Princess Diana: biography of the “queen of hearts. What is known about the Spencer family - blood relatives of Princess Diana Desired heirs William and Harry

Diana, Princess of Wales, nee lady Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk.

She was born into the famous, well-born family of Johnny Spencer and Frances Ruth Burke Roche. Diana's family was very glorious on both sides. Father is Viscount Althorp, a branch of the same Spencer-Churchill family as the Duke of Marlborough and Winston Churchill. Her paternal ancestors were of royal blood through the illegitimate sons of King Charles II and illegitimate daughter his brother and successor, King James II. The Earls Spencer have long lived in the very center of London, in Spencer House. “This ancient and noble blood happily combined pride and honor, mercy and dignity, a sense of duty and the need to follow one’s own path. Always and everywhere. To have in the chest a small heart and the spirit of a king, intertwining in it tightly, inextricably: femininity and lion’s courage, wisdom and composure..." - this is what the biographer wrote about them.

But despite all the innate nobility of the Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, their marriage cracked, and they were unable to save the family - even the birth of the desired heir to the earldom, Diana’s younger brother, Charles Spencer, did not save the situation. By the time Charles turned five (Diana was then just over six years old), their mother could no longer live with her father, and the Spencers performed a shameful and rare “procedure” at that time - they divorced. Her mother moved to London and began a whirlwind romance with American businessman Peter Shand-Kyd, who left his family and three children for her sake. In 1969 they got married.


1963 Two-year-old Diana relaxes in a chair in her home.


1964 Three-year-old Diana walks around her house with a stroller.


1965


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. Lady Diana, already an adult, recalled with bitterness that her mother did not really care about the care of her children. The princess said: “The parents were busy settling scores. I often saw my mother crying, and my dad didn’t even try to explain anything to us. We didn't dare ask questions. The nannies replaced one another. Everything seemed so unsteady..."

Later, relatives would say that parting with her mother was a huge stress for Diana. But the little girl withstood this situation with truly royal calm and childish fortitude, moreover, it was she who most helped her little brother recover from this blow.

1967 Diana plays with her younger brother Charles outside their home.


Viscount Spencer tried as much as possible to mitigate the consequences of the loss and possible ways entertained depressed, confused, and shocked children: he organized children's parties and balls, invited dancing and singing teachers, and personally selected the best nannies and servants. But this still did not completely save the kids from mental trauma.

1970 A little athlete on holiday in Itchenor, West Sussex.


1970 Diana with her sisters, father and brother.


After the parents divorce, the children remain to live with their father. Soon a stepmother appeared in the house, who disliked the children. Diana began to do worse at school and ultimately did not graduate. The only activity she loved was dancing. Diana's education continued in Sealfield, at a private school near King's Line, then at preparatory school Riddlesworth Hall. At the age of twelve she was accepted into the exclusive girls' school at West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent.


She became "Lady Diana" (a courtesy title for daughters of high peers) in 1975, after the death of her grandfather, when her father inherited the earldom and became the 8th Earl Spencer. During this period, the family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Notthrogtonshire.

After graduating from youth school in West Heth, Diana lived in Switzerland. Her father sent her to learn housekeeping, cooking, sewing, and French and other skills of a well-bred girl. Dee, apparently, did not like the learning process very much, she was exhausted from boredom, besides, she did not like French and wanted to become independent as quickly as possible.

Diana in Scotland.


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 on a hunting trip. At that time, the impeccably brought up, intelligent Charles seemed to the girl only “very funny.”

Since Diana sought independence, Charles Spencer Sr. provided her with this opportunity. When she came of age, her father gave the future princess an apartment in London. Diana did not show aristocratic stiffness and willingly and confidently began her independent, adult life. She worked part-time as a kindergarten teacher and babysat children at home. Interestingly, the hourly rate of the future princess was only one pound.

Diana as a nanny, a year before she marries Prince Charles.


At this time the heir English throne looked after older sister Diana, Sarah Spencer. Diana simply idolized Lady Sarah Spencer - charming, witty, proud, although a little harsh in her manners and behavior. Therefore, she was glad to see how the relationship between the eldest of the Spurser sisters and such an enviable groom was developing. Charles at that time was passionate about his studies, reserved, and cold, but his high status aroused an exaggerated interest in girls. Among the contenders for the prince's heart was even the granddaughter of the legendary Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Lady Charlotte. And yet, he clearly singled out the Spencer house for himself.

Cheerful Diana, who knew why she came to their house future king Great Britain, during meetings she joyfully smiled at the guest and muttered something embarrassed in French - she really loved her sister and wished her happiness. Having showered Sarah with attention, Charles was also very kind to Diana; he liked the girl, but nothing special came of it. In November 1979, Diana was invited to the royal hunt. She was to spend the weekend at Earl Spencer's estate with her family and Prince Charles. Athletic, graceful, Diana rode her horse like an Amazon, and during the fox hunt, despite her simple outfit and modest behavior, she was irresistible.

It was then that the Prince of Wales first realized that Diana was an incredibly “charming, lively and witty girl who was interesting to be with.” Sarah Spencer later said that she played “the role of Cupid” at this meeting. Charles spoke for a long time with Dee for the first time and could not help but admit that she was simply lovely. However, at that moment that was all over.

In the summer, in July 1980, Diana learned that Prince Charles had suffered a great misfortune: his uncle, Lord Mountbatten, whom the prince considered one of his closest people, his best adviser and confidant, had died. As Diana later recalled, “I saw the prince sitting alone in a haystack, thoughtful; she turned off the path, sat down next to him and simply said that she saw him in the church at the funeral service. He seemed so lost, with an incredibly sad look... This is unfair,” I thought then, “He is so lonely, someone should be there at this moment!” That evening, Charles openly and publicly showered Lady Diana Francis with the attentions befitting a prince's chosen one. Sarah Spencer was completely forgotten.

At the time Charles “found” Diana, the prince was 33 years old. He was the most eligible bachelor in Great Britain and was considered an incredible womanizer, a conqueror of girls, although this title should rather be attributed to his title. In particular, since 1972, Charles had an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, the wife of army officer Andrew Parker-Bowles, by the way, a good “friend” of some members of the royal family. However, Camilla was in no way suitable for the role of the future queen, and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip racked their brains a lot about how to “slip” a better candidate for their son. But then Diana appeared and, in general, saved the situation. They say that Prince Philip himself proposed that Charles marry Diana. She was well-born, young, healthy, beautiful and well-mannered. What else is needed for a good royal marriage?

In the fall of 1980, rumors first circulated about her affair with the Prince of Wales. It all started when a reporter specializing in covering the private life of the royal family photographed Prince Charles walking along the shallows of the River Dee at Balmoral in the company of a young, shy girl. The attention of the world press instantly turned to this unknown person, whom everyone would soon begin to call nothing more than “timid Dee.” Diana suddenly felt that she was plunging into a new life that was completely unfamiliar to her before. From now on, as soon as she left the apartment, numerous cameras began to click around her. And even the little red car was always followed by paparazzi wherever she went.


Prince Charles formally proposed to Lady Diana on February 6, 1981, after returning from a three-month naval cruise on the ship Invincible, which he was supposed to oversee as the future king. The couple met for a romantic candlelit dinner at Buckingham Palace. After dinner, Charles finally asked the girl the most main question, and Diana gave the most important answer to it.

Future princess under an umbrella, 1981.

Soon all rumors and speculation were put to an end. On February 24, the engagement of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer was officially announced. The wedding was scheduled for July 29 and was to take place at St. Paul's Cathedral. The whole of Great Britain was excited by the news: it lifted the spirit of the nation during a period of rather gloomy economic recession. Apparently, the timing for the wedding was very opportune.

Romantic moments from the life of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.



Meanwhile, across the UK, preparations for the “wedding of the century” were in full swing.
Sew a romantic Wedding Dress Victorian style, chastely closed, with lots of frills and flounces was Diana's idea. She entrusts such a responsible task to little-known designers David and Elizabeth Emmanuel and does not lose. The dress becomes legendary.


On July 29, 1981, young Diana Spencer, in a chic wedding dress with an almost eight-meter white silk train, walked to the altar of St. Cathedral. Paul to become one of the members of the British royal family. Seven hundred and fifty million viewers around the world were glued to their television screens as one of the most beautiful women Europe with one of the richest grooms in Europe. As the Archbishop of Canterbury put it in his speech, “It is in such magical moments that fairy tales are born.” This day, as journalists rightly noted, began a new page in the history of the Windsor family and the whole of Great Britain.

The wedding was fabulous. And not only because it was the most expensive event of its kind (costs were estimated at 2,859 million pounds sterling). Just a groom - a real prince, and the bride is fabulously beautiful and charming.


Now they will take oaths of allegiance to each other. Moreover, Diana, who had barely turned 20, without flinching, contrary to tradition, crossed out the promise to obey her husband from the text of her oath. Therefore, later journalists will call their marriage “Marriage of equals”









After the wedding, the girlfriends received a souvenir from Diana. For each, a rose from the bride's luxurious bouquet was prepared in plastic.

Honeymoon in Scotland at Balmoral on the River Dee.






The first official trip of Prince Charles and his young wife around the country began with their titular possessions - Wales. In just three days, the prince and princess held eighteen meetings! On the first day, their route included Caernarfon Castle, where Prince Charles, twelve years ago, was solemnly given the title Prince of Wales. On the third day of her trip to Wales, Diana received the title of "Freedom of the City of Cardiff". In gratitude for the honor, she made her first public speech, part of which was in the Welsh dialect.

Diana said that she was proud to be the princess of such a wonderful country. Diana later admitted what fear and embarrassment she experienced before this visit and her first public speaking, but it was this trip that became Diana’s real triumph and served as a kind of springboard into the future.


Princess Diana dozed off at an event at the Albert and Victoria Museum in 1981. The next day, her pregnancy was officially announced.

On July 21, 1982, at half past five in the morning, Prince William of Wales was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Padington.

Diana and Charles with their son Prince William. The child was baptized on August 4 and given the name Arthur Philip Louis.



In February 1984, Buckingham Palace officially announced that the prince and princess were expecting their second child. The boy, who was born on September 15, 1984, was named Henry Charles Albert David. He will henceforth be known as Prince Harry.


Understanding the inevitability of intrusive press attention that will be experienced young princes in the future, Charles and Diana decided to protect them from this as much as possible. The parents succeeded in this.

When it came to the primary education of her sons, Diana opposed William and Harry being raised in the closed world of the royal house and they began to attend preschool classes and regular school. On vacation, Diana allowed her boys to wear jeans, sweatpants and T-shirts. They ate hamburgers and popcorn, went to the cinema and to the attractions, where the princes stood in a general line among their peers. She later introduced William and Harry to her charity work and often took the children with her when she went to meet hospital patients or the homeless.



Diana was actively involved in charitable and peacekeeping activities. During her public appearances, Diana, whenever possible, stopped to talk to people and listen to them. She could talk completely freely with representatives of different social strata, parties, and religious movements. With an unerring instinct, she always noticed those who most needed her attention.


Diana used this gift, as well as her growing importance as a global figure, in her charitable work. It was this aspect of her life that gradually became her true calling. Diana personally participated in the transfer of donations - to the AIDS Foundation, the Royal Mardsen Foundation, the Leprosy Mission, the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Centropoint, and the English National Ballet. Her latest mission was to rid the world of landmines. Diana traveled to many countries, from Angola to Bosnia, to see firsthand the monstrous consequences of the use of this terrible weapon.


In the early 90s, a blank wall of misunderstanding grew between the most famous spouses in the world. In 1992, the tension in their relationship reached its climax, Diana began to suffer from depression and bouts of bulimia (painful hunger). Soon, Prime Minister John Major announced the decision of the Prince and Princess of Wales to separate and lead separate lives. There was no talk of divorce at that time, but the following year the first of those sensational interviews that shocked the British took place - then Prince Charles admitted to host Jonathan Dimbleby that he had been unfaithful to Diana.

In December 1995, Diana appeared on the BBC's Panorama, a popular show watched by several million viewers. She said that Camilla Parker-Bowles appeared in the prince’s life even before their marriage, and continued to be “invisibly present” (or even quite visibly!) throughout it. “There were always three of us in that marriage,” Diana said. - It's too much". The marriage of Charles and Diana ended in divorce on August 28, 1996, at the initiative of Queen Elizabeth II.

Despite this, interest in Diana did not decrease at all; on the contrary, the public showed more and more attention to the proud Lady Di. Reporters continued to seek insight into the princess's personal life, especially after her romantic relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed, the forty-one-year-old son of Arab millionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed, the owner of fashionable hotels, became public in the summer of 1997. In July, they spent the holidays in Saint-Tropez with Diana's sons, Princes William and Harry. The boys got along well with the friendly owner of the house.


Later, Diana and Dodi met in London, and then went on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea on board the luxurious yacht Jonical.

Towards the end of August the Jonical approached Portofino in Italy and then sailed for Sardinia. On August 30, Saturday, the couple in love went to Paris. The next day Diana was to fly to London to meet her sons on their last day. summer holidays.

On Saturday evening, Diana and Dodi decided to have dinner at the restaurant of the Ritz Hotel, which Dodi owned. In order not to attract the attention of other visitors, they retired to a separate office, where, as was later reported, they exchanged gifts: Diana gave Dodi cufflinks, and he gave her a diamond ring. At one o'clock in the morning they prepared to go to Dodi's apartment on the Champs-Elysees. Wanting to avoid the paparazzi crowding the front entrance, they left the hotel through the service exit. There they got into a Mercedes S-280, accompanied by bodyguard Trevor-Reese Jones and driver Henri Paul.

Last photo.
The night before the fatal accident, Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed were filmed on camera at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on August 31, 1997.


The accident occurred in Paris on August 31, 1997 in a tunnel located near the Pont Alma. The black Mercedes-Benz S280 crashed into a column dividing oncoming lanes, then hit the tunnel wall, flew several meters and stopped.




The injuries suffered by Princess Diana, Dodi al-Fayed and the bodyguard were fatal. True, Diana managed to be taken alive to the Pite Salpêtrière hospital, but all attempts to save her life were in vain. She was only 36 years old.
While doctors fought for the life of the favorite of millions of Englishmen, criminologists worked to clarify the circumstances of the accident.

The following versions of the reasons for her death gradually emerged:
. The death of the Princess of Wales in a road accident is nothing more than ordinary car accident, tragic accident;

Henri Paul, the driver of the Mercedes, is to blame for everything - an examination showed that he was heavily intoxicated while driving;

The car accident was provoked by annoying paparazzi who were literally on the heels of Diana’s car;

The British royal family was involved in the death of the princess, who never forgave Diana for her divorce from Prince Charles;

The car lost control due to a malfunction of the brake system;

. The Mercedes at high speed collided with another car - a white Fiat, after which Diana's driver was unable to control the car;

The English secret services had a hand in the death of the princess, who intended to disrupt the marriage of the mother of the future British king to a Muslim.

Which version is the most plausible and closest to the truth? French experts were supposed to answer this question.

A commission created at the Institute of Criminal Research of the French Gendarmerie worked out all versions of what happened. As a result, several paparazzi were brought to justice. True, no one took it upon themselves to accuse them of provoking the death of Princess Diana. The charges related mainly to violations of journalistic ethics and failure to provide timely assistance to victims. Indeed, photographers first of all sought to capture the dying Diana and only then tried to do anything to save her. The assumption that the Mercedes brake system was faulty was also not confirmed.

Experts, who carefully examined what was left of the car for several months, came to the conclusion that at the time of the disaster the car’s brakes were in working order. The investigation team also refuted claims that a drunk driver was to blame. Of course, Paul Henri's drunken state played a role in what happened. However, not only (and not so much) this led to tragedy. During the investigation, it turned out that before crashing into the 13th column of the tunnel, Diana’s car collided with a white Fiat Uno. According to the testimony of one of the witnesses, the latter was driven by a brown-haired man in his forties, who fled the scene of the crime. After this collision, the Mercedes lost control, and then what happened was what was already described above.

The French police literally shook up all the owners of white Unos, but they never found the car they needed. In 2004, the results of the investigation by the commission of the Institute of Criminal Research of the French Gendarmerie were transferred to “more competent authorities”, which, apparently, were supposed to decide whether enough facts had been collected and research had been conducted to justifiably close the case. At the same time, the search for the mythical “Fiat” continues. French law enforcement agencies are still hoping that the driver of the mysterious car will show up and provide details of the collision that became the prologue to the tragic accident. In the Parisian prefecture they even opened a special entrance for him. But so far no one has responded to the police call.

If the collision of the Mercedes with the Fiat really took place, and the mysterious driver exists, then he is unlikely to voluntarily take full responsibility for what happened, as well as the full brunt of the anger of those who still remember Diana and sincerely mourn her death. her. It is unknown when the investigation into the circumstances of the death will be completed." people's princess" But whenever this happens, in England, and in many other countries, the life and death of Lady Di will be discussed for a long time. Moreover, regardless of what the final conclusion of the mentioned “competent authorities” will be.

Probability of murder
The father of Diana's lover, billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed, is sure that the British intelligence services were involved in the death of Diana and his son. It was he who insisted on a state investigation into the car accident, which lasted from 2002 to 2008. According to al-Fayed Sr., the driver Henri Paul was sober during the fatal trip. “There are recordings from video cameras of the Ritz Hotel, where Henri Paul’s gait is normal,” he says, “although, in theory, he should have just been crawling. Doctors found a wild amount of an antidepressant in his body. Most likely, this man was poisoned. In addition "In addition, I have documents that he worked for the British intelligence services. Later they found his secret bank accounts, to which 200 thousand dollars were transferred. The origin of this money is unclear."

And Mohammed, contrary to official reports about the results of the study, claims that Diana died while pregnant:
“At first the authorities refused to do the test, and when they did it under pressure, many years passed. During this time, traces can simply be lost. But on the eve of the tragedy, Dodi and Diana visited the villa in Paris that I bought for them. They chose a room there for their child, overlooking the garden.”

Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler, also agrees with the version of a conspiracy against Diana and Dodi with the participation of the intelligence services and the royal court. He has a letter from Lady Di in which she wrote 10 months before her death: “My life is in danger. The ex-husband plans to organize an accident. My car's brakes will fail and there will be a car accident."

“Her death was brilliantly orchestrated,” says Burrell, “in trademark English style. Our intelligence always “removed” people not with the help of poison or a sniper, but in such a way that it looked like an accident.”

A similar opinion is shared by intelligence officers themselves, for example, the notorious former officer British counterintelligence service MI6 Richard Tomlison. He was arrested twice for disclosing state secrets in his books about British intelligence, left Britain and now lives in France. Tomlison openly stated that Diana was killed by MI6 agents in a “mirror” “accidental car accident” plan that was prepared for Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic 15 years ago.

The only survivor of the car accident in Paris is Dodie and Diana's bodyguard Trevor Rhys-Jones. He, unlike the driver and passengers, survived because he was wearing a seat belt. The crushed bones in his body are held together with 150 titanium plates, and he has undergone ten surgeries.

Here is his opinion about the situation before the disaster:
“Henri Paul was not drunk that evening. He did not smell of alcohol, he communicated and walked normally. I didn't drink anything at the table. I don’t know where alcohol ended up in his blood after his death. Unfortunately, I cannot explain why I was buckled up in the car, but Diana and Dodi were not. I am brain damaged and suffer from partial memory loss. My memories end at the moment when we left the Ritz Hotel.”

Parting
She flew to Paris to pick up Princess Diana's body ex-husband, Prince Charles. Butler Paul Burrell brought clothes and asked that the rosary given to her by Mother Teresa be placed in the princess's hands.
In London, the oak coffin containing the princess's body stood in the Royal Chapel of St. James's Palace for four nights. People from all over the world gathered at the walls of the palace. They lit candles and laid flowers.


The farewell ceremony for Princess Diana took place at Westminster Abbey.


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.

Diana was one of the most popular women of her time in the world. In Great Britain, she has always been considered the most popular member of the royal family; she was called the “Queen of Hearts” or the “Queen of Hearts.”
High, high in the heavens, the stars sing her name: “Diana.”

Lady Diana. Princess of human hearts Benoit Sophia

Chapter 2. GENEALOGY OF “CINDERELLA”, or THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT DIANA SPENCER’S PARENTS

They often said about Diana: incredible, a simple teacher became a princess! Yes, this is the story of a modern Cinderella! Of course, the rise of a modest girl is like a fairy tale. But is this fairy tale about the people's princess so simple, and can the family of monarchs easily accept a simpleton from the street into their ranks? If you believe this, you might want to check out the pedigree of the shy "Cinderella."

The mother of the future Princess of Wales, Frances Althorp, traced her descent from the Irish politician, member of the British Parliament Edmund Bourke Roche, who lived in the 19th century. For his services to the prosperity of the British Empire, Queen Victoria granted Mr. Edmund Roche the title of baronet, after which he began to be called the first Baron Fermoy.

The third Baron Fermoy, Edmund's youngest son James Roche, married Frances Wark in 1880, the daughter of a wealthy American stockbroker. As historians testify, in those days, marriages between the scions of the British aristocracy and the “dollar princesses” of the New World were common, when two components were mixed: title and money. In this case, the arranged marriage ended after eleven years. Taking three children, the woman returned back to New York. Her father Frank Wark left his grandchildren Maurice and Francis thirty million pounds each, on the condition that the heirs... renounce their British titles and take American citizenship. But the brothers refused to accept such conditions. However, when Frank Work died in 1911, they found a way to get most of the inheritance and live a comfortable life. An amazing fate befell Maurice; a young man fought during the First World War; Due to family circumstances, he was forced to accept the title of fourth Baron Fermoy and return to Great Britain in 1921.

Edmund Bourke Roche - 1st Baron Fermoy

Experience American life made him a stranger among his own. But the education received at Harvard, sincerity and lack of snobbery, and military training made his image attractive in the eyes of many young ladies of high society. However, sympathy for him was strong with different sides, which confirms his repeated election to the House of Commons.

Maurice managed to become friends with Albert, Duke of York, youngest son King George V. The royal friend managed to secure such a privilege: the Fermoys were given a lease on the Park House guest house located on the territory of the royal Sandringham estate. Here, on January 20, 1936, Frances, the second daughter of Maurice, who later became the mother of Diana, would be born. The girl was born on a fateful day: the day of the death of King George V.

The British crown went to the eldest son of the late monarch Edward VIII. Who, as we know from history, was madly in love with the American Wallis Simpson. He dreamed of marrying his chosen one, but she was a divorced woman, and such a marriage could not take place in the royal family. The same story - an affair with the officer's ex-wife Camilla - will be experienced by the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, and the beautiful Diana, by the will of fate, will be drawn into this ill-fated love triangle.

British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin threatened King Edward with legal resignation if he did not refuse unequal marriage. The prime minister's statement forced the monarch to choose: either the throne or love. Edward rushed to seek advice from his friend William Churchill, but received evasive answers. As a result, the monarch chose love and abdicated the throne on December 10, 1936 in favor of his younger brother Albert.

Edward, Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson in 1935. It was the desire of the future king to marry the divorced Wallis that led to his abdication in December 1936

Duke of York Albert Frederick Arthur George, who ascended the throne as George VI, favored his close friend Maurice Fermoy. It is not surprising that the king's friend was desirable in the eyes of many beauties of high society. Lady Glenconner once remarked:

Maurice was such a red tape guy. Even I was a little afraid of him.

In 1917, during his next trip to America, the successful womanizer met the pretty American Edith Travis and fell in love with her. They gave birth to illegitimate daughter; many years later, she published a book of memoirs, Lilac Days, telling about the passionate feelings of her parents Maurice and Edith.

Maurice's wife was a luckier and more prudent girl named Ruth Gill, whom the loving Briton met in Paris - where the daughter of a Scottish colonel studied piano at the conservatory. However, before meeting Maurice, Ruth dated his younger brother Francis. Realizing that the older brother would inherit the family title and position in society, the young musician immediately went over to Maurice.

She was 23 years old and he was 46 when they got married. This significant event occurred in 1931. Ruth was not only ambitious, but also a smart girl who knew very well what she wanted to get out of life. She learned to play by the rules of high society and easily turned a blind eye to her husband’s love affairs. And she wisely used her passion for music, becoming a patron of the brainchild she created in 1951 - the Festival of Art and Music in King's Lynn.

Maurice Rocher, 4th Baron Fermoy - Diana's maternal grandfather

Diana's grandmother managed to become friends with the Queen Mother, becoming for the royal person best friend. Perhaps, when it came to approving her granddaughter for the role of Princess of Wales, the royal family expected to see in Diana the qualities of her grandmother Lady Ruth Fermoy? But instead of patience and accommodating behavior, over the years, only one thing appeared in Diana - a willful desire for freedom. However, there were reasons for this...

The family of Maurice and Ruth had two daughters - the eldest “bug-eyed” (as she was called) Mary and the youngest “attractive, cheerful and sexy” (by definition school friends) Francis. Years later, a member of Prince Charles' staff admitted:

When Frances looks at you with her bright blue eyes, she seems grander than the queen herself!

Among the girl's admirers was John, the eldest son of the seventh Earl Spencer, George VI's equerry, Viscount Althorp. Perhaps he would not have paid attention to the fifteen-year-old exalted baby if not for her domineering mother Lady Ruth Fermoy, who immediately set the goal of getting John as her son-in-law. She did everything to make the man interested in her daughter: she arranged “casual” dates, found common interests between them, slipped in nice gifts supposedly on behalf of Frances...

Viscount Althorp was undoubtedly an attractive match for the Baron Fermoy's pretty youngest daughter. And soon he believed that Frances was a charming girl, without whom he could not live.

And so, a few months after Frances turned seventeen, John announced his separation from his fiancée, Lady Anne Coke, and his engagement to Frances Roche Fermoy. In June 1954, a wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey, which was attended by almost 2,000 guests, including Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The mothers of many families dreamed of a groom like John. Of course - the eldest son of Earl Spencer, heir to thirteen thousand acres in the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk, owner of the family castle Althorp House, stuffed with priceless works of art!

Wedding of Diana's parents in June 1954

The British, who boast of their ancestry, never fail to emphasize their superiority over others. The Spencers also had their own big advantage. It turns out, and as the author of the book “Diana: The Lonely Princess” D. Medvedev tells us, “The first mentions of the Spencers appeared 250 years before the arrival of the famous Hanoverian dynasty, which began in 1714 by King George I, and 430 years before the current accession the ruling dynasty of Windsor (until 1917 - Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). The Spencers not only served the monarchy, they were among its creators. They lent money to King James I, contributed to the fall of his grandson James II and the enthronement of George I. They became related more than once royal dynasties and famous surnames of the United Kingdom. As a result of genealogical intricacies, Diana was a distant relative of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, seven US presidents, including George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt, and also - which is quite surprising! - eleventh cousin of her own husband, Prince Charles."

However, on individual sites you can find more extensive information about the pedigree of Lady Di, and among her ancient relatives there are: Rurik of Novgorod; Igor Kyiv; Svyatoslav Kyiv; Prince of Kyiv Vladimir the Great; daughter of Prince Vladimir, wife of the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, Maria Dobronega; as well as many, many famous representatives of the noble ducal and count families of Bavaria, Bohemia, Austria and England, as if they formed one highly branched family tree. The newfangled theory that the world is ruled by representatives of the same families easily fits into this situation, and some researchers see in this a planetary conspiracy, a Masonic plan, and even... a reptilian conspiracy.

Wikipedia, popular among Internet users, reports that Diana “was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk, in the family of 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.”

Despite the low self-esteem of the representative of the Spencer family, Diana, the self-esteem of this entire strong family was fundamentally high, which was confirmed by the motto on the coat of arms: “God preserves the just.” And the British establishment respected the Spencers’ claims to be “right” and somewhat chosen.

Diana's father, John Althorp, was of noble birth, but unlike his fellow members of traditionally prim British society, he was an open person, preferring to show his emotions rather than hide them. His friend, Lord St. John Fawsley, insisted that John was not afraid to speak openly about his feelings and preferred to live life to the fullest. His eldest daughter Sarah spoke about her father, the Viscount:

My father had an innate ability to find a way to human hearts. If he was talking to someone, he really began to be carried away by the feelings of the interlocutor. He knew how to love people! I don’t think this quality can be learned: you either have it from birth or you don’t...

Albert Edward Jack Spencer, Viscount Althorp is Diana's paternal grandfather. Photo from 1921

This character was formed in John as a kind of opposite to the character of his father - the conservative and despotic Viscount Jack Spencer, who disdained everyone who was lower than him in the class caste. Even with his servants he communicated with gestures, pursing his lips contemptuously. It is not surprising that this heavy and rude person Many were afraid, including his son.

Due to his gentle nature and excessive openness, John was drawn to strong women; Frances turned out to be just like that - confident and strong-willed. One of his relatives confessed:

Johnny loves to communicate with strong and strong-willed ladies. There is a feeling that they are a real tonic for him.

Jack Spencer, who stifles any initiative of his son, making him dependent in everything, immediately disliked his young daughter-in-law. Of course, Frances repaid Jack in kind. Moreover, she not only hated her father-in-law, but also disdained his beloved, protected and cherished brainchild - the family castle of Althorp. The young woman openly stated:

The castle evokes a depressing melancholy, as if you are always in a museum that is closed after the departure of regular visitors.

Saving his strength for the decisive fight with his daughter-in-law, the father-in-law warned that he was expecting his first-born, to whom he could pass on the title (girls in British society do not inherit the title). Nine months after the wedding, the first child was born - daughter Sarah, whom the happy young mother immediately dubbed “the honeymoon child.”

Earl Spencer, who on the eve of the birth ordered that firewood be prepared in Althorp for future bonfires in honor of the birth of his grandson, angrily ordered everything to be curtailed until better times.

Francis and John Spencer

Two years later, Frances gave birth to her second child, and again it was a girl. She was given the name Jane. On January 12, 1960, a boy, John, was finally born into the family of Viscount Althorp, whose life lasted only eleven hours. As it turned out, the baby had lung dysfunction, which actually deprived him of his chances of survival.

Count Spencer, dissatisfied with what was happening and deprived of all sympathy, began to persistently demand the birth of an heir. But on the warm evening of July 1, 1961, a girl, Diana Francis, was born. And only in May 1964, the long-awaited heir to the Spencer family, Charles, was born.

Diana turned two years old

This text is an introductory fragment.

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Chapter Eight AROUND “CINDERELLA” One of the few ancient fairy tales that continues to live today is “Cinderella, or the Crystal Slipper” by Charles Perrault. Among the many interpretations of it in theater and cinema, the Soviet film with the same name occupies a special place. In,

CHAPTER TWO, which tells about the parents, cloudless childhood and romantic adolescence of the hero, which ended unexpectedly 1Onassis was now out of my head. I thought about him and his daughter constantly (like he himself about money) - sometimes even on dates with

Chapter 1 Pedigree... When in 1956 the Soviet leader N.S. Khrushchev was informed that the government of the Federal Republic of Germany was going to appoint a representative of one of the branches of the ancient Ungern family as the first ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the USSR, his answer was categorical: “No! We had one Ungern, and

Chapter 2. GENEALOGY OF “CINDERELLA”, or THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT DIANA SPENCER’S PARENTS They often said about Diana: incredible, a simple teacher became a princess! Yes, this is the story of a modern Cinderella! Of course, the rise of a modest girl is like a fairy tale. But is this fairy tale so simple?

Chapter 5. RAIN SPENCER - THE HATEED STEPMOTHER On June 9, 1975, the seventh Earl Spencer died, after his death John Althorp Spencer finally inherited the title and estate. The family moved from lovely Park House to Althorp Castle. Diana was beside herself with happiness. - Now I

Chapter 19. DIANA'S LOVERS, or AN ENGLISH LADY PREFERS MUSLIMS Princess Diana had sisters, but she called her favorite “sister” a man - her butler Paul Burrell, whom she met in 1980, when she was first invited to the palace as

Chapter 1 THE TRUTH OF LIFE AND THE TRUTH OF ART In the summer of 1896 in Nizhny Novgorod The All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition opened, timed to coincide with the traditional Nizhny Novgorod fair. Merchants, industrialists and financiers arrived in the ancient Russian city and gathered

Chapter 5. Raine Spencer - the hateful stepmother On June 9, 1975, the seventh Earl Spencer died, after his death John Althorp Spencer finally inherited the title and estate. The family moved from lovely Park House to Althorp Castle. Diana was beside herself with happiness. “Now I

Chapter 19. Diana's lovers, or the English lady prefers Muslims Princess Diana had sisters, but she called her favorite “sister” a man - her butler Paul Burrell, whom she met in 1980, when she was first invited to the palace as

Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Baroness Jane Fellowes have largely retreated from public life since the tragic death of their sister, Princess Diana; however, we will most likely see them at the wedding of their nephew Prince Harry this May.

Here's what we know about Lady Diana's sisters:

Lady Sarah McCorkadale

Lady Sarah was the eldest of Spencer's four children and was rumored to be the smartest. In Sarah Bradford's recently released biography of Diana, Lady Sarah is described as "a heroine revered by the young princess." She was a close friend of Diana and even introduced her to Prince Charles.

Lady Sarah met Charles briefly in 1977 but fully approved of her sister's relationship with the future monarch.

“I introduced them to each other, I am the angel of their love!” she said, shortly after the wedding of Charles and Diana was announced in 1981.

Lady Sarah married a year before her sister in 1980 to Neil McCorcodale. The couple have three children: Emily, George and Celia, and are still together today.

After Diana's death on August 31, 1997, both sisters traveled with Charles to retrieve her body from Paris. In footage from that time, both sisters appear torn and traumatized, especially when they returned to the UK with their sister's coffin.

Lady Sarah remembers nothing but shock in the hours and days between Diana's death and the funeral, but in a recent interview with the BBC her harshest words were directed at the funds mass media. Describing reporters as merciless in their attempts to get news or interviews from her in the immediate aftermath of her sister's death, she branded the press "unacceptable".

Her comments match those of other Spencer family members after sudden death Diana. Her brother Earl Charles Spencer, in a statement issued shortly after her death, accused photographers and the media of having the princess's blood on their hands. He also didn't hold back during his now-infamous eulogy.

Following the funeral, where Lady Sarah read a poem, she became president of the Diana Memorial Trust, which raised more than £112 million for various charities in the 15 years after her death before closing in 2012.

She also gave evidence at the 2007 inquest into the death of Princess Diana that the princess and her companion Dodi Al Fayed were killed by a combination of the actions of their driver Henri Paul and a paparazzi convoy following them in a Paris tunnel. The fact that neither passenger was wearing a seat belt and Paul was driving while he was intoxicated also contributed to the cause of the princess's death.

In recent years, Lady Sarah remained close to her nephews. She was seen accompanying Prince William to charity events in Lincolnshire, was by his side at his nanny's funeral in 2012 and attended his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also attended the wedding of the Duke's cousin and eldest daughter Lady Sarah Emily in 2012.

Baroness Jane Fellows

Diana's other sister Jane is less familiar to the public as she has not spoken to the media since her sister's death.

According to Earl and Lady Sarah Spencer, it was Jane who informed them of Diana's death in the early hours of 1997. They both conveyed events in recent documentary film BBC, V in which Lady Jane did not participate.

In Bradford's biography, Jane is described as the "least assertive" of the Spencer siblings, and it was said that she was not very close to Diana until she was an adult; however, she had the strongest connection with the royal family.

Jane's husband Robert Fellows was the Queen's private secretary from 1990 to 1999. This influential job involved communication between the monarch and the government, as well as overseeing the queen's program and correspondence. Some royal biographers have suggested that Jane's position as both Diana's sister and Robert's wife put her in a difficult position when Charles and Diana's marriage broke down.

Lady Jane received the title of Baroness in 1999 when her husband was created a Baron and was inducted into the House of Lords.

A bright, amazing woman, an extraordinary personality, one of the most famous people of her time - that’s exactly what Diana, Princess of Wales was. The people of Great Britain adored her, calling her the Queen of Hearts, and the sympathy of the whole world was manifested in the short but warm nickname Lady Di, which also went down in history. A number of films have been made about her, many books have been written in all languages. But the answer to the most important question - whether Diana was ever really happy in her bright, but very difficult and such a short life - will forever remain hidden behind a veil of secrecy...

Princess Diana: biography of her early years

On July 1, 1963, their third daughter was born in the house of Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, rented by them in the royal estate of Sandrigham (Norfolk).

The birth of a girl somewhat disappointed her father, Edward John Spencer, the heir to an ancient earl's family. Two daughters, Sarah and Jane, were already growing up in the family, and the title of nobility could only be passed on to the son. The baby was named Diana Francis - and it was she who was later destined to become her father's favorite. And soon after the birth of Diana, the family was replenished with the long-awaited boy, Charles.

Earl Spencer's wife, Frances Ruth (Roche), also came from a noble Fermoy family; her mother was a lady-in-waiting at the queen's court. The future English princess Diana spent her childhood in Sandrigham. The children of the aristocratic couple were brought up in strict rules, more typical of old England than of the country of the mid-twentieth century: governesses and nannies, strict schedules, walks in the park, riding lessons...

Diana grew up as a kind and open child. However, when she was only six years old, life caused the girl serious mental trauma: her father and mother filed for divorce. Countess Spencer moved to London to live with businessman Peter Shand-Kyd, who left his wife and three children for her. About a year later they got married.

After a lengthy legal battle, the Spencer children remained in the care of their father. He also took the incident very hard, but tried to support the children in every possible way - he occupied himself with singing and dancing, organized holidays, and personally hired tutors and servants. He meticulously selected an educational institution for his eldest daughters and, when the time came, he sent them to primary school Sealfield in King Lees.

At school, Diana was loved for her responsiveness and kind character. She was not the best in her studies, but she made great progress in history and literature, was fond of drawing, dancing, singing, swimming, and was always ready to help her fellow students. Close people noted her tendency to fantasize - obviously, this made it easier for the girl to deal with her experiences. “I will definitely become someone outstanding!” - she liked to repeat.

Meeting Prince Charles

In 1975, the story of Princess Diana moves to a new stage. Her father accepts the hereditary title of Earl and moves the family to Northamptonshire, where the Spencer family estate, Althorp House, is located. It was here that Diana first met Prince Charles when he came to these places to hunt. However, they did not make an impression on each other then. Sixteen-year-old Diana found the intelligent Charles with impeccable manners “cute and funny.” The Prince of Wales seemed completely infatuated with Sarah, her older sister. And soon Diana went to continue her studies in Switzerland.

However, she quickly grew tired of the boarding house. Having begged her parents to take her away from there, at the age of eighteen she returns home. Her father gave Diana an apartment in the capital, and the future princess plunged into an independent life. Earning money to support herself, she worked for wealthy friends, cleaning their apartments and babysitting children, and then got a job as a teacher at the Young England kindergarten.

In 1980, at a picnic at Althorp House, fate again confronted her with the Prince of Wales, and this meeting became fateful. Diana expressed sincere sympathy to Charles in connection with the recent death of his grandfather, Earl Mountbaden. The Prince of Wales was touched; a conversation ensued. All evening after that, Charles did not leave Diana’s side...

They continued to meet, and soon Charles secretly told one of his friends that he seemed to have met the girl he would like to marry. From that time on, the press drew attention to Diana. Photojournalists began a real hunt for her.

Wedding

In February 1981, Prince Charles made an official proposal to Lady Diana, to which she agreed. And almost six months later, in July, the young Countess Diana Spencer was already walking down the aisle with the heir to the British throne in St. Paul's Cathedral.

A married couple of designers - David and Elizabeth Emmanuel - created a masterpiece outfit in which Diana walked to the altar. The princess was dressed in a snow-white dress made from three hundred and fifty meters of silk. About ten thousand pearls, thousands of rhinestones, and tens of meters of gold threads were used to decorate it. To avoid misunderstandings, three copies of the wedding dress were made at once, one of which is now kept in Madame Tussauds.

Twenty-eight cakes were prepared for the festive banquet, which were baked over fourteen weeks.

The newlyweds received many valuable and memorable gifts. Among them were twenty silver dishes presented by the Australian government and silver jewelry from the heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia. A New Zealand representative presented the couple with a luxurious carpet.

Journalists dubbed the wedding of Diana and Charles “the greatest and loudest in the history of the twentieth century.” Seven hundred and fifty million people around the world had the opportunity to watch the magnificent ceremony on television. It was one of the most widely broadcast events in television history.

Princess of Wales: first steps

Almost from the very beginning, married life turned out to be not at all what Diana dreamed of. Princess of Wales - the high-profile title she acquired after her marriage - was cold and prim, like the whole atmosphere in the royal family's house. The crowned mother-in-law, Elizabeth the Second, did not take any steps to ensure that the young daughter-in-law fit into the family more easily.

It was very difficult for the open, emotional and sincere Diana to accept the external isolation, hypocrisy, flattery and impenetrability of emotions that govern life in Kensington Palace.

Princess Diana's love for music, dancing and fashion was at odds with the way people in the palace used to spend their leisure time. But hunting, horse riding, fishing and shooting - the recognized entertainment of crowned persons - interested her little. In her desire to be closer to ordinary Britons, she often violated the unspoken rules that dictate how a member of the royal family should behave.

She was different - people saw it and accepted her with admiration and joy. Diana's popularity among the country's population grew steadily. But in the royal family they often did not understand her - and, most likely, they did not really strive to understand.

Birth of sons

Diana's main passion was her sons. William, the future heir to the British throne, was born on June 21, 1982. Two years later, on September 15, 1984, his younger brother Harry was born.

From the very beginning, Princess Diana tried to do everything to prevent her sons from becoming unhappy hostages of their own origin. She tried in every possible way to ensure that the little princes had as much contact as possible with the simple, ordinary life filled with impressions and joys familiar to all children.

She spent much more time with her sons than the etiquette of the royal house prescribed. On vacation, she allowed them to wear jeans, sweatpants and T-shirts. She took them to the cinemas and to the park, where the princes had fun and ran around, ate hamburgers and popcorn, and stood in line for their favorite rides just like other little Britons.

When the time came for William and Harry to begin their primary education, it was Diana who strongly opposed their being brought up in the closed world of the royal house. The princes began attending preschool classes and then went to a regular British school.

Divorce

The dissimilarity of the characters of Prince Charles and Princess Diana manifested itself from the very beginning of their life together. By the beginning of the 1990s, a final discord occurred between the spouses. A significant role in this was played by the prince’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, which began even before his marriage to Diana.

At the end of 1992, Prime Minister John Major made an official statement in British Parliament that Diana and Charles live separately, but do not intend to divorce. However, three and a half years later, their marriage was officially dissolved by a court order.

Diana, Princess of Wales, officially retained her lifelong right to this title, although she ceased to be Her Highness. She continued to live and work at Kensington Palace, remaining mother to the heirs to the throne, and her business schedule was officially included in the official routine of the royal family.

Social activity

After her divorce, Princess Diana devoted almost entirely her time to charity and social activities. Her ideal was Mother Teresa, whom the princess considered her spiritual mentor.

Taking advantage of her enormous popularity, she focused people's attention on truly important issues. modern society: diseases of AIDS, leukemia, the lives of people with incurable spinal injuries, children with heart defects. On her charity trips she visited almost the whole world.

She was recognized everywhere, greeted warmly, and thousands of letters were written to her, answering which the princess sometimes went to bed long after midnight. Film directed by Diana anti-personnel mines on the fields of Angola, prompted diplomats of many states to prepare reports for their governments on prohibiting the purchase of the use of these weapons. At the invitation of Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, Diana made a report on Angola at the assembly of this organization. And in her native country, many suggested that she become a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

Trendsetter

For many years, Diana, Princess of Wales, was also considered a style icon in Great Britain. Being a crowned person, she traditionally wore outfits exclusively from British designers, but later significantly expanded the geography of her own wardrobe.

Her style, makeup and hairstyle instantly became popular not only among ordinary British women, but also among designers, as well as movie and pop stars. Stories about Princess Diana's outfits and interesting incidents related to them still appear in the press.

So, back in 1985, Diana appeared at the White House at a reception with the presidential couple Reagan in a luxurious dark blue silk velvet dress. It was in it that she danced together with John Travolta.

And the magnificent black evening dress in which Diana visited in 1994 Palace of Versailles, awarded her the title “sun princess”, which sounded from the lips of famous designer Pierre Cardin.

Diana's hats, handbags, gloves, and accessories have always been evidence of her impeccable taste. The princess sold a significant part of her clothes at auctions, donating the money to charity.

Dodi Al-Fayed and Princess Diana: a love story with a tragic end

Lady Di's personal life was also constantly under the radar of reporters' cameras. Their intrusive attention did not leave such an extraordinary personality as Princess Diana alone for a moment. The love story of her and Dodi Al-Fayed, the son of an Arab millionaire, instantly became the topic of numerous newspaper articles.

By the time they became close in 1997, Diana and Dodi had already known each other for several years. It was Dodi who became the first man with whom the English princess openly went out into the world after her divorce. She visited him at a villa in St. Tropez with his sons, and later met him in London. Some time later, the Al-Fayeds' luxury yacht, Jonicap, set off on a cruise in the Mediterranean. On board were Dodi and Diana.

The princess's last days coincided with the weekend that marked the end of their romantic trip. On August 30, 1997, the couple went to Paris. After dinner at the restaurant of the Ritz Hotel, owned by Dodi, at one o'clock in the morning they got ready to go home. Not wanting to be the center of attention of the paparazzi crowding at the doors of the establishment, Diana and Dodi left the hotel through the service entrance and, accompanied by a bodyguard and driver, hurried away from the hotel...

The details of what happened a few minutes later are still not clear enough. However, in an underground tunnel under Delalma Square, the car had a terrible accident, crashing into one of the supporting columns. The driver and Dodi al-Fayed died on the spot. Diana, unconscious, was taken to the Salpêtrière hospital. Doctors fought for her life for several hours, but could not save the princess.

Funeral

The death of Princess Diana shook the whole world. On the day of her funeral, national mourning was declared and national flags were flown at half-mast throughout the UK. Two huge screens were installed in Hyde Park for those who could not attend the funeral ceremony and memorial service. For young couples who had a wedding scheduled for this date, English Insurance companies paid significant amounts of compensation for its cancellation. The square in front of Buckingham Palace was littered with flowers, and thousands of memorial candles burned on the asphalt.

Princess Diana's funeral took place at Althorp House, the family estate of the Spencer family. Lady Di found her last refuge in the middle of a small secluded island on the lake, which she loved to visit during her lifetime. By personal order of Prince Charles, Princess Diana's coffin was covered with the royal standard - an honor reserved exclusively for members of the royal family...

Investigation and causes of death

Court hearings to establish the circumstances of Princess Diana's death took place in 2004. They were then temporarily postponed while an investigation into the circumstances of the car accident in Paris was carried out and resumed three years later at the Royal Court in London. The jury heard testimony from more than two hundred and fifty witnesses from eight countries.

As a result of the hearings, the court came to the conclusion that the cause of death of Diana, her companion Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul was the illegal actions of the paparazzi pursuing their car, and Paul driving the vehicle while intoxicated.

These days, there are several versions of why Princess Diana actually died. However, none of them have been proven.

Real, kind, alive, generously giving people the warmth of her soul - that’s how she was, Princess Diana. Biography and life path This extraordinary woman still remains the subject of undying interest of millions of people. In the memory of descendants, she is destined to forever remain the Queen of Hearts, not only in her native country, but throughout the world...

Diana Spencer is one of the most famous women of the twentieth century, whose tragic fate left a mark on the hearts of her contemporaries. Having become the wife of the heir to the royal throne, she faced betrayal and betrayal and was not afraid to expose the hypocrisy and cruelty of the British monarchy to the world.

The tragic death of Diana was perceived by many as a personal tragedy; a huge number of books, films and musical works are dedicated to it. Why Princess Diana was so popular among ordinary people, we will try to understand this material.

Childhood and family

Diana Frances Spencer is a representative of an old aristocratic dynasty, the founders of which were the descendants of kings Charles II and James II. The Duke of Marlborough, Winston Churchill and many other famous Englishmen belonged to her noble family. Her father, John Spencer, was Viscount Elthrop. The future princess's mother, Frances Ruth (née Roche), was also of noble birth - her father held a baronial title, and her mother was a confidant and lady-in-waiting of Queen Elizabeth.

Diana became the third girl in the Spencer family; she has two older sisters - Sarah (1955) and Jane (1957). A year before her birth, a tragedy occurred in the family - a boy born on January 12, 1960 died ten hours after birth. This event seriously affected the already ideal relationship between parents, and the birth of Diana could no longer correct this situation. In May 1964, the Spencer couple gave birth to the long-awaited heir Charles, but their marriage was already falling apart at the seams, the father spent all his time hunting and playing cricket, and the mother took a lover.

From early childhood, Diana felt like an unwanted and unloved child, deprived of attention and love. Neither her mother nor her father ever told her simple words: "We love you". The divorce of her parents was a shock for the eight-year-old girl, her heart was torn between her father and mother, who no longer wanted to live as one family. Frances left the children to her husband and left with her new chosen one for Scotland; Diana’s next meeting with her mother took place only at the wedding ceremony with Prince Charles.

In early childhood, Diana was raised and educated by governesses and home teachers. In 1968, the girl was sent to the prestigious private school West Hill, where her older sisters were already studying. Diana loved to dance, drew beautifully, and went in for swimming, but other subjects were difficult for her. She was unable to pass her final exams and was left without a matriculation certificate. School failure was caused more by a lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem, rather than by low intellectual abilities.

In 1975, John Spencer inherited the title of Earl from his deceased father, and a year later he married Raine, Countess of Dartmouth. The children disliked their stepmother, boycotted her and refused to sit at the same table. Only after the death of her father in 1992, Diana changed her attitude towards this woman and began to communicate warmly with her.

In 1977, the future princess went to Switzerland to continue her education. Homesickness forced her to return without graduating from school. The girl moved to London and got a job.

In English aristocratic families, it is customary for grown-up children to work on an equal basis with ordinary citizens, so Diana, despite her noble origins, worked as a teacher in the Young England kindergarten, which still exists in the respectable London district of Pimlico and is proud of its connection with the royal family .

She lived in a small apartment, given to her by her father when she came of age, and led a lifestyle typical of English youth. At the same time, she was a modest and well-mannered girl, avoided noisy London parties with marijuana and alcohol, and did not start serious affairs.

Meeting Prince Charles

Diana's first meeting with Prince Charles took place in 1977 at the Spencer family estate in Althorp. The heir to the British crown was then dating her older sister Sarah, the girl was even invited to the palace, which indicated serious plans for her. However, Sarah was not eager to become a princess; she did not hide her passion for alcohol, because of which she was expelled from school, and hinted at infertility.

The Queen was not satisfied with this state of affairs, and she began to consider Diana as a possible bride for her son. And Sarah happily married a calm, reliable man with a wonderful sense of humor, bore him three children and lived a happy family life.

The queen's desire to quickly marry her son was caused by his relationship with Camilla Shand, an intelligent, energetic and sexy blonde, but not well-born enough to become the heir to the throne. And Charles liked such women: experienced, sophisticated and ready to carry him in their arms. Camilla was also not averse to becoming a member of the royal family, however, as a smart woman, she had a backup option in the person of officer Andrew Parker-Bowles. But Andrew’s heart was occupied for a long time by Princess Anne, Charles’s sister.

The marriage of Camilla and Bowles became a solution to two problems at once for the royal family - at that time Charles served in the navy, and when he returned, he met his beloved already in status married lady. This did not stop them from continuing their love relationship, which did not stop with the appearance of Lady Diana’s prince in her life. Looking ahead, we add that eight years after the death of Lady Spencer, the prince married Camilla.

Diana was a modest, pretty girl without a trail of scandals and with an excellent pedigree - an excellent match for the future heir to the throne. The queen persistently suggested that her son pay attention to her, and Camilla was not against her lover’s marriage to a young, inexperienced person who did not pose any threat to her. Submitting to the will of his mother and realizing his duty to the dynasty, the prince invited Diana first to the royal yacht, and then to the palace, where, in the presence of members royal family proposed to her.

The official announcement of the engagement took place on February 24, 1981. Lady Di showed the public a luxurious sapphire and diamond ring, which now adorns the finger of Kate Middleton, the wife of her eldest son.

After the engagement, Diana left her job as a teacher and moved first to the royal residence in Westminster, and then to Buckingham Palace. It was an unpleasant surprise for her that the prince lived in separate apartments, continued to lead his usual lifestyle and rarely spoiled the bride with attention.

The coldness and aloofness of the royal family negatively affected Diana’s psyche, her childhood fears and insecurities returned, and her attacks of bulimia became more frequent. Before the wedding, the girl lost 12 kilograms; her wedding dress had to be sewn in several times. She felt like a stranger in the royal palace, it was difficult for her to get used to the new rules, and the environment seemed cold and hostile.

On July 29, 1981, a magnificent wedding ceremony took place, which was seen on television screens by about a million people. Another 600 thousand spectators greeted the wedding procession on the streets of London, all the way to St. Paul's Cathedral. On that day, the grounds of Westminster Abbey could barely accommodate everyone who wanted to take part in this historical event.

Princess Diana's wedding. Chronicles

There were some incidents - the luxurious taffeta dress was badly wrinkled during a ride in a horse-drawn carriage and did not look its best. In addition, the bride, during the traditional speech at the altar, mixed up the order of Prince Charles's names, which violated etiquette, and also did not swear to her future husband of eternal obedience. Royal press attaches pretended that this was the plan, forever changing the text of the wedding vows for members of the British court.

Birth of heirs and problems in family life

After a gala reception at Buckingham Palace, the newlyweds retired to the Broadlands estate, from where a few days later they set off on a honeymoon cruise to the Mediterranean. When they returned, they settled in Kensington Palace in west London. The prince returned to his usual way of life, and Diana began to expect the birth of her first child.

The Princess of Wales's pregnancy was officially announced on November 5, 1981. This news caused rejoicing in English society, people were eager to see the heir to the royal dynasty.

Diana spent almost her entire pregnancy in the palace, gloomy and deserted. She was surrounded only by doctors and servants, her husband rarely came to her chambers, and the princess suspected something was wrong. She soon learned of his ongoing relationship with Camilla, which Charles did not even try to hide. Her husband's infidelities depressed the princess; she suffered from jealousy and self-doubt, and was almost always sad and depressed.

The birth of the first-born William (06/21/1982) and the second son Harry (09/15/1984) did not change anything in their relationship. Charles continued to seek solace in the arms of his mistress, and Lady Di shed bitter tears, suffered from depression and bulimia, and drank sedative pills by the handful.

Intimate life the number of spouses practically disappeared, and the princess had no choice but to find another man. He became Captain James Hewitt, a former military man, courageous and sexy. In order to have a reason to see him without arousing suspicion, Diana began taking riding lessons.

James gave her what a woman could not get from her own husband - love, care and joy physical intimacy. Their romance lasted nine years, it became known in 1992 from Andrew Morton’s book “Diana: Her True Story.” Around the same time, recordings were made public intimate conversations Charles and Camilla, which inevitably led to a loud scandal in the royal family.

Divorce of Diana and Charles

The reputation of the British monarchy was under serious threat, protest sentiments were brewing in society, and it was necessary to urgently solve this problem. The situation was aggravated by the fact that in just over ten years Diana had become the favorite of not only the British people, but also the world community, so many came to her defense and accused Charles of inappropriate behavior.

At first, Diana's popularity benefited the royal court. She was called the “queen of hearts”, “the sun of Britain” and “the people’s princess” and was put on a par with Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and other great women of the 20th century.

But over time, this universal love finally destroyed the marriage of Charles and Diana - the prince became jealous of his wife for her fame, and Lady Di, feeling the support of millions, began to boldly and confidently declare her rights. She decided to show the whole world evidence of her husband’s infidelity, told her story on a tape recorder and handed over the recordings to the press.

After this, Queen Elizabeth disliked Princess Diana, but the royal family could not stay away from the scandal, and on December 9, 1992, Prime Minister John Major officially announced Diana and Charles' decision to live separately.

In November 1995, Lady Di gave a sensational interview to the BBC channel, in which she spoke in detail about her suffering caused by her husband's infidelities, palace intrigues and other unworthy actions of members of the royal family.

Candid interview with Princess Diana (1995)

Charles responded by portraying her as a psychopath and hysterical and demanding an official divorce. The Queen supported her son, awarded her former daughter-in-law a generous allowance, but deprived her of the title Your Royal Highness. On August 28, 1996, the divorce proceedings were completed, and Diana again became a free woman.

last years of life

After her divorce from Charles, Lady Di tried to arrange her personal life again in order to finally find female happiness. By that time she had already broken up with James Hewitt, suspecting him of hypocrisy and greed.

Diana really wanted to believe that men loved her not only for her title, but also for her personal qualities, and the Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan seemed to her to be just such a person. She fell in love with him without looking back, met his parents and even covered her head as a sign of respect for Muslim traditions.

It seemed to her that in the Islamic world a woman was protected and surrounded by love and care, and this was exactly what she had been looking for all her life. However, Dr. Khan understood that next to such a woman he would always have to remain on the sidelines, and was in no hurry to propose marriage.

In the summer of 1997, Diana accepted an invitation from Egyptian billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed to relax on his yacht. An influential businessman, owner of luxury real estate in London, wanted to get to know such a popular person better.

So that Diana would not get bored, he invited his son, film producer Dodi al-Fayed, to the yacht. Lady Di at first considered this trip as a way to make Dr. Khan jealous, but she herself did not notice how she fell in love with the charming and courteous Dodi.

The tragic death of Princess Diana

On August 31, 1997, Lady Di and her new lover died in a fatal accident in the center of Paris. Their car crashed at breakneck speed into one of the supports of the underground tunnel, Dodi and driver Henri Paul died on the spot, and the princess died two hours later in the Salpêtrière clinic.

The driver's blood contained an alcohol content several times higher than the permissible limit, and the car was moving at great speed, trying to break away from the paparazzi pursuing it.

Diana's death was a huge shock for the world community and gave rise to many rumors and speculation. Many blamed the royal family for the death of the princess, believing that the accident was staged by the British intelligence services. Information appeared in the press that the driver was blinded by a laser by a man on a motorcycle in order to avoid Diana’s pregnancy from a Muslim and the subsequent scandal. However, all this is from the field of conspiracy theories.

Princess Diana's funeral

All of England mourned the death of the “people's princess”, because before this no person of royal blood had been so loved by the common people. Under public pressure, Elizabeth was forced to interrupt her vacation in Scotland and give her former daughter-in-law the necessary honors.

Diana was buried on September 6, 1997 at the Spencer family estate in Althorp in Northamptonshire. Her grave is hidden from prying eyes on a secluded island in the middle of the lake, access to it is limited. Those wishing to honor the memory of the “people’s princess” can visit the memorial located not far from the burial.

Reasons for popular love

Princess Diana enjoyed the support of the British not only because she gave birth to two heirs and dared to expose the vices of the crown prince. This is largely the result of her charitable activities.

For example, Diana became one of the first famous people to talk about the problem of AIDS. The disease was discovered in the early 1980s, and even ten years later, little was known about the virus and how it spreads. Not all doctors decided to contact people infected with HIV, for fear of contracting a fatal disease.

But Diana was not afraid. She visited AIDS treatment centers without a mask or gloves, shook hands with patients, sat on their beds, asked about their families, hugged and kissed them. “HIV does not turn people into a source of danger. You can shake their hands and hug them, because only God knows how much they need it,” the princess urged.

Traveling through third world countries, Diana communicated with leprosy patients: “When meeting them, I always tried to touch them, hug them, to show them that they were not outcasts, not outcasts.”

Having visited Angola in 1997 (there was a Civil War), Diana walked through a field that had just been cleared of mines. No one guaranteed complete safety - the likelihood that mines remained in the ground was very high. Returning to Britain, Diana launched an anti-mine campaign, calling on the army to abandon this type of weapon. “Angola has the highest percentage of amputees. Think about it: one in 333 Angolans lost a limb to mines.”

During her lifetime, Diana did not achieve “deminization,” but her son, Prince Harry, continues her work. He is a patron of the charity The HALO Trust, whose goal is to free the world from mines by 2025, that is, to neutralize all old shells and stop the production of new ones. Volunteers cleared mines in Chechnya, Kosovo, Abkhazia, Ukraine, Angola, and Afghanistan.

In her native London, the princess regularly visited homeless centers and took Harry and William with her so that they could see with their own eyes reverse side life and learned compassion. Prince William later claimed that these visits were a revelation for him and he was grateful to his mother for this opportunity. After Diana's death, he became a patron of the charities that she had previously supported.

At least three times a week she went to children's hospices, where children dying from cancer were kept. Diana spent at least four hours with them. “Some will live, others will die, but while they are alive, they need love. And I will love them,” the princess believed.

Diana changed the face of the British monarchy. If earlier the common people associated them with regular suffocating measures like raising taxes, then after her actions, as well as BBC interview 1995 (“I wish monarchs would have more contact with the people”), the monarchy became a champion of the dispossessed. After Lady Di's tragic death, her mission continued.