July 1st, 1961 Diana Spencer is born

Princess Diana was Princess of Wales while married to Prince Charles. One of the most adored members of the British royal family, she died in a 1997 car crash. Who Was Princess Diana? Born Diana Spencer on July 1, 1961, Princess Diana became Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. She married the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, on July 29, 1981. They had two sons and later divorced in 1996. Diana died on August 31, 1997, from injuries she sustained in a car crash in Paris. She is remembered as the "People's Princess" because of her widespread popularity and global humanitarian efforts. Aristocratic Upbringing British royalty Princess Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, near Sandringham, England. Diana, Princess of Wales, was one of the most adored members of the British royal family. She was the daughter of Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Frances Ruth Burke Roche, Viscountess Althorp (later known as the Honorable Frances Shand Kydd). Her parents divorced when Diana was young, and her father won custody of the children. Following her initial education at home, Diana attended Riddlesworth Hall School and then West Heath School. She became Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. Although she was known for her shyness while growing up, she did show an interest in music and dancing. Diana also had a great fondness for children. After attending finishing school at Institut Alpin Videmanette in Switzerland, she moved to London. She began working with children, eventually becoming an assistant at Young England Kindergarten. Marriage to Prince Charles Diana was no stranger to the British royal family, having reportedly played with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as a child while her family rented Park House, an estate owned by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1977, she became reacquainted with their older brother, Prince Charles, who was 13 years her senior. As the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles was usually the subject of media attention, and his courtship of Diana was no exception. The press and the public were fascinated by this seemingly odd couple—the reserved, garden-loving prince and the shy young woman with an interest in fashion and popular culture. When the couple married on July 29, 1981, the ceremony was broadcast on television around the world, with millions of people tuning in to see what many considered to be the wedding of the century. Family Life and Divorce On June 21, 1982, Diana and Charles had their first child: Prince William Arthur Philip Louis. He was joined by a brother, Prince Henry Charles Albert David—known widely as "Prince Harry"—more than two years later, on September 15, 1984. Initially overwhelmed by her royal duties and the intense media coverage of nearly every aspect of her life, she began to develop and pursue her own interests. Diana served as a strong supporter of many charities and worked to help the homeless, people living with HIV and AIDS and children in need. Unfortunately, the fairy tale wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles did not lead to a happily-ever-after marriage. The two became estranged over the years, and there were reports of infidelities from both parties. During their union, Diana struggled with depression and bulimia. The couple's separation was announced in December 1992 by British Prime Minister John Major, who read a statement from the royal family to the House of Commons. The divorce was finalized in 1996.

How Did She Die? Even after the divorce, Diana maintained a high level of popularity. She devoted herself to her sons and to such charitable efforts as raising awareness about the dangers of leftover land mines in war-torn Angola. She also continued to experience the negative aspects of fame, whipping the British tabloids into a frenzy when she began dating Egyptian film producer and playboy Dodi Fayed in 1997. While visiting Paris, the couple was involved in a car crash after trying to escape from the paparazzi early in the morning of August 31, 1997. Fayed and the driver were pronounced dead at the scene; Diana initially survived the crash, but succumbed to her injuries at a Paris hospital a few hours later. News of her sudden, senseless death shocked the world. Queen Elizabeth II, who was criticized for not immediately responding publicly to Diana’s death, made a televised address from Buckingham Palace on September 5, in which she said: “No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her. I, for one, believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory.” On the morning of September 6, Diana's funeral procession commenced from Kensington Palace, her coffin resting on a gun carriage drawn by six black horses. Thousands of mourners packed the street to watch, with 15-year-old Prince William and 12-year-old Prince Harry joining the final stretch of the four-mile procession for their mother. An estimated 2.5 million people tuned in on television to watch the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which featured a powerful eulogy from Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer, and a performance from Elton John. Afterward, her body was laid to rest on a small island at her family's estate, Althorp. Controversy and Legacy Following an investigation into the fatal accident, a report released in 1999 determined that the driver was at fault for driving at a high speed while under the influence of alcohol and anti-depressant drugs. Charges were dropped against several photographers who were initially blamed for causing the crash. Despite the report, rumors persisted for years about alternative reasons for the accident. One conspiracy theory held that it was part of an assassination arranged by the royal family, although no additional evidence emerged to support that theory. In 2007, just before the 10th anniversary of her death, Princes William and Harry honored their beloved mother with a special concert that took place on what would have been her 46th birthday. The proceeds of the event went to charities supported by Diana and her sons. Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton also remembered Diana when naming their second child, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, who was born on May 2, 2015. Continuing her charitable efforts, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was founded after her death to provide resources for palliative care, penal reform, asylum and other issues. In 2013, the fund was incorporated into The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. In 2017, 20 years after her death, a collection of Diana's memorable ensembles earned an exhibition at Kensington Palace. Later that year, it was revealed that her life had inspired a musical: Simply titled Diana, the production reportedly offered a dramatized version of her days leading up to the royal wedding in 1981, and was set to debut at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse in 2018. Who was Dodi Al Fayed?

The oldest son of former Harrods owner and billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1955. His mother was Samira Khashoggi - sister of Saudi Arabian-born billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi - and his dad also owned Fulham Football Club and the Hôtel Ritz in Paris. Dodi attended schools in Paris, the exclusive Le Rosey in Switzerland and also had a brief stint at Sandhurst military academy, which Princes William and Harry also attended. He split his time between the Khashoggi homes in Paris, the Riviera, and Cairo and his father's home in Alexandria, Egypt. When he was 15, Dodi moved to London and became a familiar face on the nightclub scene. He worked as a junior officer in the United Arab Emirates air force, stationed in London, but he soon moved into the film industry - producing films such as Chariots of Fire and The Scarlet Letter. When did he start dating Princess Diana? The pair had first met at a 1986 polo match in Windsor while Diana was still married to Prince Charles, although nothing came from the exchange. In the summer of 1997, Dodi invited Diana and William and Harry to spend time on his yacht in the south of France. She later returned to the ship in August without her sons and a photo of the pair kissing made headlines around the world. The lovers spent time in the South of France and Sardinia before flying to Paris where they later died. How did Dodi Al Fayed and Princess Diana die? The summer in 1997 saw Princess Diana become the focus of relentless media attention after she embarked on her relationship with Dodi. On August 31, 1997, after a dinner at Mohamed Al Fayed's Ritz hotel in Paris, the pair were hounded by French paparazzi on motorbikes. As they drove through the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, they crashed into a pillar. Princess Diana, Dodi and driver Henri Paul were all killed in the horror smash but bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived. The Royal Family was initially just told Diana had a broken arm, and Charles was even making plans to visit her in hospital after the crash. But he was informed at 3.45am UK time that the Princess had died of her injuries. An inquest held in London concluded in 2008 that the Princess had been unlawfully killed, blaming the crash on grossly negligent driving by Paul and the pursuing paparazzi. Paul was speeding and over the drink-drive limit at the time of the smash.

Her spirit and legacy are never to be forgotten. References: https://www.biography.com/people/ https://www.thesun.co.uk