The death of Princess Diana saw a massive outpouring of grief from the general public.
Millions turned out to mourn her death, thousands left flowers outside royal residences and hundreds cried openly on the streets.
Did her death change the way Britons grieved? Or was it another example of Britain’s long tradition for epic funerals that include wartime leader Winston Churchill and go as far back as Horatio Nelson, the victor at Trafalgar?
She is also credited with changing the British royal family, dragging it into the modern age with her high-profile campaigning for AIDS awareness and fight against land mines, as well as her sense of humour.
But isn’t the royal family constantly evolving? The Queen invited cameras into her home years earlier for a series on the royal family, and members of the so-called Firm have worked ceaselessly on behalf of their chosen charities.
What made Diana’s campaigning so much more noticeable? And did it help or weaken the monarchy?
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8 comments so far
Diana was the only Royal who actually touched real lives and cared enough to engage with people from all walks of life.
She showed the Royal Family in so many ways that modernisation was the only way forward and I think it has actually strengthened the Monarchy.
- Posted by AndyIn my opinion the most overrated celebrity of the 20th century. I wouldn’t have actually wished for her death, but it certainly didn’t warrant the shutting down of all UK TV and radio channels for a weekend, as happened at the time.
So she did work for charity. So do all of the senior royals, that’s a condition of the generous public funding that they receive.
- Posted by Alexi StarrIt seems to me that you at Reuters want nothing more than to perpetuate the “Diana Princess of Hearts” tabloid creation. As a result it seems that you will not publish any comments that don’t fit in with this one sided point of view. Perhaps that is why, at 1:45 pm, on August 31st, 2007 you have only one (glowing)comment here.
At least the following forum proves that I am not the only person who is sick to death of the continued media banging on about this woman!
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.j spa?threadID=7204&sortBy=1&edition=1&ttl =20070831133743
- Posted by alexi starDiana, media figure. Yes, her death has had a short-term impact on the UK but in the longer term I doubt it will be anything like as significant.
- Posted by richard williamsShe wasn’t a royal at the time of her death, she was not constitutionally significant. Sure, we all felt sorry she died but in another 10, 20, 30 years, will anyone remember particularly? No, they won’t. Life will move on. Charles will be King, he’ll pass on to William, the monarchy will prove resilient. Whether that’s a good thing or not, well that’s another question isn’t it?
I think that the reason she had a big impact on people and was so popular was because she had a certain vulnerability. She was charismatic.
- Posted by SuzetteI think that she did a great job and used her popularity to good effect for charitable causes.
I have not met this wonderful lady but she inspired me and she does not see colour or race even though she could have been the next queen but I am so proud of her and she will always be in my heart and mind even though I am from another country
Kuala Lumpur
- Posted by Daisy RaniMalaysia
It is unbelievable the hate that is in this world.
- Posted by PaulaPeople have nothing better to do than to make hateful remarks about a beautiful, caring and loving woman giving no thought how hurtful it is to her sons much less millions of other people who obviously do not have their point of view.
As the old saying goes, if you can’t say something nice then say nothing at all.
Rest in Peace Diana, your legacy (your sons) will carry your torch.
Diana was a divorced mother trying to raise two boys with a “normal life” but also to be aware of the people that they would eventually be governing. And doing this under circumstances that were unprecedented because Royals did not divorce. It is a shame that she was always in the public eye doing this. But that cannot be changed.
- Posted by Katte Flynn-HerrickI like to remember Diana for her down to earth works of trying to make the world a better place for all people.
Perhaps if we all stepped in for each other, even if in just a small way, when we had an opportunity to help the world would be a better place.
But, the greatest lesson that Diana taught us is that the heads of any country or nation are just ordinary people with their own convictions and beliefs. Yet when they rise above these and are motivated to work for the common people, they can do great things. I like to remember this lesson at election time.