterranean cruise on the Britannia, with stops in Tunisia, Greece, Sardinia and Egypt. Returning to their homeland, the newlyweds went to Balmoral Castle and rested in a hunting lodge.

There is also a biopic "The Queen", about the events after the death of Princess Diana, Elizabeth II is portrayed in it by Helen Mirren.

Diana Francis Spencer, Her Highness the Princess of Wales, was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk to an English aristocratic family. Her father, John Spencer, the bearer of the title of Viscount Althorp, came from the ancient Spencer-Churchill family, carriers of royal blood descended from Charles II, who became famous as the "jolly king." Charles had 14 recognized illegitimate sons who received the title, a large number of unrecognized children and not a single heir born in an official marriage. However, thanks to this king, the list of aristocratic families of England has noticeably expanded.

The dynasty to which Princess Diana belonged can be proud of such eminent sons as Sir and the Duke of Marlborough. The ancestral property of the Spencer family is Spencer House, located in the Westminster quarter in central London. Diana's mother Francis Shand Kydd also comes from an aristocratic family. Diana's maternal grandmother was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

The biography of the future princess was also beyond claims. The future Princess Diana received her primary education at Sandringham, where she spent her childhood. Lady Dee's first teacher was Gertrude Allen, a governess who had previously taught the girl's mother. Diana received her further education at the private Sealfield School, and later studied at Riddlesworth Hall. As a child, the character of the future princess was not difficult, but she was always quite stubborn.

According to the recollections of teachers, the girl read and drew well, dedicating her drawings to her mother and father. Diana's parents divorced when she was 8 years old, which was a great shock for the child. As a result of the divorce proceedings, Diana stayed with her father, and her mother left for Scotland, where she lived with her new husband.


The next place of study for the future Princess of Wales is the privileged school for girls West Hill in Kent. Here, Diana did not show herself as a diligent student, and her passion was music and dancing, and, according to rumors, Lady Di was not given the exact sciences in her youth, and she even failed her exams several times.

In 1977, Diana and Prince Charles met in Althorp, but at that time the future spouses did not pay serious attention to each other. In the same year, Diana studies in Switzerland for a short time, but returns home due to strong homesickness. After graduation, Diana began working as a nanny and kindergarten teacher in the prestigious Knightsbridge area of ​​London.

Prince Charles and the wedding

In 1980, Diana again falls into the circle of friends of Prince Charles. The bachelor life of the heir to the throne at that time was a serious cause for concern for his parents. Queen Elizabeth was especially worried about her son's relationship with a noble married lady, with whom the prince did not even try to hide his relationship. In the current situation, Diana Spencer's candidacy for the role of princess was happily approved by the royal family, Charles and, according to some rumors, even Camilla Parker-Bowles.


The prince invited Diana first to the royal yacht, after which an invitation was received to Balmoral Castle to meet the royal family. Charles proposed at Windsor Castle, but the engagement was kept secret for some time. The official announcement took place on February 24, 1981. The symbol of this event was the famous ring of Princess Diana - a precious sapphire surrounded by fourteen diamonds.

Lady Di became the first English woman in 300 years to marry the heir to the throne.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer has become the most expensive wedding ceremony in British history. The celebration took place at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. The wedding ceremony was preceded by a parade through the streets of London by a carriage with members of the royal family, a march of the Commonwealth regiments and the "Glass Carriage", in which Diana and her father arrived.

Prince Charles was dressed in the dress uniform of Commander of Her Majesty's Navy. Diana wore a £9,000 gown with an 8m train designed by young English designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel. The design of the dress was kept in the strictest confidence from the public and the press, the dress was delivered to the palace in a sealed envelope. The head of the future princess was decorated with a family heirloom - a tiara.


Diana and Charles' wedding has been called the "fairytale wedding" and the "wedding of the century". According to experts, the audience watching the live broadcast of the celebrations on the world's main TV channels amounted to more than 750 million people. After a formal dinner at Buckingham Palace, the couple took the royal train to the Broadlands estate before flying to Gibraltar, from where Charles and Princess Diana began their Mediterranean cruise. At the end of the cruise, another reception was given in Scotland, where members of the press were given permission to photograph the newlyweds.

The wedding celebrations cost taxpayers nearly £3 million.

Divorce

The personal life of the crowned family was not so fabulous and soon attracted the attention of the public with several scandals, in which, according to the press, various lovers and mistresses constantly appeared. According to rumors, even at the time of the marriage proposal from Charles, Diana was aware of his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Subsequently, it became increasingly difficult for the princess to restrain jealousy and protect the reputation of the family, since Prince Charles not only did not interrupt the extramarital affair, but also openly admitted it. The situation was complicated by the fact that in the person who took the side of her son in this conflict, Princess Diana received an influential opponent.


In 1990, the delicate situation could no longer be hidden, and this situation received wide publicity. During this period, Princess Diana also confesses her relationship with the riding coach James Hewitt.

In 1995, according to rumors, Diana met her true love. While visiting a friend in the hospital, the princess accidentally met the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. The feelings were mutual, but the constant attention of the public, from which the couple even fled to Khan's homeland, Pakistan, and the active condemnation of Khan's parents, both his role as the princess's de facto lover, and the freedom-loving views of the woman herself, did not allow the novel to develop and, perhaps, deprived a chance for the happiness of two people who are truly in love.


At the insistence of Queen Elizabeth, Charles and Diana officially divorced in 1996, four years after the actual breakup of their family. Married to Prince Charles, two sons were born: Welsh and Welsh.


After the divorce, Diana, according to journalists, begins a relationship with a film producer, the son of the Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed. Officially, this connection was not confirmed by any of the close friends of the princess, and in the book written by Diana's butler, the fact of their relationship is directly denied.

Doom

On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a car accident. During Diana's visit to Paris, the car, in the cabin of which, in addition to the princess herself, were Dodi al-Fayed, bodyguard Trevor Rhys Jones and driver Henri Paul, passing through the tunnel under the Alma bridge, collided with a concrete support. The driver and Dodi al-Fayed died instantly at the scene. Princess Diana died two hours later at the Salpêtrière hospital. The princess's bodyguard survived, but received severe head injuries, as a result of which he does not remember anything about the moment of the accident itself.


Princess Diana's wrecked car

The death of Princess Diana was a shock not only for the people of Great Britain, but for the whole world. In France, mourners have turned a Paris copy of the torch of the Statue of Liberty into a spontaneous memorial to Diana. The funeral of the princess took place on 6 September. Lady Dee's grave is on a secluded island at Althorp Manor (the Spencer family estate) in Northamptonshire.

Many factors are mentioned among the causes of the car accident, starting with the version according to which the princess's car tried to break away from the paparazzi car chasing them, and ending with the version regarding. Until now, there are many rumors and theories about the causes of death of the beloved princess.


A Scotland Yard report published ten years later confirmed the fact of a two-fold excess of the speed allowed for movement on the road section under the Alma Bridge, discovered during the investigation, as well as the presence of alcohol in the driver’s blood, which exceeded the allowable rate three times.

Memory

Princess Diana enjoyed the sincere love of the people of Great Britain, who affectionately called her Lady Dee. The princess did a lot of charity work, donating significant funds to various foundations, was an activist in the movement seeking a ban on anti-personnel mines, and provided people with material and moral assistance.

Sir dedicated the song “Candle in the Wind” to her memory, and the song “Privacy”, in which he not only expressed grief for the princess, but also talked about the burden of constant attention and gossip, which, perhaps, is indirectly to blame for the death of Lady Dee.

10 years after the death, a film was made dedicated to the last hours of the life of the princess. Songs, "Depeche mode" and "Aquarium" are dedicated to her. Postage stamps are issued in her honor in many countries of the world.

According to a BBC poll, Princess Diana is one of the most popular faces in British history, ahead of other English monarchs in this ranking.

Awards

  • Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
  • Order of Virtue Special Class

Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana, Princess of Wales), nee Diana Francis Spencer (Diana Francis Spencer; July 1, 1961, Sandringham, Norfolk - August 31, 1997, Paris) - from 1981 to 1996, the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne. Commonly known as Princess Diana, Lady Diana or Lady Di. According to a poll conducted in 2002 by the BBC broadcaster, Diana was ranked third in the list of the hundred greatest Britons in history.

Diana was born July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk to John Spencer. Her father was Viscount Althorp, a branch of the same Spencer-Churchill family as the Duke of Marlborough, and.

Diana's paternal ancestors were carriers of royal blood through the illegitimate sons of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of his brother and successor, King James II. Earls Spencers have long lived in the very center of London, in Spencer House.

Diana spent her childhood in Sandringham, where she received her primary home education. Her teacher was the governess Gertrude Allen, who taught Diana's mother. She continued her education at Sealfield, at a private school near King's Line, then at Riddlesworth Hall Preparatory School.

When Diana was 8 years old, her parents divorced. She stayed with her father, along with her sisters and brother. The divorce had a strong influence on the girl, and soon a stepmother appeared in the house, who disliked children.

In 1975, following the death of her grandfather, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer and she received the courtesy title of "lady" reserved for daughters of high peers. During this period, the family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Nottrogtonshire.

At the age of 12, the future princess was accepted into a privileged school for girls in West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent. Here she turned out to be a bad student and could not finish it. At the same time, her musical abilities were not in doubt. The girl was also fascinated by dancing.

In 1977, she briefly attended school in the Swiss city of Rougemont. Once in Switzerland, Diana soon began to feel homesick and returned to England ahead of schedule.

Princess Diana Height: 178 centimeters.

Princess Diana's personal life:

In the winter of 1977, before leaving for training, she met her future husband for the first time - - - when he comes to Althorp to hunt.

In 1978 she moved to London, where she initially stayed in her mother's apartment (who then spent most of her time in Scotland). As a gift for her 18th birthday, she received her own £100,000 apartment in Earls Court, where she lived with three friends. During this period, Diana, who previously adored children, began working as an assistant teacher at Young England Nursery School in Pimiliko.

The wedding of Charles and Diana, which took place on July 29, 1981, attracted a lot of attention from the public and the media. In 1982 and 1984, the sons of Diana and Charles were born - the Princes and Wales, who are next in line of succession to the British crown after their father.

By the early 1990s, relations between the spouses were upset, in particular, due to Charles's continued relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles (subsequently, after the death of Diana, who became his second wife).

Diana herself was for some time in a close relationship with her riding instructor James Hewitt, which she admitted in a 1995 television interview (Charles had made a similar confession about the connection with Camilla a year earlier).

The marriage broke up in 1992, after which the couple lived separately, and ended in divorce in 1996 at the initiative of the Queen.

Shortly before her death, in June 1997, Diana began dating film producer Dodi al-Fayed, the son of the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, but apart from the press, none of her friends confirmed this fact, and this is also denied in the book of Lady Diana's butler - Paul Barrela, who was a close friend of the princess.

Diana was actively involved in charitable and peacekeeping activities (in particular, she was an activist in the fight against AIDS and the movement to stop the production of anti-personnel mines).

She was one of the most popular women in the world of her time. In the UK, she has always been considered the most popular member of the royal family, she was called the "Queen of Hearts" or "Queen of Hearts" (Queen of Hearts).

On June 15-16, 1995, Princess Diana made a short visit to Moscow. She visited the Tushino Children's Hospital, which she had previously provided charitable assistance to (the princess donated medical equipment to the hospital), and Primary School No. 751, where she solemnly opened a branch of the fund for helping children with disabilities Waverly House.

On June 16, 1995, the ceremony of presenting Princess Diana with the International Leonardo Prize took place at the British Embassy in Moscow.

Death of Princess Diana

On August 31, 1997, Diana died in a car accident in Paris, along with Dodi al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul. Al-Fayed and Paul died instantly, Diana, taken from the scene (in the tunnel in front of the Alma bridge on the Seine embankment) to the Salpêtrière hospital, died two hours later.

The cause of the accident is not entirely clear, there are a number of versions (alcohol intoxication of the driver, the need to escape at speed from the persecution of the paparazzi, as well as various conspiracy theories). The only surviving passenger of the car "Mercedes S280" with the number "688 LTV 75", bodyguard Trevor Rhys Jones, who was seriously injured (his face had to be restored by surgeons), does not remember the events.

On December 14, 2007, a report was presented by the ex-commissioner of Scotland Yard, Lord John Stevens, who stated that the British investigation confirmed the conclusions according to which the amount of alcohol in the blood of the driver of the car, Henri Paul, at the time of his death, was exceeded by three times, than is acceptable in French legislation. In addition, the speed of the car exceeded the permissible in this place twice. Lord Stevens also noted that the passengers, including Diana, were not wearing seat belts, which also played a role in their deaths.

Princess Diana was buried on September 6 at the Spencer family estate of Althorp in Northamptonshire, on a secluded island.

Who bothered Princess Diana

Diana has been repeatedly called "the most photographed woman in the world" (some sources share this title between her and Grace Kelly).

Many books have been written about Diana in various languages. Almost all of her friends and close employees spoke with memories. There are several documentaries and even feature films. There are both fanatical fans of the memory of the princess, insisting even on her holiness, and criticism of her personality and the pop cult that has arisen around her.

As part of the album Black Celebration (1986) by Depeche Mode, the composition "New Dress" was released, in which the author of words and music, Martin Gore, ironically plays up how much attention the media showed to the life of Princess Diana.


Fifteen years ago, on the night of August 31, 1997, Princess Diana of Wales died in a car accident in Paris.

Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana, princess of Wales), nee Lady Diana Francis Spencer (Diana Frances Spencer) - the former wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, mother of Princes William and Harry.

In 1975, Diana's father Edward John Spencer assumed the hereditary title of earl.

Diana studied at Riddlesworth Hall in Norfolk and at West Heath School in Kent, then at a school in Chateau d "Oex in Switzerland.

After leaving school, she returned to England and began working as a kindergarten teacher in London.

On June 21, 1982, their first son, William, was born, and two years later, on September 15, 1984, their second son, Harry.

After the divorce, Diana was deprived of the right to be called a member of the royal family, but the title of Princess of Wales was retained for her.

There are several versions of the cause of the death of Princess Diana.

In January 2004, hearings began to establish the circumstances of the deaths of Dodi al-Fayed and Princess Diana.

The hearings were adjourned while the Paris crash was being investigated and were resumed on 2 October 2007 at the Crown Court in London. The jury heard evidence from more than 250 witnesses from eight countries.

As a result of the hearings, the jurors came to the conclusion that the illegal actions of tabloid journalists chasing their car, and the careless driving of the car by the driver Henri Paul. Drunk driving was cited by Henri Paul as the main cause of the accident.

By the end of 2013, Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana lived after her divorce,. The couple will move into the new wing, which until her death was occupied by the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret.

June 21, 2012, on the day of his thirtieth birthday, Prince William, inherited from his late mother. The total amount was ten million pounds (about $15.7 million).

Many books have been written about Princess Diana, films have been made, including the film Unlawful Killing directed by Keith Allen, which was shown at the 64th Cannes Film Festival.

In September 1997, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Foundation was founded with donations from the public and proceeds from the sale of memorabilia, including the single by British artist Elton John "Candle in the wind" (Candle In The wind), dedicated to the princess. fund).

In March 1998, it was announced that the foundation would provide grants of £1 million to each of the six charities officially supported by Princess Diana (English National Ballet, Leprosy Mission, National AIDS Society, Centerpoint, Children's Hospital Great Ormond Street, Royal Marsden Hospital).

Grants of £1 million were also provided to the Children's Osteopathic Center and organizations that help landmine victims. Another £5 million was divided among other charities (about 100 organizations) active in the fields of arts, health, education, sports and child care.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Diana Princess of Wales to 1996 first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne. Commonly known as Princess Diana, Lady Diana or Lady Di. According to a poll conducted in 2002 by the BBC broadcaster, Diana was ranked third in the list of the hundred greatest Britons in history.

Diana Francis Spencer was born on July 1, 1961 in the royal estate of Sendrigham in Norfolk. She was the third daughter of the future Viscount and Viscountess Althorp. Diana's father, Edward John Spencer, served in the court of King George VI. Her mother, Frances Ruth, was the daughter of Lady Fermoy, lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother.

The father was deeply disappointed. To him for the continuation of the most noble, with seven hundred years! - the nobility of the surname required, of course, an heir, and then a daughter was born again. The family already had two daughters, Sarah and Jane. The name of the girl was given only a few days later. She will become her father's favorite, but that will be later. And soon the son Charles was born.

Diana spent her early childhood years in Sandrigham, where she received her primary home education. Her first teacher was the governess Gertrude Allen, who taught Diana's mother. Diana's early childhood was filled with happiness, she grew up as a kind and sweet girl. The children received an upbringing that was more typical of old England than of the middle of the twentieth century: a strict schedule, nannies, governesses, a pheasant for dinner, long walks in the park, horseback riding. Diana did not work out with horses - at the age of eight she fell off her horse and hurt herself badly; after three months of treatment, Diana fell out of love with horse riding forever.

The Spencer estate borders on the royal estate of Sandringame. The Spencers are well acquainted with the royal family and are well-known to the court circle. So the girl, in accordance with aristocratic traditions, received a proper upbringing.


The Spencer Capital Mansion from Green Park.

Her life was overshadowed by the discord of her parents (Lady Speser left four children with her father, having gone to another person whom she loved), their secret rivalry. The divorce of her parents had a particularly serious effect on Diana: she withdrew into herself, began to be afraid to appear in public. And she said to her nanny: “I will never marry without true love. If there is no complete confidence in love, it may happen that you have to get a divorce. And I never want to get divorced.” Soon a stepmother appeared in the house, who disliked children.

Diana's education continued at Sealfield, at a private school near King's Line, then at Riddlesworth Hall Preparatory School. At the age of twelve, she is accepted into a privileged girls' school at West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent. Diana soon became the favorite of both teachers and classmates. Although she did not show much diligence in the wisdom of science, she adored sports and dancing.

She became "Lady Diana" in 1975 when her father assumed the hereditary title of earl. During this period, the family moves to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Nottregtonshire. In the winter of 1977, shortly before leaving to study in Switzerland, sixteen-year-old Lady Diana meets Prince Charles for the first time when he comes to Althorp to hunt. At that time, impeccably educated, intelligent Charles seemed to the girl just "very funny."

Her education ended at the age of 18, she failed to pass the exams for the basic elementary course even on the second attempt. From a prestigious Swiss boarding house - having begged her parents to take her out of there, Diana moves to London to start an independent life. She first lived with her mother, went to cooking classes and ballet classes. And soon she - on the inheritance received from her great-grandmother - bought a small apartment on Colgern Court. Like many people who have a home but no money to support it, Diana shared an apartment with friends. She works for her wealthy girlfriends, cleaning apartments and babysitting the kids, and then went to work at the Young England kindergarten.

The Prince of Wales, by the time he met Lady Spencer, was an established, fully mature man, well educated, with charming manners. Too, perhaps, closed and restrained he seemed. Diana, perhaps at first, did not take him seriously - he courted her sister Sarah. But one moment decided her whole fate.

She was sitting in the hay one summer day. Invited guests wandered around the estate. Among them was Prince Charles. He approached, sat down next to him, turning off the path. For a while they were silent. Then Diana, overcoming her shyness, spoke first, expressing sympathy to the prince about the death of his grandfather, Earl Mountbatten, who was recently killed by terrorists ... ". I saw you at the service in the church, she said ... You walked down the aisle. You had such a sad face! You seemed to me so suffering and lonely ... Someone should take care of you too ... ".

All evening the Prince of Wales did not leave Diana a single step, showering her with such signs of respectful attention that it became clear to everyone: he had chosen. Diana, as always, charmingly embarrassed and blushed, lowering her eyes. Literally the next day, the press started talking about this, photojournalists began hunting for Lady Di, her pictures appeared in magazines and newspapers.

In February 1981, the press service of Buckingham Palace officially announces the engagement of the Prince of Wales and Countess Diana Francis Spencer. On July 29, 1981, the wedding took place in St. Peter's Cathedral in London. Thus ended the novel of the century, which opened a new page in the history of England and the entire Windsor dynasty.

It was a very difficult marriage of two extraordinary and bright personalities ... No matter what they wrote or said, there was a huge mutual attraction between the two of them. It was difficult for the princess to adapt to the external isolation of the royal family, the impenetrability of emotions, coldness, flattery and outright hypocrisy. She was different. Shy in front of everything new, unfamiliar, sometimes lost. She was only twenty years old. She was young and inexperienced. She was preparing to become a mother. She was not afraid of open emotions, tears, outbursts of warmth. She tried to give a piece of this warmth to each of those around her... She was often misunderstood and shied away from her like a plague...

She knew for herself what a lack of attention to emotional frankness in the family. She tried not to repeat parental mistakes in her own ... But it was so difficult for her to build her own world in the family that soon after a difficult birth (on June 21, 1982, her first son, Prince William, was born), she fell into depression. The first signs of rapidly progressing bulimia, a disease of the digestive system, appeared. Prince Harry was born two years after his first child on September 14, 1984.

From the very beginning, she tried to ensure that her children lived as simple, ordinary lives as possible. When it came to the primary education of her sons, Diana opposed the fact that William and Harry were brought up in the closed world of the royal house and they began to attend preschool classes and a regular school. On vacation, Diana allowed her boys to wear jeans, sweatpants and T-shirts. They ate hamburgers and popcorn, went to the movies and rides, where the princes stood in a general line among their peers.

In the early 90s, a blank wall of misunderstanding grew between the most famous spouses in the world, in particular, due to the ongoing relationship of Charles with Camilla Parker Bowles (later, after the death of Diana, who became his second wife). In 1992, the tension in their relationship came to a head. She tried to take revenge on him in a purely feminine way, hence the unsuccessful romance with Hewitt, which even the queen gave up on, flirting with James Gilby. She was looking for a soul to whom she could entrust all her wounds and tears and could not find. Everyone betrayed her - lovers, doctors, astrologers, friends, secretaries, relatives and relatives. Even the mother, who told the press all the secrets of childhood and Lady Dee's minor shortcomings. She remained alone. Only children were faithful to her - two adoring and adored sons.

Princess Di's five suicide attempts. This was talked about a lot and at length, but we'd better trust her herself: "My soul was screaming for help! I needed attention ...". She will say later. She will judge and evaluate everything herself: "We were both guilty, both made mistakes. But I don't want to take all the blame on myself. Only half ...". And no less mysterious words spoken to sons William and Harry: "I still love your father, but I can no longer live with him under the same roof." The marriage broke up in 1992, after which the couple lived separately, and ended in divorce in 1996 at the initiative of Queen Elizabeth II.

The princess more and more went in search of the spiritual meaning of life and charitable causes. She founded in the country and around the world hundreds of foundations for children and the sick, the homeless and lepers. She chose for herself a spiritual mentor - Mother Teresa and walked beside her, following her philosophy of help: "Do not allow even one to remain unhappy after meeting you!"

Hundreds of children called her their guardian angel. She supported and founded projects to open cancer centers for terminally ill patients in all countries of the world, including here in Russia. Few people remember her visit to Moscow in 1995. She took under her patronage one of the Moscow children's hospitals. She forced to change the policy of entire states in relation to the most terrible weapon that so easily enriched hundreds of dirty souls - anti-personnel mines.

With what pain she spoke in her last almost interview: “I have always been and will always be a humanitarian figure, I only want to help people in any way I can, that’s all ... The world is sick with a lack of philanthropy and compassion more and more .. Someone needs to get out of here, love people and tell them this." Shortly before her death, in June 1997, Diana began dating film producer Dodi al-Fayed, the son of the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, but apart from the press, none of her friends confirmed this fact, and this is also denied in the book of Lady Diana's butler - Paul Barrela, who was a close friend of the princess.

On August 31, 1997, Diana died in a car accident in Paris, along with Dodi al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul.

At Diana's funeral, both boys carried themselves with the calm dignity of grown men. Their late mother would no doubt be proud of them. On that sad day, among many other mournful images, many people remember the wreath leaning against the coffin. On it was a card with one single word: "Mom". Princess Diana was buried on September 6 at the Spencer family estate of Althorp in Northamptonshire, on a secluded island in the middle of a lake.

In 2006, the biopic The Queen was filmed, which describes the life of the British royal family immediately after the death of Princess Diana.

She tried to say. Even in his own death. She tried to love until the end. And be needed. She was lively and kind, warm, bringing light and joy to people. She was somewhat sinful, but she did much more than others who seemed to be sinless and paid dearly for her mistakes, loneliness, tears and general betrayal and misunderstanding.

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