Who is Diana Princess of Wales

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Remembering the People's Princess - Her Life, Her Death and Her Legacy

I was one of the thousands of people, who were stunned and in shock 10 years ago by the tragic death of Princess Diana and then a few days later the death of Mother Teresa.

As I watched the enormous worldwide outpouring of grief for the deaths of these two humanitarians, I felt my own grief, saw a worldwide grief response and I knew had to do something. That something, ultimately became creating Journey of Hearts, a website for anyone grieving a loss.

I think for many of us, as Diana's contemporaries but single, we were living our lives vicariously through hers. I'd compared thoughts with my friends who were also physicians trying to figure out why we were affected by her death. We realized that we'd spend the 1980's in college, studying to get into medical school, so Diana became the dream...watching the princess marry her prince in a storybook wedding...a dream that first ended in their divorce and then a year later, in her untimely death. 

Photo Source: Concert for Diana.

Her Life

Diana's life seemed to be those that little girls read about in fairy tales, growing up to marry the prince of her dreams and living happily ever after, but as little girls grow up to discover that life is not always a fairy tale, so was the case with Princess Diana.

When Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles on 29 July 1981 married at St Paul's Cathedral the ceremony was watched by a global audience of almost one billion people.

They had the required heir and a spare with William being born in 1982 followed by Harry two years later in 1984.

Then the story-book life began unraveling before the world. Diana and Prince Charles separate in December of 1992 and their divorce was finalized on 28 August 1996.

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The Royal Wedding in the Amazon Spotlight

ABC News Classics Royal Wedding: Prince Charles and Lady Diana

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

On July 29, 1981, an estimated 750 million people tuned in to see the heir to Britain's throne wed the 20-year-old former kindergarten teacher in St Paul's Cathedral.

The fairy-tale courtship of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles sparked worldwide interest in the royal family.

ABC News' Peter Jennings and Barbara Walters bring you back to the culmination of years of speculation and intrigue, when Diana walked down the aisle in front of 3,500 invitees, trailing a 25-foot train to become the people's princess.

Remembering Diana - More Resources About Her Life

Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales From Wikipedia.
Diana Remembered : People.com
Ten years after her death, people are still fascinated by the people's princess, the focus of this People website.
Diana: A Celebration
Diana: A Celebration is a traveling exhibition featuring the life and works of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Remembering Diana - Her Work

Ban against Landmines
by jassielou | video info

45 ratings | 17,917 views
curated content from YouTube

Diana: The Portrait in the Amazon Spotlight

Diana: The Portrait: Anniversary Edition

Amazon Price: $6.62 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

The only book to be fully endorsed by the late Princess's estate and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

This Anniversary Edition by journalist Rosalind Coward is a lasting testament to the life and work of Princess Diana, one of the most extraordinary and enduring icons of the 20th century.

Remembering Princess Diana - Last Days of a Princess

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Her Death - In Paris

Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997 at the young age 36 when the car that she was driving in crashed in the Pont de L'Alma tunnel in Paris. Diana survived the crash, but sustained massive damage to her heart and internal bleeding.

Diana was eventually transported by ambulance to the Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, underwent cardiac arrest twice. Despite attempts a lengthy resuscitation she died at 4 a.m. local time.

With her at the time of her death were her 42-year-old boyfriend, Dodi Fayed and the driver of the car Henri Paul. Both of them died instantly at the scene.

Bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was the soul survivor of the crash.

Photo Source:
Bobby Uggles. Flame for Diana. Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons.

Notes from the Photographer:
"This is really a replica of the Statue of Liberty flame that was given to Paris many, many years ago. After Diana's death, people from around the world began using this as a memorial to Princess Diana, after she died as a result of a car accident in the tunnel below this flame."

BBC's Report on the Day Diana Died - August 31, 1997

BBC ON THIS DAY | 31 | 1997: Princess Diana dies in Paris crash
Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed after her car crashes in a Paris underpass - the driver and her friend Dodi Fayed are also dead.

A Global Response to the Death of a Princess

    Cynics say the public grieving was hysterical...
    I would argue that the response
    was a natural expression of mourning
    for a much-love public figure.

    Sierra Hutton Wilson
    Somerset, England

When word got out about the Death of Princess Diana the world seemed to go into a collective state of shock, paralyzed with grief.

Spontaneous Memorials sprung up overnight at her home in Kensington Palace, at the Crash Site, Pont de L'Alma in Paris and all over the Internet.

Photo: Christine Clinite. Flower's for Diana outside Buckingham Palace two weeks after her death. Used with Permission.

Death of Diana - The Beginning of A Global Grief Response

Diana's death occurred at the beginning of the Internet age. Her death was one of the first to be broadcast all over the internet.

Since her death we have seen global grief response for others...Just a few days later Mother Teresa died.

Others we have seen a global grief response or the public outpouring of grief for people and tragedies: John F. Kennedy Jr., September 11th Tragedy, The Christmas Tsunami, The Columbia Shuttle Mission, Hurricane Katrina, Steve Irwin and even Anna Nicole Smith.
A grief observed - public reaction to the death of Princess Diana
An article from the National Review, published on Sept 29, 1997. The author takes a look at the very emotional public reaction to the death of Princess Diana.
St. Diana
An article published Sept. 23, 1997 in Salon looking at the mass grief response following the death of Princess Diana, or St. Diana.
Grappling with Global Grief
On 11 September four audacious and horrific attacks rocked the United States. Many have been left with a sense that the world is a very different place.

Princess Diana Funeral Highlights Videos

Some of the most stirring images of the funeral service for me were that of her young sons Prince William then 15 and Prince Harry almost 13 walking with their Father, Uncle Charles Spencer and Grandfather Prince Philip behind their Mother's funeral cortege.

Princess Diana: Funeral (1 of 12)

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Goodbye England's Rose - Candle in the Wind 1997


    Goodbye England's rose;
    May you ever grow in our hearts.
    You were the grace that placed itself
    Where lives were torn apart.

    Sir Elton John

Candle In The Wind (Goodbye England's Rose) on Amazon

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Coverage of The Death of a Princess

YouTube - User Tribecatom - Princess Diana's Funeral
Princess Diana's Funeral Service, Funeral Procession and Arrival at Althorp are included in a series of Video clips uploaded to YouTube by Tribecatom.
CNN - Diana: A Remembrance
CNN's Special Tribute Section on Remembering Princess Diana.
CNN - Diana: A Nation Mourns
CNN's Section on the Funeral, the Goodbyes and the Tributes.
CNN - The Funeral of Princess Diana - The Procession - Sept. 6, 1997
The Funeral Procession of Princess Diana available for viewing on CNN.
Diana, Princess of Wales - Commemoration of the Princess
Information about projects to commemorate Diana, Princess of Wales from the Royal Family's Website.

Diana Revealed, The Princess No One Knew

NBC News Presents: Diana Revealed, The Princess No One Knew

Amazon Price: $51.88 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

A remarkable feature-length documentary from NBC News with exclusive video that shows a Diana never seen before in Diana Revealed.

Also included is a Bonus Feature on "Diana's Legacy" about how her family and friends turned the pain of the loss into The Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

Diana Arrives Home and Her Final Resting Place

Princess Diana's Funeral Part 39 & Final: She Arrives Home
by tribecatom | video info

255 ratings | 243,631 views
curated content from YouTube

Her Final Resting Place - Althorp

An independence of spirit is detectable throughout the Spencer women...

Diana was the embodiment of these diverse qualities. It is therefore appropriate that she has returned to Althorp, to rest in peace, in the most beautiful of settings, where she is most truly in context.


Source:
Althorp House. House & Exhibition.

Photo Source:
Nic Pepsi. The Round Lake. Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons.

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain is a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales.

The design aims to reflect Diana's life, water flows from the highest point in two directions as it cascades, swirls and bubbles before meeting in a calm pool at the bottom.

It is located in the southwest corner of Hyde Park in London, just south of the Serpentine Lake and east of the Serpentine Gallery.

Photo Source:
Munty Pix. Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons.
Queen Unveils New Memorial Fountain
The Windsor and Spencer families unite for the unveiling of a fountain built in Princess Diana's memory.
Diana Memorial Fountain
A unique Memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales was opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 6th July 2004.
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
Information about the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain on Wikipedia.

Diana Princess of Wales Tribute Album in the Amazon Spotlight

Diana Princess of Wales Tribute

Amazon Price: $16.19 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

Inspired by Princess Diana's untimely death, this impressive and diverse array of stars join together in a musical tribute released in 1997.

Includes Queen, George Michael, Paul McCartney, R.E.M., Puff Daddy, Celine Dion, Annie Lennox, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Seal, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross and the Bee Gees among others.

A Squidoo Lens on Who Wants to Live Forever

Queen's contribution to the Diana Tribute was the "Who Wants to Live Forever."
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Her Legacy - Prince William and Prince Harry

When I watched the interview with the Princes that aired days before the Concert for Diana, I was struck by their poise, their grace and their genuine interest in celebrating the life of their mother, rather than focusing on mourning her death, by organizing and hosting the Concert for Diana. The Concert for Diana was held on what would have been her 46th birthday.

Prince William said during the interview, "We didn't want to have just a memorial service. We wanted to have a concert for her life and energy and all things that we thought she brought."

In watching the now grown Princes during the interview and then hosting the concert (nervously reading off of index cards) I realized just how much the images of these young men had changed for me. For so long I'd held the memory of the two of them walking so solemnly and stoically after Diana's Funeral cortege.

It was wonderful seeing that these two young boys who have grown into remarkable young men, who have inherited their mother's compassion and sense of generosity.

Wherever Diana is now, I am sure she is proud of the legacy she has left behind in these two young men.

Photo Source: Princes at the Concert for Diana.

Remembering Diana 10 Years Later on Flickr

The Field Of Flowers has ten 10ft metal dandelion clocks, designed by Historic Royal Palaces artist-in-residence Sophie Layton.

Each of the dandelion clocks has more than 600 gold-leaf covered "seeds" - inspired by the idea that dandelion seeds carry thoughts and dreams to loved ones.

Ten years already? by slagheap
Ten years already? by slagheap
Ten years already? by slagheap
curated content from Flickr

After Diana: William, Harry, Charles...

After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor

Amazon Price: $0.97 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

Critically acclaimed author, Christopher Andersen takes a look at the Royal Family still haunted by the ghost of Princess Diana.

He explores, perhaps the Princess greatest legacy that of her grown sons who are carrying on her legacy of love and compassion as well as forging a legacy of their own.

Princes William & Harry - Generous with a Mischevious Sense of Fun

    William and Harry say they plan to be on stage for the concert. They are two young men who are serious, generous and with a mischievous sense of fun. In those ways they are so very like their mother.

    Matt Lauer
A Conversation with Prince William and Prince Harry - By Matt Lauer
NBC's Matt Lauer speaks with Prince William and Prince Harry on the tenth anniversary of the death of their mother, Princess Diana.
An interview with Prince William and Prince Harry
Transcript of broadcast footage for Prince William and Prince Harry's announcement of commemorations for Diana, Princess of Wales.

Concert for Diana - The Most Perfect Way of Remembering Her

The Concert for Diana was held at the new London Wembley Stadium on July 1st 2007, her birthday.

Along with Sir Elton, a diverse array of musical artists performed for a capacity 63,000 crowd. Live on stage were: Fergie, Kanye West, Nelly Furtado, James Morrison, The Feeling, Pharrell Williams, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, P Diddy, Josh Groban, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and many more.


    For us,
    this has been
    the most perfect way of remembering her.
    And this is how
    she would want to be remembered.

    Prince William


Photo Source:
Concert for Diana, Programme. The Commemorative Programmes can still be purchased from the Concert for Diana Website.

Concert for Diana in the Amazon Spotlight

Concert for Diana

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

The Concert for Diana was held at the new London Wembley Stadium on July 1st 2007, which would have been Diana's 46th birthday.

Proceeds from the concert goes to charities supported by the late Princess of Wales, and to charities of which Princes William and Harry are patrons.

Remembering Diana Now - Highlights of the Concert for Diana 2007

    First and foremost the evening is for her.
    It's to remember her and to commemorate her life and celebrate it.

    Princes William and Harry

Fifteen million people throughout the UK are estimated to have watched Concert for Diana. In addition, the concert was broadcast to over 500 million homes in 140 countries.
Concert for Diana - BBC News Coverage
by mariotorresfilho | video info

91 ratings | 98,243 views
curated content from YouTube

Princess Diana Concert Raises Over 3.0 Million Dollars

So far the Concert for Diana has raised over £1.5 million pounds which translates to 3.0 Million U.S. Dollars.

The overall total is likely to increase even more with a DVD of the concert scheduled for released in early November.
Princess Diana Concert Raises £1.2 million
The funds from the concert, which took place on July 1st in London, will be distributed between eight different charities - with each receiving over £150,000 each.
Diana concert raises 1.2 million pounds
LONDON (Reuters) - The July concert staged in memory of Princess Diana by her sons raised 1.2 million pounds for charities dear to her heart, the organizers said on Thursday.
Princes' Diana concert nets £1.2m
Prince William and Prince Harry's Concert for Diana to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's death raised £1.2 million for charity, it has been announced.

Sean, P Diddy, Combs: I'll be Missing You, The Concert for Diana

This was one of the more moving performances at the Concert for Diana, originally written as a tribute to a friend of his who had died around the time of Diana's death.
P.Diddy I'll be missing you Wembley
by lanceli923 | video info

324 ratings | 100,941 views
curated content from YouTube

Prince Harry Remembers His Mother

On the 10th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales's death

    Behind the media glare, to us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world. We would say that, wouldn't we? But we miss her. What is far more important to us now, and into the future, is that we remember our mother as she would have wished to be remembered - as she was: fun-loving, generous, down-to-earth, entirely genuine.

    Prince Harry

Full Text of Prince Harry's Memorial Speech

Remembering a Beloved Mother

The full text of Prince Harry's eulogy for his mother, Princess Diana, delivered Friday August 31, 2007, at a memorial service held in London:

William and I can separate life into two parts. There were those years when we were blessed with the physical presence beside us of both our mother and father.

And then there are the 10 years since our mother's death.

When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivaled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector.

She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated.

She will always be remembered for her amazing public work. But behind the media glare, to us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world.

We would say that, wouldn't we.

But we miss her. She kissed us last thing at night. Her beaming smile greeted us from school. She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day. She encouraged us when we were nervous or unsure.

She - like our father - was determined to provide us with a stable and secure childhood.

To lose a parent so suddenly at such a young age, as others have experienced, is indescribably shocking and sad. It was an event which changed our lives forever, as it must have done for everyone who lost someone that night.

But what is far more important to us now, and into the future, is that we remember our mother as she would have wished to be remembered as she was: fun-loving, generous, down-to-earth, entirely genuine.

We both think of her every day.

We speak about her and laugh together at all the memories.

Put simply, she made us, and so many other people, happy. May this be the way that she is remembered.

Remembering Diana - A Service of Thanksgiving

On the 10th Anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales' Death

A Service of Thanksgiving for Diana
Ten years on, Britain paid tribute this week to the life of Princess Diana, with the focus of commemorations being a royal memorial service at The Guards Chapel, London. From Time.com
Princess Diana's Family Remembers Her 'Unrivaled Love of Life'
Princess Diana's Family Remembers Her 'Unrivaled Love of Life', Friends and family commemorate the life of Princess Diana on the tenth anniversary of her death at a memorial service Friday. From FOXNews.com
Royals remember Princess Diana 10 years after death
Royals and celebrities joined Princes William and Harry to honor their mother Princess Diana on Friday, the 10th anniversary of her death in a high-speed limousine crash in Paris. From Reuters

A Featured Lens on the Anniversary Reaction

The death of Princess Diana is one of the many examples of people remembering and having to cope with the Anniversary Reaction.
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10 years Later Photographs Now Emerging of Her Final Moments

A video tape of the final hours of Princess Diana's life along with photographs taken of her final moments following the crash in the Pont de L'Alma tunnel have now been released 10 years after her untimely death.

What is interesting about the photographs are that two are taken through the front of the car of the driver as it would have been driving through the tunnel. You also get a sense of the magnitude of the crash by seeing the damage of the car. These images focus on the crash scene itself and the responders.
Unseen footage of smiling Diana, Princess of Wales released at inquest
Previously unseen CCTV footage of the last hours of Princess Diana's life on the evening of her death has been released in court as part of the inquest into her death.
First public glimpse of Princess Diana's final hours - Times Online
The final movements of Diana, Princess of Wales, preparing for the car journey that would kill her were shown in public for the first time yesterday (october 3, 2007).
Published for the first time: Coroner releases amazing pictures of Diana in the car that took her to her death | the Daily Mail
An astonishing sequence of pictures of the final minutes of Princess Diana's life have emerged as the long-awaited inquest into her death finally opened today.

Her Legacy - The Work Continues

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund - Princess Diana's Charity Work
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund is an independent grant-giving charity established in September 1997 to continue Princess Diana's humanitarian work.
Centrepoint - Prince William's Charity Work
Centrepoint is the leading charity in the UK helping homeless and socially excluded young people to rebuild their lives.
Sentebale - Forget Me Not - Prince Harry's Charity Work
Sentebale - A charity supporting orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho, founded by Prince Harry.
Concert For Diana - Charities
Charities benefited by the Concert for Diana. All proceeds from ticket sales after deduction of all costs and expenses of the Concert will be given in equal shares to the Concert beneficiaries.

Breaking Barriers for People with AIDS - Making a Difference

    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. She showed the world that people with AIDS deserve no isolation, but compassion and kindness. It helped change world's opinion, and gave hope to people with AIDS.

    Bill Clinton
Diana, Princess of Wales was one of the first high-profile celebrities to be photographed touching a person infected with HIV. Her involvement helped to decrease discrimination against victims of AIDS.

She believed "HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it."

Photo Source: The Work Continues. Diana, Princess of Wales 1961-1997

Supporting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation


In looking for a beneficiary of the Diana, Princess of Wales Lens, I looked for two of her favorite causes--her children and her early ground breaking work with AIDS patients.

In searching through the list of Squidoo's Partner Nonprofits, one emerged--the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation creates a future of hope for children and families worldwide by eradicating pediatric AIDS, providing care and treatment to people with HIV/AIDS, and accelerating the discovery of new treatments for other serious and life-threatening pediatric illnesses.

My Response to the Worldwide Outpouring of Grief

As I sat watching the enormous worldwide outpouring of grief on the Television and the Internet to the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa, it became suddenly clear to me that there was a real need for people (and professionals) to be educated about loss and the grief response.

I felt that much of the enormous public outpouring of emotions and tears of sorrow may have been due to triggering old, repressed personal grief memories, or as with many of us who grew up with Princess Diana, the vicarious death of our own dreams.

Diana's death was one of the inspirational event for launching Journey of Hearts as an online healing place for anyone grieving a loss. Watching and experiencing the global grief response response at the time was one of the inspirational events for me to pursue the professional study of grief, loss and bereavement.

Since 1997 the site has been freely available as an online resource for the grieving Internet community, providing resources and information to help people understand the grieving process.

My Response to the Death of Princess Diana - Journey of Hearts

The Journey of Hearts site was created as my response to the sudden death of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa as a way of creatively coping with loss.
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Other Lenses About Princess Diana

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More Squidoo Lenses about Princess Diana

Princess Di
Princess Diana (July 1, 1961 - August 31, 1997) was married to Charles, Prince of Wales. She was known for her charity worker and her fashion image.

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Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation Featured on Squidoo

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Donate to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation seeks to prevent pediatric HIV infection and to eradicate pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs.

Remember if you buy something from this page...

... you will be making a donation to The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, providing a future of hope for children with AIDS and their families.

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Comfortdoc

Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor,... more »

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Diana Princess of Wales Biography 

Diana, Princess of Wales: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)

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Diana at 50 

LIFE Diana At 50

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What life might have been like for Diana had she lived.

William's Chocolate Cake Recipe 

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