Diana Princess of Wales and her children. What Diana Frances Spencer was like (15 photos)
20 years have already passed since her death. But Princess Diana continues to interest the public; her story still remains a mystery and the subject of close attention of researchers.
The future Princess of Wales did not shine with intelligence. She failed her GCSEs twice and barely made it through one semester at college. Although Diana came from a very noble family, she was not rich.
Charles, the respectful son, proposed without delay, although he shed bitter tears over the lost hope of being with his beloved Camilla, whose affair had lasted for 9 years. In an interview on the occasion of the official announcement of the engagement, Charles said that he was truly amazed that “Diana was ready to rely on him.” But the sarcasm of these words became obvious and understandable only many years later. It’s not surprising, because they knew each other for only a few months, and there was nothing in common between them.
There was an intellectual and spiritual chasm between Charles and Diana. The almost 13-year age difference had to be compensated for by at least something, but she decided that it was he, Charles, who should take the trouble to “descend” to her level of development, and not she to “rise” to the level of her husband. She was not interested in the Prince of Wales's hobbies, did not try to make friends with his friends, criticized his habits and mocked his piety. They literally had nothing to talk about with each other, and Diana couldn’t listen to Charles the way Camilla did.
Remarkable fact: Lady Di's favorite books were romance novels by Barbara Cartland. Even before her marriage, she read the book “The King’s Bride,” admitting that all her girlish dreams were embodied in it. In 1993, the writer herself would say: “Diana read only the books I wrote. Whatever you say, this is not the best choice.” American Mary Robertson, for whom Diana Spencer worked as a nanny shortly before the engagement, also recalled that she was extremely surprised by the girl’s limited literary tastes and even advised her to start reading The Times and the Daily Telegraph in order to be able to carry on conversations with Charles.
Diana's jealousy of Camilla, I think, irritated Charles. After the very first weeks of living together as his wife, he remembered with longing what love and mutual understanding were. Diana was constantly losing to the “old Reutweiler,” as she called Camilla.
After giving birth, according to the princess herself, she again began to suffer from lack of attention, fell into postpartum depression, and then began to demonstratively inflict bodily harm on herself. True, they were just “demonstrative” ones, and not ones that could actually somehow harm her appearance. In an interview with the BBC, the Princess of Wales said she was perhaps "the first in the Royal Family to ever experience depression, or at least the first to allow herself to express it openly." Such regular “openness” repelled Charles and his family from her.
Then she developed bulimia. Diana ate a lot, then vomited...the romance of married life with her shocked Charles.
Diana was sent for treatment more than once, however, as we know, this did not lead to anything, since the real problem lay in the self-centered nature of the young woman, in her insatiable thirst for the attention of others to her person and, most importantly, in her unwillingness to work on herself. In a country where the system of private psychotherapists and psychoanalysts was already well developed, Diana chose to reflect, feel sorry for herself and blackmail others with her antics. At first this frightened and upset Charles and Elizabeth, then the shock gave way to irritation and alienation. By 1985, the princess managed to completely distance herself from her husband. Charles remembered Camilla, Diana... the red-haired riding instructor.
In general, it was somehow accepted that kings lived as they wanted, and queens remained faithful to their husbands, which was, of course, connected with succession to the throne. No one wanted a bastard to take the throne. By the way, Diana’s affair with Hewitt led to the suspicion hovering over Prince Harry that the son was not a prince, but a riding instructor.
In general, I would say that Diana was promiscuous. Her lovers were entirely grooms, drivers, officers, although there was also a doctor and a millionaire, but this is closer to the end. I can imagine what was going on in the royal family when they found out what Diana’s butler later told the world: the princess did not use protection during her affairs, which means that the princes could have a strange brother. Or sister
Television journalist Martin Bashir, during the famous scandalous interview, reminded Diana that she was often accused of artificially inflating interest in her person, shocking the press in the first years of her marriage to Charles. For example, she performed almost in a negligee on the stage of Covent Garden, paired with the famous ballet dancer Wayne Sleep. The number was a "gift" to Prince Charles for his birthday. However, in fact, Diana stole all the attention that the birthday boy should have enjoyed.
Before her appearance in the royal family, its other members, including young people, never caused such a stir, but, however, behaved much less emotionally. Even the rebellious Princess Margaret seemed to have fewer problems. Diana always denied the fact that she was playing for the public, but in reality she was flattered that she could become the first “celebrity” in the royal family. A previously inconspicuous girl with very modest tastes overnight turned into the wife of the crown prince and received unlimited access to the fashion collections of the best fashion designers in the world, and at the same time to the boxes with the family jewelry of Elizabeth II. Fashion became another passion of hers.
When attention became insufficient, the princess fueled interest in herself with personal revelations. She encouraged her friends to tell the press about Diana's difficult life. The result of that communication was the infamous book “Diana. Her True Story,” published in 1992. Diana’s frank interview for the BBC television channel was just as provocative and exciting for all the “fried” hunters.
In this interview, the princess practically let the press into her and Charles’ bedroom. Diana, of course, was a meek victim, the royal family - enemies who are busy only making life difficult for the poor thing and denigrating her impeccability.
I note that Camilla never gave a single interview, although she had a lot to tell. feel the difference
After a short time, Diana was called to Elizabeth II for a reception and the issue of divorce was resolved. By the way, this is how Diana received her fortune - 17 million British pounds at a time and another 700 thousand pounds of annual allowance for the maintenance of servants and that part of Kensington Palace in which she was allowed to stay as the mother of the heirs of the Crown.
Even before the official divorce, Diana had an affair with Pakistani-born surgeon Hasnat Khan. According to friends and butler Paul Burrell, who organized their love affairs at Kensington Palace, Diana was so passionate that she seriously talked about the possibility of her changing her faith for the sake of a successful marriage. However, Hasnat believed that the princess was too in love with her star status and social life.
The proposal never came, but when Diana's next Muslim lover appeared on the personal front, the Royal House became tense.
In the summer of 1997, Diana took both sons with her to spend a vacation with them on the Cote d'Azur. And then photographs of the heirs to the British crown appeared in the press in the company of Diana and her Muslim lover. Diana not only introduced the children to the potential “new dad”, but allowed them to communicate closely. Diana obviously did not even think about the fact that such contacts could compromise the boys. She was aimed at organizing her personal life and, it seems, once again forgot that she ceased to be an “ordinary woman” the moment she became the mother of the heirs of the Crown, and even a divorce from Charles could not change anything here.
As I already wrote, the princess did not shine with intellect, and therefore followed only and exclusively her own desires, without thinking about the consequences. She wanted all the bonuses of giving birth to heirs to the crown, but didn't want to accept any of the responsibilities that came with it.
Fate or the intelligence services brought Diana to a deserted Parisian tunnel, where the story of the loser princess, who never had time to understand that becoming the wife of a prince, does not mean doing whatever she wants all her life, ended.
FULL NAME: Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer)
DATE OF BIRTH: 07/01/1961 (Cancer)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Sandringham, UK
EYE COLOR: Blue
HAIR COLOR: blond
FAMILY STATUS: Married
FAMILY: Parents: John Spencer, Frances Shand Kydd. Spouse: Prince Charles. Children: William Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry of Wales
HEIGHT: 178 cm
OCCUPATION: Princess of Wales
Biography:
From 1981 to 1996, the first wife of Prince Charles of Wales, heir to the British throne. Popularly known as Princess Diana, Lady Diana or Lady Di. According to a survey conducted in 2002 by the BBC, Diana was ranked 3rd in the list of the hundred greatest Britons in history.
Born 1 July 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 Winston Churchill. Diana's paternal ancestors were of royal blood through the illegitimate sons of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of his brother and successor, King James II. The Earls Spencer have long lived in the very center of London, in Spencer House.
Diana spent her childhood in Sandringham, where she received her primary education at home. Her teacher was governess Gertrude Allen, who also taught Diana's mother. She continued her education in Sealfield, at a private school near King's Line, and then at Riddlesworth Hall preparatory school.
When Diana was 8 years old, her parents divorced. She stayed to live with her father, along with her sisters and brother. The divorce had a profound impact on the girl, and soon a stepmother appeared in the house, who disliked the children.
In 1975, after the death of her grandfather, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer and she received the courtesy title "Lady", reserved for the daughters of high peers. During this period, the family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Northamptonshire.
At the age of 12, the future princess was accepted into a privileged girls' school at West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent. Here she turned out to be a bad student and could not graduate. At the same time, her musical abilities were beyond doubt. The girl was also interested in dancing. In 1977, she briefly attended school in the Swiss city of Rougemont. Once in Switzerland, Diana soon began to miss home and returned to England ahead of schedule.
In 1978, she moved to London, where she first 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 apartment worth £100,000 in Earls Court, where she lived with three friends. During this period, Diana, who had previously adored children, began working as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten in Pimlico.
Diana first met Charles, Prince of Wales, at the age of sixteen, in November 1977, when he came to Althorp on a hunting trip. He dated her older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. One weekend in the summer of 1980, Diana and Sarah were guests at one of the country residences, and she saw Charles playing polo, and he showed serious interest in Diana as a potential future bride. Their relationship developed further when Charles invited Diana to Cowes one weekend for a ride on the royal yacht Britannia. This invitation followed immediately after a visit to Balmoral Castle (the Scottish residence of the royal family). There, one weekend in November 1980, they met with Charles's family.
Over the course of five years of married life, the spouses' incompatibility and an age difference of almost 13 years became obvious and destructive. Diana's belief that Charles had an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles also had a negative impact on the marriage. Already in the early 1990s, the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales fell apart. The world media first hushed up the event and then made a sensation out of it. The Prince and Princess of Wales spoke to the press through friends, and each blamed the other for the collapse of their marriage.
Diana presenting the trophy to Guillermo Gracida Jr. at a polo tournament at Guards Polo Club in 1986
The first reports of difficulties in the relationship between spouses appeared already in 1985. Prince Charles has reportedly rekindled his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. And then Diana began an extramarital relationship with Major James Hewitt. These adventures were described in Andrew Morton's book "Diana: Her True Story", published in May 1992. The book, which also showed the suicidal tendencies of the unfortunate princess, caused a storm in the media. In 1992 and 1993, recordings of telephone conversations were leaked to the media, which negatively reflected on both royal antagonists. Tape recordings of conversations between the Princess and James Gilbey were provided to the Sun newspaper's hotline in August 1992, and transcripts of intimate conversations were published in the newspaper the same month. Next, in November 1992, tapes containing intimate details of the Prince of Wales's relationship surfaced. and Camille, also picked up by the tabloids. On 9 December 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced the couple's "amicable separation" in the House of Commons. In 1993, the Trinity Mirror newspaper (MGN company) published photographs of the princess in tights and cycling shorts while working out at one of the fitness centers. The photographs were taken by the owner of the fitness center, Bruce Taylor. The princess's lawyers immediately demanded an indefinite ban on the sale and publication of photographs around the world. Despite this, some newspapers outside the UK managed to reprint them. The court upheld the claim against Taylor and MGN, prohibiting further publication of the photographs. MGN eventually apologized after facing a wave of public criticism. It was said that the princess received £1 million in legal fees and £200,000 was donated to charities she headed. Taylor also apologized and paid Diana £300,000, although it was alleged that members of the royal family helped him financially.
In 1993, Princess Margaret burned “particularly personal” letters Diana wrote to the Queen Mother, deeming them “too personal.” Biographer William Shawcross wrote: "No doubt Princess Margaret felt she was protecting her mother and other members of the family." He suggested that Princess Margaret's actions were understandable, although regrettable from a historical perspective.
Diana blamed Camilla Parker-Bowles, who had previously had a relationship with the Prince of Wales, for her marital problems, and at some point she began to believe that he had other affairs. In October 1993, the princess wrote to a friend that she suspected her husband of having an affair with his personal assistant (his sons' former nanny), Tiggy Legg-Brook, and that he wanted to marry her. Legg-Bourke was hired by the prince as a young companion for his sons while they were in his care, and the princess was resentful of Legg-Bourke and dissatisfied with her attitude towards the young princes. On December 3, 1993, the Princess of Wales announced the end of her public and social life.
At the same time, rumors began to appear about the Princess of Wales's affair with James Hewitt, a former riding instructor. These rumors were made public in Anna Pasternak's book "The Princess in Love", published in 1994, from which director David Green made a film of the same name in 1996. Julie Cox starred as the Princess of Wales, and Christopher Villiers portrayed James Hewitt.
On 29 June 1994, in a television interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, Prince Charles appealed to the public for understanding. In the interview, he confirmed his extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, saying he rekindled the relationship in 1986 when his marriage to the princess was "irretrievably broken down." Tina Brown, Sally Bedell-Smith and Sarah Bradford, like many other biographers, fully supported Diana's 1995 BBC Panorama confession; in it she said that she suffered from depression, bulimia and subjected herself to self-torture many times. The show transcript records Diana's confessions, confirming many of the problems she told interviewer Martin Bashir about, including "cuts on her arms and legs." The combination of illnesses from which Diana herself said she suffered led some of her biographers to suggest that she had borderline personality disorder.
On August 31, 1997, Diana died in Paris in a car accident 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 (the driver was intoxicated, the need to escape at speed from being pursued by paparazzi, as well as various conspiracy theories). The only surviving passenger in the Mercedes S280 with license plate 688 LTV 75, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (Russian)English, who was seriously injured (his face had to be reconstructed 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 findings that the blood alcohol content of car driver Henri Paul at the time of his death was three times higher than the French legal limit. legislation In addition, the speed of the car exceeded the permissible speed 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 would have celebrated her 57th birthday on July 1st. Despite the fact that she has not been with us for more than 20 years, she will forever remain the queen of hearts for her fans. We decided to recall the life story of this legendary woman, the secrets of her style, as well as the mistakes she made. Perhaps, without having done them, her fairy tale would have had a less sad ending.
Favorite of millions: biography of Princess Diana
On July 1, 1961, a third child was born into the John Spencer family. The girl was named Diana and it is worth saying that she became a real disappointment for her father, since he wanted a son. Despite this, from childhood the baby was loved and pampered by everyone: from relatives to servants.
Unfortunately, Diana Spencer was not able to enjoy the family idyll for long. The girl's mother cheated on her father and Princess Diana's parents divorced. The relationship with her father’s new wife did not work out and throughout her childhood she lived in two homes: with her mother in Scotland and with her father in England, but she never felt truly needed anywhere.
The girl was not very enthusiastic about her studies and the teachers said that she was not very capable. Science came second for her. Ballet is her main childhood dream. However, her height did not allow her to become a ballerina. The girl had a very enthusiastic nature and she quickly found a new hobby - social activities.
Prince Charles came into Diana Spencer's life when she was 16 years old. Then he had an affair with the girl’s sister Sarah. One day, the lover gave a careless interview and after that the relationship ended. Prince Charles was not bored for long and immediately began to take a closer look at Sarah’s younger sister. Previously, he saw her only as a little girl, but now she has become perfection for him. This relationship had a happy ending.
The young people almost never separated and soon the girl was introduced to the royal family. In order to get married, Prince Charles needed to get his mother's permission. Queen Elizabeth believed that the girl was an ideal option for her already middle-aged son. At that time, he was over 30 and there was no time to look for a better candidate, so the queen did not hesitate and gave her consent.
It is worth noting that Diana was better suited to the role of Charles's wife than her sister. Attractive appearance, good origin, correct manners, modesty and innocence: the future princess had all this, which cannot be said about Sarah. But not everything was so smooth. Queen Elizabeth was afraid that her son's beloved was not at all suited to royal life. However, years will pass and she will prove that this is not the case at all.
On July 29, Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married. The wedding ceremony was a real event. Hundreds of thousands of people watched the broadcast. Everything was like in a fairy tale, but something happened that became a sensation for everyone. The word “obey” was removed from marriage vows. This was a real shock, because even Elizabeth II swore that she would listen to her husband in everything.
A year later, the couple had their first child, Prince William. A few years later, Princess Diana of Wales gave birth to her second son, Harry. A little later the woman will understand that this was her happiest time.
It didn’t take long before the princess showed everyone her domineering character. For example, she flatly refused help in selecting nannies and independently chose names for the children. She planned her schedule so that she could pick up the children from school herself. A loving mother who dotes on her firstborns: this is how Lady Di can be described.
Do not think that the Princess of Wales devoted absolutely all her time to her family. She did not forget about her royal duties. One of her main activities was charity. She took custody of orphanages, hospitals and hospitals. The British media wrote that she was an example for many, because no one had previously done this with such awe and love.
Unfortunately, the happiness in the family did not last long. Prince Charles loved a married woman for many years. Camilla Parker Bowles was his mistress. After this, the offended wife began an affair with the riding instructor.
A little later, recordings of telephone conversations where the spouses exchanged pleasantries with their lovers were leaked online. This could not continue for long and they divorced. Left alone, the woman did not give up her business, but began to engage in charity work with even greater enthusiasm.
Princess Diana's death occurred on August 31, 1997. Then she dated Dodi al Fayed, who was the son of an Egyptian multi-billionaire. There were rumors that they were planning to get married soon.
On that fateful day, Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed were together. They tried to hide from the paparazzi and got into an accident. The lover died on the spot, and the woman died several hours later when she was taken to the hospital. How Princess Diana died is still a mystery. There are rumors that the accident was faked. After the incident, the police spent a long time investigating how Princess Diana died and, according to the official version, the cause of death was an accident. The only survivor is the bodyguard, who does not remember the events of that night.
Many years have passed, but the cause of Princess Diana's death raises many doubts. When the royal family learned of what had happened, Elizabeth II refused to declare national mourning, but this angered the people. A huge number of people came to say goodbye to Princess Diana's funeral.
Princess Diana's grave is in Elthropa.
People are still coming to the scene of the accident in which the woman got into. Police and detectives are still trying to understand the true cause of death.
Princess Diana's children honor her memory. At his wedding to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry himself collected a bouquet of flowers that his mother loved so much. Princess Diana's ring is now worn by Prince Harry's wife.
Lady Di: what were her main mistakes
Princess Diana made several fatal mistakes during her life. Perhaps if she had looked at some things differently, the ending of her story would have been different. Currently, more than one documentary film has been made about Princess Diana, which shows her life as it really was.
Underestimated her opponent
At the time of his marriage, Prince Harry's father had been having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles for 9 years. Diana knew about this, but despite this she accepted the offer. It remains a mystery how she was going to outshine her rival.
After Lady Di's death, a fragment of a letter she wrote to her maid of honor appeared online. It said that the honeymoon was not at all how she had imagined it, but was an excellent opportunity to get some sleep.
Gave scandalous interviews
In 1995, a woman gave the most scandalous interview to the BBC. In it, she openly shared everything that happened during 15 years of marriage, about her suicide attempts and infidelity. After this, the public learned that Princess Diana's husband had been cheating on her for many years. The interview was discussed for a very long time. Perhaps it influenced the “accident” with Lady Di.
Loved attention to her person
Princess Diana was accused of the fact that at the beginning of her marriage to Prince Charles, she liked to “inflate mountains out of molehills” and thereby stir up the interest of the press. For example, she once performed almost naked on the stage of Covent Garden. The second stunt was dancing with John Travolta at a reception at the White House. Lady Di denied in all interviews that she was playing to the public and loved the attention, but in fact she was flattered by it.
Princess Diana's style: what you should learn from her
Princess Diana's style was sometimes imperfect and changed over the years. Currently, her outfits are sold at auctions for a lot of money and exhibited in the most famous museums in the world. Let's look at what Princess Diana's style was and what can we learn from her?
First miss - wedding dress
Princess Diana's wedding dress was discussed for months after the celebration. Fashion critics compared the bride to a meringue cake. The woman herself took part in the design of the outfit. The dress consisted of lace, silk taffeta, a belt with diamonds and a thousand pearls.
The choice of fabric was a real disaster. The designers and the bride herself did not think about the fact that they still needed to get to the wedding venue. As a result, the bride was wearing a rumpled dress at the altar.
Work on mistakes
After a disastrous wedding look, Princess Diana decided she needed help with her style. She approached Anna Harvey, who was working as an editor at Vogue UK at the time. Over time, the princess's outfits became an example for many. Her main rule was to buy clothes only from domestic designers.
Using the example of Princess Diana, you can learn:
- work with proportions;
- select and combine accessories (two watches on one hand, a bracelet with balls, rings on the little finger, a necklace with a letter, a pearl necklace on the back);
- carry clutches;
- use blue eyeliner;
- wear low heels and clothes in the same color;
- be an individual;
- dress simply and tastefully;
- comply with the dress code.
The death of Princess Diana was and remains even today a real tragedy for all fans. Although the woman lived a short life, thanks to her, Prince Harry of Wales and Duke William of Cambridge were born. Prince William and Kate Middleton have three wonderful children, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently became husband and wife. By the way, there are rumors that Meghan Markle is pregnant. Whether this is true or not, time will tell.
The unique “Queen of Hearts”, the first wife of Prince Charles, Diana Spencer, became the undisputed heroine of the 20th century. Her not-so-happy life became public knowledge, and the circumstances of her death remain a mystery to this day.
It is traditionally accepted that Diana Spencer came into the British royal family practically from the street, in other words, she was almost a commoner, without family or tribe, and that is why Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William, who is associated with the aristocracy only “ stamp in the passport". In fact, this is not so, unlike her daughter-in-law, Diana belonged to a noble family. Moreover, both of her parents were representatives of ancient British families. The princess's father, John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, came from the Spencer-Churchill family. Spencer's ancestors received the title of count back in the 17th century, during the reign of Charles I. Frances Ruth Roche, Diana's mother, was also distinguished by her ancient and noble origins. Lady Fermoy, Diana's grandmother, was a lady-in-waiting and close friend of the Queen Mother. Consider the fact that the entire royal family, including Elizabeth II, attended the wedding of Diana’s future parents in Wesminster Abbey. The Queen later even became godmother to Diana's younger brother, Charles Spencer.
The future Princess of Wales was born on July 1, 1961 at her father's family estate, Sandrigham Castle, and as a child she knew no need for anything: she was surrounded by numerous governesses, maids and other servants. Which should be in any rich house. Yes, Diana really had everything that any little girl needs, except, perhaps, the smallest thing - she lacked love. This lack of tenderness and neediness will haunt the Queen of Hearts throughout her life. Dee's parents divorced when the girl was only eight years old. The future wife of Prince Charles, as well as her two sisters and brother, remained to live with their father. Diana's mother, Frances, moved to London, remarried and had little interest in the fate of her children.
Despite the absence of her mother, Diana received an excellent education. Before entering college, Miss Spencer was under the constant supervision of governess and part-time teacher Gertrude Allen, who was also once involved in raising Frances Ruth. In 1975, after the death of her grandfather, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer and she received the courtesy title "Lady", reserved for the daughters of high peers. During this period, the family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Northamptonshire.
Diana later continued her studies at Sealfield private school, then at Riddlesworth Hall. The next stage was an elite school for girls in West Hill, in Kent. Diana was indifferent to education, however, she studied diligently, and besides, she easily won the favor of teachers and peers thanks to her charm and extremely peaceful character. By the way, in the closed boarding school where future ladies are educated, the schedule included not only basic subjects. Diana perfectly mastered the art of cooking and all the necessary subtleties of housekeeping. She was predicted to have a successful marriage and a happy life. By the way, she never finished this school, as well as the next one, in Switzerland, where her father sent her.
The story of Diana and Charles began back in 1977, when the Queen’s eldest son came to the possessions of Earl Spencer to hunt. There he was introduced to 16-year-old Diana, but did not pay any attention to the girl. The next time they will meet only in 1980.
After completing her studies, Diana moved to London, to an apartment that her father gave her when she came of age. Then the girl got a job in a kindergarten. Despite her noble origins and more than wealthy family, Diana never shunned hard work and everyday life. The owner of an impeccable reputation, a beauty, a hereditary aristocrat - this is exactly the kind of wife that Prince Charles, or rather his mother, needed.
By the time of the repeated and fateful meeting, Charles was 32 years old, he had an impressive number of novels in his arsenal, and the most important and most unpleasant thing for the royal family was that the royal son had a mistress, Camilla. It was absolutely impossible to marry her, unlike Diana, Camilla did not differ in puritanical morals, traveled from one man to another, and was not ashamed to get married, having been refused in the royal palace. In short, in order to nip the brewing scandal in the bud, it was decided to marry Crown Prince Charles. On Diana.
Like any self-respecting gentleman, and at that time completely spineless and subservient, Charles, pleasing his mother, was courteous, courteous and even affectionate with his future wife, so that the naive girl could easily mistake manifestations of politeness for love. In 1981, the grand Wedding of the Century took place, which, it seems, the whole world watched with bated breath.
By the way, “Princess Diana” is an unofficial title. This is how the wife of Prince Charles was dubbed by journalists, and after them by the entire people. If you follow the exact wording, you should say “Diana, Princess of Wales”, or even more precisely – “Diana, Princess Charles of Wales”. But, let’s agree, just “Princess Diana” and “Lady Di” are much more euphonious.
Diana moved to the royal residence. At first everything seemed to go smoothly; a year later the couple had their first child, William, and two years later, in 1984, their youngest son, Harry. It was then that the first rumors about problems in the royal family began to spread. Firstly, it quickly became clear that Charles did not even think about breaking off relations with Camilla, and secondly, Diana herself was accused of adultery, allegedly she gave birth to a second child not from her husband, but from her own security. No one confirmed the rumors, but no one denied them either.
By the end of the 80s, the princess's life had finally turned into hell. Everywhere she was surrounded by annoying paparazzi who tried to find out what was going on in the soul of not just an abandoned woman, but an abandoned princess. The marriage remained purely formal. Diana saved herself by working. She was actively involved in charity work. During her lifetime, she was the patron of more than a hundred charitable organizations, helped funds to fight AIDS, took part in the campaign to ban the use of anti-personnel mines, traveled all over Africa, and tried to help everyone in need personally.
Perhaps few people remember now, but Diana even managed to visit Moscow. Her short visit to the capital of the newly created Russian state took place in mid-June 1995. The Princess of Wales spent only two days in Moscow, during which she visited several hospitals and primary school No. 751 on a charitable mission, where she inaugurated a branch of the English Foundation for Helping Disabled Children. In two short days, Diana still managed to see the Kremlin and even visit the Bolshoi Theater.
Diana supervised several organizations helping homeless teenagers, patronized children's hospitals, and communicated with seriously ill children. And this is only a small part of the good deeds. Diana drowned out her inner pain by trying to help others. Today she is listed as one of the 100 greatest Britons in history.
And yet, the closer Diana became to the people, the more she moved away from the royal house. In the early 90s, the princess stopped hiding her estrangement from her husband, thanks to which she found an irreconcilable enemy in the queen. Although she did not approve of Charles’s affair with Camilla, she was also afraid of the divorce proceedings with Diana like fire. Just think: what a shadow will fall on the reputation of the royal house!
The official divorce took place only in 1996; before that, Diana and Charles continued to live side by side, but each with their own life. Diana, in retaliation against her husband, began an affair with a riding instructor. The royal family gave in, Elizabeth gave permission for divorce.
After the divorce, Diana was allowed to stay in the palace, raise her children and even retain her title. The British people simply would not have forgiven the Queen for any other decision. But Diana, having broken free from the royal cage, seems to have decided to repeat the fate of her mother: having not known love, having been deceived more than once, she plunged headlong into her personal life - in search of someone who would truly love her. The children faded into the background. The caution that was previously inherent in her, too.
Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1960. The third girl in the family, she became another disappointment for Count 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 pampered by both her family and servants.
The idyll did not last long: caught in 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. For Diana, family discord remained forever associated with the terrible word “divorce.” The relationship 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
Popular
Diana was not particularly diligent, and teachers spoke of her as an intelligent, but not very gifted girl. The real reason for her indifference to science was that she was already absorbed in another passion - ballet, but her high growth prevented her passion from becoming her life's work. Deprived of the opportunity to become a ballerina, Diana turned to social activities. Her enthusiastic nature and ability to infect others with her enthusiasm were noted by everyone around her.
Not just a friend
Prince Charles and Diana met when she was 16. Diana's sister Sarah was then dating the heir to the British throne, but the romance ended after a careless interview with the girl. Soon after the breakup, Charles began to look closely at the one in whom 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 prince's attention, and everything went to a happy ending.
A weekend at a friends' country house was 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 officially introduced to the royal family. To marry, the future monarch requires permission from the current monarch. Formally, Diana was the ideal candidate for the role of the bride. Possessing all the advantages 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 thing confused Elizabeth II - Diana seemed too unadapted to palace life. But Charles was over thirty, the search for the best candidate could drag on, and after much 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 created a sensation - indeed, even the Queen of England herself promised to obey her husband in everything.
Just a year after the wedding, Diana cradled her son and heir, Prince William. A couple of years later, Harry was born. Diana later admitted that these years were the best in her relationship with Charles. They spent all their free time with their children. “Family is the most important thing,” a beaming Diana told reporters.
At this time, Lady Di demonstrated her decisive character for the first time. Disregarding customs, she herself chose the names for the princes, refused the help of the royal nanny (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 would not interfere with her picking up her children from school. And there was an incredible amount to do!
Royal affairs...
Princess Diana's duties as stipulated by the ceremony included attending charity events. Traditionally, charity is the activity of every member of the royal family. Princes and princesses have a long history of patronizing hospitals, orphanages, hospices, orphanages and non-profit organizations, but no British monarch has done so with such passion as Diana.
She greatly expanded the list of institutions visited, including hospitals for AIDS patients and leper colonies. The princess devoted a lot of time to the problems of children and youth, but among her wards were also nursing homes and rehabilitation centers for alcoholics and drug addicts. She also supported the campaign to ban landmines in Africa.
Princess Diana generously spent her money and the royal family's wealth on good causes, 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 fans abroad. “The most serious 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 (eating disorder), and against the backdrop of nervous experiences and stress, it was torture to restrain herself.
...and family matters
Family life turned out to be unhappy. Charles's long-term affair with a married woman, Lady Camilla Parker-Bowles, which Diana learned about after the wedding, resumed in the mid-80s. Insulted, Diana became close to James Hewitt, a riding instructor. Tensions increased when recordings of compromising telephone conversations between both spouses and lovers were leaked to the press. Numerous interviews followed, during which Charles and Diana blamed each other for the breakdown of their union. “There were too many people in my marriage,” the princess joked sadly.
The outraged queen tried to speed up her son's divorce. The papers were signed on August 28, 1996, and from that moment on, Princess Diana lost all rights to address Your Royal Highness. She herself always said that she only wanted to be 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 governed by protocol: she was the former wife of the crown prince and the mother of two heirs. It was her love for her sons that forced her to maintain the appearance of a family and tolerate her husband’s infidelities: “Any normal woman would have left long ago. But I couldn't. I have sons." Even at the height of the scandal, Lady Di did not stop doing charity work.
After the divorce, Diana did not give up charity, and she really managed to change the world for the better. She directed her energies to the fight against AIDS, cancer, and provided her assistance to children with heart defects.
At this time, the princess experienced a passionate affair with a surgeon of Pakistani origin, 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 separated. Just a few weeks later, Lady Di began dating Dodi Al-Fayed, a producer and son of an Egyptian multimillionaire.
You lived your life like a candle burns in the wind...
On August 31, 1997, Diana and Dodi were in Paris. They left the hotel by car when cars with paparazzi followed them. Trying to escape the pursuit, the driver lost control and crashed into a concrete bridge support. He himself and Dodi Al-Fayed died on the spot, Diana was taken to the hospital, where she died two hours later. The only survivor of the accident, bodyguard Trevor Rhys-Jones, has no memory of the events.
The police conducted a thorough investigation, as a result of which the cause of the princess's death was declared an accident caused by the carelessness of the driver and the carelessness of the car's passengers (none of them were wearing seat belts).
Elizabeth II was against declaring national mourning, insisting that Lady Diana no longer belonged to the royal family at the time of her death. However, ignoring Diana's death caused popular anger. A crowd of people wishing to say goodbye to Diana held the line near Buckingham Palace for several days, demanding that the flags be lowered to half-staff as a sign of the national tragedy. Then Elizabeth gave in, but the Queen still refuses to restore Diana’s title, although Princes William and Harry insist on it.
