Diana biography personal. The Spencer family: who is really behind the tragedy of Princess Diana

In childhood, the life of the future Lady Diana was more like a fairy tale: Diana spent all the years before her marriage in Sendrigem, the Spencer-Fermoy family castle. Her parents were Viscount and Viscountess Aldtrop, Edward and Francis Spencer.

But only outwardly such a childhood could be envied. When Diana was only six years old, her parents realized that they could no longer live together, this was followed by a painful and so ignoble for the whole family process of divorce. Father and mother were more concerned with their differences than with the education of their children; most often there were nannies nearby. All this together was perceived by Diana, as well as her brothers and sisters, with inexpressible bitterness.

With such experiences began school years Diana, however, in the future she showed herself as a keen girl - she was engaged in dancing, sports, drawing. At the age of 16, Diana first met Prince Charles, who at that time was courting Sarah Spencer, her older sister.

Lady Diana's personal life

With the onset of adulthood, Diana received an apartment in London from her father, in which she settled for an adult independent life. She worked as an educator in kindergarten, a nanny and even an apartment cleaner.

In November 1979, Diana was invited to a hunting trip with members of the royal family, where Prince Charles drew upon her Special attention It was then that she became his chosen one.

In February 1981, the prince made an offer to Lady Diana, which, as you might guess, was accepted.

On July 29, 1981, the wedding took place, which is rightfully considered the wedding of the century: at a ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral, Lady Diana became a member of the royal family and the lawful wife of Prince Charles. The marriage was happy at first, in 1982 Princess Diana gave birth, two years later she was born.

By 1990, disagreements began in the relationship between Diana and Charles - the princess was surrounded by popular love, which Charles did not use on such a scale. He, in turn, resumed a relationship with his longtime and secret love, Camilla Parker-Bowles, which in the following years led to erratic romances in Diana's personal life.

Since 1992, the bonds of marriage hardly connected Diana and Charles - they officially began to live separately. In 1995, a divorce followed, after which Diana did not lose the title of Princess of Wales.

After Diana's death, journalists gained access to her personal video diaries, in which Diana complains about the unbearable situation of her deceived wife. Dirty evidence of her husband's infidelities leaked into the press every now and then: transcripts of slippery telephone conversations, photos of paparazzi. However, the prince got away with his treachery.

Throughout her life, Lady Diana struggled with a hereditary disease - bulimia (an eating disorder), and against the backdrop of nervous experiences and stress, it was torture to restrain herself.

Princess Di's Activities

After the divorce, Diana seriously took up charity work, and she really managed to change the world for the better. She directed her efforts to the fight against AIDS, cancer, turned her help to children with heart defects. Her charitable work was so versatile that Diana was even able to raise the issue of using anti-personnel mines and their dangers. Diana could respond to any request for help and often answered letters from ordinary people who told her about their troubles.

But the selfless desire to help could not change her own fate - on August 31, 1997, together with her new lover, the son of the Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed, Diana ended up in Paris, where they both had a car accident while driving through the Alma tunnel. According to the official version, Diana's driver was unable to taxi out of a steep turn in the tunnel, escaping from the paparazzi chase.

The princess died already in the hospital. Since after the divorce, Diana ceased to be part of the royal family, she was not supposed to mourn and say goodbye.

True, the reasons were rather subjective. Prince Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth, really disliked her daughter-in-law for her spontaneity and unwillingness to put up with her position in the palace when Diana filed for divorce.

However, ignoring the death of Diana caused popular anger. A crowd of people wishing to say goodbye to their beloved held out for several days near Buckingham Palace, demanding the flags be lowered to half-mast as a sign of a national tragedy.

Diana Princess of Wales by 1996 the first wife of the Prince Welsh Charles, 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 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.

Spencer Manor borders the royal estate of Sandringame, the Spencers are well acquainted with royal family y, enter 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 closed herself in, 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, private school near King's Line, then to preparatory school Riddlesworth Hall. 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 sport games 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 over 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 everyone around her... She was often misunderstood and shied away from her like from the plague...

She knew for herself what a lack of attention to emotional frankness in the family. She tried not to repeat parental mistakes in hers ... But it was so difficult for her to build her own own world in a family that soon after a difficult birth (on June 21, 1982, the first son, Prince William, was born), she became depressed. The first signs of rapidly progressing bulimia appeared - a disease digestive system. 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 affair 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 a spiritual mentor for herself - 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.

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.

At the end of the hearing, the jurors concluded that illegal actions tabloid journalists chasing their car, and reckless driving by driver Henri Paul. main reason The accident was named drunk driving by Henri Paul.

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 public donations and proceeds from the sale of memorabilia, including the British artist Elton John's single "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 Society AIDS Support, Centerpoint, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, 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 pounds were divided among others charitable organizations(about 100 organizations) active in the field of arts, health care, education, sports and child care.

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

Diana Francis Spencer was born on July 1, 1960. The third girl in the family, she became another disappointment for Earl John Spencer, who was expecting a son - the heir to titles and estates. But as a child, Diana was surrounded by love: as the youngest, she was spoiled by both relatives and servants.

The idyll did not last long: convicted of adultery, Countess Spencer left for London, taking her younger children. The divorce process was accompanied by a scandal - at the trial, Diana's grandmother testified against her daughter. Family discord forever remained associated for Diana with the terrible word "divorce". Relations with her stepmother did not work out, and for the rest of her childhood, Diana rushed between her mother's mansion in Scotland and her father's in England, not feeling at home anywhere.

Diana (far right) with her father, sisters Sarah and Jane and brother Charles

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Diana was not particularly diligent, and teachers spoke of her as a smart, but not very gifted girl. The true reason for her indifference to the sciences was that she was already absorbed by another passion - ballet, but her high growth prevented her passion from becoming a matter of life. Deprived of the opportunity to become a ballerina, Diana turned to social activities. Her enthusiastic nature and ability to infect others with her enthusiasm was noted by everyone around.

Not just a friend

Prince Charles and Diana met when she was 16. Diana's sister Sarah then met with the heir to the British throne, but the affair ended after a careless interview with the girl. Shortly after the breakup, Charles began to look at the one in which he had previously seen only the younger sister of his girlfriend, and soon came to the conclusion: Diana is perfection itself! The girl was flattered by the attention of the prince, and everything went to a happy ending.

Over the weekend at country house friends were followed by a cruise on the yacht Britannia, and then an invitation to Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of the English monarchs, where Diana was formally introduced to the royal family. In order to marry, the future monarch needs the permission of the current monarch. Formally, Diana was the ideal candidate for the role of the bride. Possessing all the virtues of a less fortunate sister (noble birth, excellent upbringing and attractive appearance), she could boast of innocence and modesty, which the lively Sarah clearly lacked. And only one embarrassed Elizabeth II - Diana seemed too unsuitable for palace life. But Charles was over thirty, the search for the best contender could be delayed, and after long hesitation, the queen finally gave her blessing.

On February 6, 1981, Diana accepted the prince's proposal, and on July 29 they got married in St. Paul's Cathedral. The broadcast of the ceremony was watched by 750,000,000 people, and the wedding itself was like a fairy tale: Diana, in a fluffy white dress with an eight-meter train, drove up to the church in a carriage surrounded by an escort of officers of the Royal Horse Guards. The word “obey” was removed from the marriage vows, which caused a sensation - of course, because even the Queen of England herself promised to obey her husband in everything.

Just a year after the wedding, Diana rocked her son and heir, Prince William. Harry was born a couple of years later. Diana later admitted that these years were the best in her relationship with Charles. All free time they spent with children. “Family is the most important thing,” the beaming Diana told reporters.

At this time, Lady Dee first showed a decisive character. Despising customs, she herself chose the names for the princes, refused the help of the royal nanny (by hiring her own) and tried in every possible way to protect the highest interference in the life of her family. A devoted and affectionate mother, she organized her affairs so that they did not interfere with her meeting the children from school. And there was an incredible amount of cases!

Royal affairs...

The duties of Princess Diana, stipulated by the ceremonial, included attending charity events. Traditionally, charity is the occupation of every member of the royal family. Princes and princesses have long patronized hospitals, orphanages, hospices, orphanages and non-profit organizations, but none of the British monarchs did this with such passion as Diana.

She greatly expanded the list of institutions she visits to include AIDS hospitals and leper colonies. The princess devoted a lot of time to the problems of children and youth, but among her wards were nursing homes and rehabilitation centers for alcoholics and drug addicts. She also supported the campaign to ban anti-personnel mines in Africa.

Princess Diana generously spent her means and the wealth of the royal family on good deeds, and also attracted friends from high society as sponsors. It was impossible to resist her soft, but indestructible charm. All her compatriots adored her, and Lady Di had many admirers abroad. “The worst disease of the world is that there is little love in it,” she constantly repeated. At the same time, Diana unsuccessfully struggled with her own hereditary disease - bulimia (an eating disorder), and against the background of nervous experiences and stress, it was torture to restrain herself.

... and family matters

Family life turned out to be unhappy. Charles' long-term affair with a married woman, Lady Camilla Parker-Bowles, which Diana learned about after the wedding, resumed in the mid-80s. The offended Diana became close to James Hewitt, a riding instructor. The tension intensified when recordings of incriminating telephone conversations between both spouses and lovers were leaked to the press. Numerous interviews followed, during which Charles and Diana accused each other of breaking up their union. “There were too many people in my marriage,” the princess joked sadly.

The indignant queen tried to expedite her son's divorce. The papers were signed on August 28, 1996, and from that moment Princess Diana lost all rights to address Your Royal Highness. She herself always said that she wanted to be only the queen of people's hearts, and not the wife of the reigning monarch. After the divorce, Diana felt a little freer, although her life was still regulated by protocol: she was ex-wife crown prince and mother of two heirs. It was love for her sons that made her maintain the appearance of a family and endure her husband’s betrayals: “Any normal woman I would have left a long time ago. But I couldn't. I have sons." Even in the midst of the scandal, Lady Dee did not stop doing charity work.

After the divorce, Diana did not leave charity, and she really managed to change the world for the better. She directed her efforts to fight AIDS, cancer, turned her help to children with heart defects.

During this time, the princess had a passionate affair with a Pakistani-born surgeon, Hasnat Khan. Khan came from a very religious family, and Diana, in love, seriously considered converting to Islam in order to be able to marry her lover. Unfortunately, the contradictions between the two cultures were too great, and in June 1997 the couple broke up. Just a few weeks later, Lady Dee began dating Dodi Al-Fayed, a producer and son of an Egyptian multimillionaire.

You lived your life like a candle burning in the wind...

On August 31, 1997, Diana and Dodi were in Paris. By car, they left the hotel when they were followed by cars with paparazzi. Trying to get away from the chase, the driver lost control and crashed into the concrete support of the bridge. He and Dodi Al-Fayed died on the spot, Diana was taken to the hospital, where she died two hours later. The sole survivor of the crash, bodyguard Trevor Rhys-Jones, has no memory of the events.

The police conducted a thorough investigation, as a result of which the cause of death of the princess was declared an accident caused by the negligence of the driver and the carelessness of the passengers in the car (none of them were wearing seat belts).

Elizabeth II was against the declaration of national mourning, insisting that Lady Diana no longer belonged to the royal family at the time of her death. However, ignoring the death of Diana caused popular anger. A crowd of people wishing to say goodbye to Diana held the defense near Buckingham Palace for several days, demanding that the flags be lowered as a sign of a national tragedy. Then Elizabeth surrendered, but the Queen still refuses to restore the title of Diana, although Princes William and Harry insist on this.

Princess Diana can rightfully be considered the star of the British monarchy. Neither before nor after her, no one from the royal family was so loved and adored by the subjects of the "crown" as she was. Her life still arouses great interest among the media and the townsfolk, although a lot of time has passed since the death of the princess.

What do we know about Diana?

Born Spencer in the summer of July 1, 1961 in Norfolk. Diana Francis was of noble birth. Her mother and father were viscounts, and also maintained a close relationship with the English royal family.

Diana's father John was of the same family line as Churchill and also the Duke of Marlborough. All of them came from the Spencer-Churchill family. father himself future princess was Viscount Althorp.

Only through the illegitimate, but also recognized sons of King Charles II, did Diana carry a part of the "royal blood" in herself. As a child, the future princess lived in Sandringham. The daughter of the viscount passed the primary educational stage at home.

Then the parents taught the girl at a private school near King's Line. A little later, after academic failures, she entered Riddlesworth Hall School. At the age of eight, Diana experienced a divorce from her parents. She, her half-sisters and brother stayed with their father. Diana's father quickly developed new wife, but she was unable to establish contact with the children, so she played the role of an evil stepmother in their fate.

In 1975, Diana officially received the title of "lady". This event was overshadowed by the death of her grandfather. At the age of twelve, Diana Francis was sent to West Hill School. She studied poorly, only Diana's musical abilities aroused admiration.

In addition to her favorite music, Diana was fond of dancing. She adored these two activities, and excelled in the creative field.

In 1978, the girl moved to live in London. She had her own home there. Being very young, Diana loved to mess with the kids, so she got a job looking after the children at the Young England kindergarten as an assistant teacher.

How did the lady meet the prince?

The first meeting of the future princess of Britain with Prince Charles took place when she was only 16 years old. In 1977, the prince came to her father's estate for a polo game.

After a brief courtship, Charles invited Diana to the royal yacht. In early 1980, Diana was honored to see the royal family at the Balmoral family castle.

The press immediately drew attention to the genuine interest of the Prince of Wales in the young lady. Although the engagement of young people was kept secret, all the details of their meetings that the media could find out were savored by journalists with different sides almost daily.

Under such pressure, Prince Charles made a hasty proposal to Diana. It happened on February 6, 1981. Diana was then the first Englishwoman who later became a royal bride, in addition, the girl was the first bride to have a paid position before she became a princess.

Before the wedding, the girl settled in Buckingham Palace along with the Queen Mother. The queen herself presented Diana with an elegant and intricate brooch with sapphires as a token of her favor.

wedding celebration

The wedding of Diana and the born Prince of Wales took place on July 29, 1981. The day was chosen based on weather conditions so that nothing could overshadow the grand celebration. The wedding ceremony was held in St. Paul's Cathedral. Why not in the generally accepted for monarchs and nobility Westminster Abbey? It's just that this cathedral had more places for guests. The church, of course, was not as pretentious as the abbey, but it also captivated with its surroundings and beauty.

So Lady Diana and the future queen of hearts of subjects became the Princess of Wales. The festive ceremony was shown by all world media. The broadcast was watched by about 700 thousand viewers. About 650 thousand more spectators were waiting for the couple on the street to enjoy the spectacle of the wedding procession.

The girl's wedding dress cost about 10 thousand pounds. The full length of her veil was also impressive, because it was 7.5 meters.

Fate after marriage

The question of whether Charles truly loved Princess Diana before today remains open. After the wedding, Lady Diana quit her job at the kindergarten and took up the direct duties of the Princess of Wales.

She attended kindergartens, schools, charity events. Diana was very active in charity work. Helped those in need, supported AIDS patients. Her popularity among the citizens of Great Britain grew at a tremendous rate. Diana was literally considered an angel of mercy in the flesh. People began to call her our "Lady Dee", thereby showing a special disposition towards her and her activities.

Every appearance, every trip abroad attracted Charles's wife great attention. Diana very quickly became a trendsetter, managing to bring a little glamor to the strict royal dress code.

Diana loved to be in the company of children and ordinary people, she spoke openly about the problems of the modern society, which earned herself even greater fame.

The princess could easily go for tea at the establishments that she supported with her charitable activities. It was Diana who put an end to prejudice about AIDS patients by publicly shaking hands with one infected person.

During her tenure as Charles's wife, Lady Dee received the following honors:

• Order of Queen Elizabeth II;
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Crown;
• Egyptian Order of Virtue.

The princess had much more unofficial awards.

Unfulfilled dreams of happiness

The birth of the first son of Charles and Lady Di William took place on June 21, 1982. Then on September 15, 1984, the second son of the Henry couple was born. Diana always dreamed of a big family.

From the very beginning, the Princess of Wales insisted on a completely ordinary upbringing of her sons. At her insistence, they were sent to simple kindergartens, then attended an average English school.

After the birth of Prince Henry, known today as Harry, the marriage of Diana and Charles began to crack. It is known that before the wedding, Charles told his friend that he did not love Diana yet, but that he might be able to love her in the future.

Apparently, Charles, who was 13 years older than her, failed to fall in love with a girl. Then the couple began to live separately. After this event, the book by Andrew Morton "Diana: her true story". The manuscript was published with the consent of the princess herself and with the participation of her friends.

So the world learned about Lady Di's suicide attempts, about her experiences, loneliness, and also that she struggled with bulimia for many years. There was evidence in this book that Charles was still interested in his former girlfriend Camilla Parker. This painfully hurt the Princess of Wales, and ultimately led to the couple's divorce.

The Prince and Princess of Wales officially divorced in 1996..

The couple's divorce turned into a standoff when Diana gave candid interview the BBC channel. In it, she sincerely spoke about the fact that Charles never wanted to be king, about how difficult it was for her to live in the royal family. After the divorce, Diana devoted a lot of time to her children. She appeared with them at all social events.

Diana Spencer has always said that she wants to become queen, but does not want the English throne, but wants to be the queen of people's hearts. Her reputation after the divorce was slightly damaged by information about romances with other men. So officer Hewitt vilely betrayed the relationship with the princess to the public by writing a book about them.

When the divorce proceedings ended, the princess switched from direct charitable work to other work. She put all her dresses up for auction. The proceeds from the sale amounted to more than 3.5 million pounds. Diana also visited Mother Teresa, who was ill. After the divorce, the media tirelessly followed the activities of Lady Dee, discussing her every step and every decision she made.

Divorce: before and after

Formally, the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles broke up much earlier than the divorce proceedings began. Evil tongues said that even after marrying Diana, Charles did not end his relationship with his former girlfriend Camilla.

And Diana herself soon had an affair with cardiac surgeon Hasnat Khan. There is evidence that they really loved each other, but could not withstand the pressure of the public and broke up. In addition, Khan's parents were also against this relationship. Diana and Hasnat tried to save their relationship by leaving for Pakistan, but the lovers did not succeed there either.

The following relationship of Diana Francis Spencer was the last in her life. So she was credited with an affair with the Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed. The couple was allegedly even seen on the same yacht. It was not possible to confirm this connection with indisputable facts.

Cause of death of Princess Diana

The Princess of Wales died from injuries and injuries acquired in a car accident on August 31, 1997. In the car, Diana was traveling with her bodyguard and her "tabloid" lover, Dodi al-Fayed. Everyone who was driving around Paris in that ill-fated car, except for the bodyguard, died.

Even after a lengthy investigation, the police could not convincingly explain why the car accident happened..

The accident happened when the driver attempted to break away from the reporters chasing Diana on motorcycles. In the tunnel, he lost control, and according to one version, a collision occurred.

Princess Diana managed to be hospitalized, but she died after two hours in the hospital. Trevor Rea Jones (Lady Dee's bodyguard), having recovered from his injuries, claimed that he did not remember anything about that accident. After the incident, his face had to be restored with the help of plastic surgery almost completely. The fatal scene took place in a tunnel under the Alma bridge in Paris. Diana's car collided with a concrete pillar.

At the age of 36, the people's favorite Lady Dee passed away. A wave of mourning swept through Britain and France. In honor of the princess, memorials were erected, to which people laid flowers.

The princess was buried in her native Althorp on a secluded island. Versions of her death stirred the hearts and minds of people for a long time. Someone believed that Diana's death was a direct consequence of a conspiracy against her. Others blamed the paparazzi chasing the princess for everything. Scotland Yard also published its version, which said that the alcohol in the blood of the driver was three times higher than the norm, and the speed limit in the tunnel was also severely exceeded.

Numerous songs and poems were written in memory of Diana. Elton John and Michael Jackson also dedicated their works to her. 10 years after the accident, a film was made about Princess Diana and the last hours of her life. In addition, even today stamps with her image are issued in many countries. According to relentless statistics, Princess Diana has broken all records of popularity among British monarchs. She remained in the hearts of people as their true unofficial queen.