Summary As Diana marks the 20th anniversary of her death, the world still mourns losing the 'People's Princess'.
(Web Desk) - Born into a family of British nobility - the Spencer family, with royal ancestry, Diana was a member of the British royal family as the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales.
Diana on her first birthday. Photo: Getty Images.
Among the members of the Royal Family throughout history, Diana remains one of the most popular and still continues to influence hearts and minds of millions across the world. From her engagement to the Prince of Wales in 1981 until her death in 1997, Diana was a major presence on the world stage, often described as the "world’s most photographed woman".
The royal wedding was held on Jul 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Catheral in London. Photo: Getty Images
Diana with her two sons Prince William and Prince Harry. Photo: Getty Images
Noted for her compassion, Diana was widely known for her encounters with terminal patients, the poor and unwanted whom she used to provide comfort.. She was mindful of people’s thoughts and feelings, and later revealed her wish of becoming a beloved figure among the people by saying in a 1995 interview that, “She’d like to be a queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts".
Diana with amputees in Angola, where she traveled in 1997 to bring attention to the anti-land mine campaign for the International Red Cross. Photo: AP
Committed to philanthropy, Diana also visited Pakistan to show her support for the fight against cancer in 1996.
Lady Diana holding a young cancer patient during her visit to Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore. Photo: Getty Images
Talking to BBC, Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, spoke of how her sister, Diana, felt about Pakistan: "Diana adored Pakistan. It was this strange spiritual connection this very English girl had with such a different culture and I think America and Pakistan were the two places where she felt most at home."
Princess Diana at the Badshahi Mosque, during her visit to Pakistan. Photo: BBC
It was on August 31, 1997 when Diana was fatally injured in a car crash at the Pont de l Alma tunnel in Paris. The televised funeral, on 6 September, was watched by a British television audience that peaked at 32.1 million, which was one of the United Kingdom’s highest viewing figures ever.
Millions more watched the event around the world, as the princess was laid to rest.
Diana’s coffin is carried into London’s Westminster Cathedral in September 1997. Photo: AP Royal Archives
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of her death, Princes William and Harry visited a new garden dedicated to their mother. The pair was accompanied by Prince William’s wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, as they toured what had been known as the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in London, to mark two decades of the death of their mother, Diana.
William, Harry and Catherine arrive at the White Garden at Kensington Palace, Princess Diana’s home for 15 years, in London on Wednesday. The garden was planted to mark 20 years since her death. Photo: AP
