Memories of Diana

[anbrida]

I just saw an interview of Jimmy Choo in April this year. Choo is a shoe designer who made shoes for Diana for 7 years. In the interview he mentioned about Diana. The interview was done in Chinese, This is a translation I made. Please bear my poor English. Hope you guys understand it and enjoy it.


Interviewer: After Diana became your client. How did you design shoes for her.

Choo: She gave me a great chance. Everytime I met her in the palace, she would showed me some clothes and told me which country she was going to visit, such as Janpan, or other countries. I will design the shoes according to her clothes.

Interviewer: How long it took you to design and make a pair of shoe?

Choo: We were very quick, because at that time I had alread have some assitants to help me. Roughly it took 2 weeks to make 12 pairs.

Interviewer: 12 pairs in 2 two weeks (suprised)

Choo: No problem, no problem. Because we had already known her size. Her size is 38. But every time I made shoes for her, she never had a problem with them. She would not say this part was not good engouh, or that part was not good enough. Never. Everytime I made shoes for her, she would always send me a note, saying "thank you very much, I feel very comfirtable in your shoes."

Choo: The last year, when I visited her the last year, it was her birthday. She wanted me to make a pair of shoe for her. She served me some cookies. I jokily asked her where she got these cookies from, Harrods or Mark and Spencer? She just smiled and didn't answer, because I mentioned the name "Harrods".

Choo: She didn't answer me, just smiled. At that time we were friends already. I didn't treat her like a princess, and she didn't treat me as a famous designer. We just talked, sitting on the floor, like good friends. Very nice girl, very nice princess. Everytime she would ask me "how is your mother, how is your father". Very nice.

Interviewer: I heard that she was very kind.

Choo: (A) very good, very kind, very kind princess. Everytime after I visited her in the palace, when I left for home, she would help me take the suitcase of the sample shoes, and walk me to my car.

Choo: I remember the first time she did that, I said, "No, No, you don't need to do that." She asked, "why not?" I still insisted not. The reason is because I thought my car was too old, too old. It was a car of almost 20-year old. I just said, 'no, no, you don't need to do that.' But she said, "just come with me," and then lead the way. On the way, everytime we passed by a car, she asked,'Is this one, it is a grant car.' I said, 'no.' When we got to my car, I said, 'it is this one.' She said, "Oh, my sister has the same kind of car. It is a good-looking car." She was a very good, very good person.

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by anbrida

The following is Sarah Lindsay's own words...

Thank you for that detail. Again, not surprising, considering the person we're discussing here.

[sirhon11234]

Indeed. I always feel awkward around grieving people, because I don't usually know what to say to comfort them or just don't want to say the wrong thing. I respect those who can. Diana was obviously one of those people. It was very kind of her to be there for Mrs. Lindsay.

[anbrida]

Totally agree.

Another remarkable trait of Diana is, she can keep in touch with people for a really long time. She would not just touch and the leave. Talking about Mrs Lindsay's case. just months before her death, Diana just sent Mrs Lindsay a congratulation on her second baby's born. For 1988 to 1997, it lasted for 9 years.

Another little story in my archive is about a girl called Louise Woolcock. Diana met her and her family two times before she died in 1992. However, after that Diana didn't forget her and her family. She would send flowers to Louise' family on every anniversary of Louise's death. The last time was just 4 weeks before Diana's own death, the fifth anniversary of Louise's death. The irony thing is, I wonder if there is anyone will send flowers to Diana's family on her own anniversary.

[sirhon11234]

This is an interesting piece of footage

Princess Diana at a therapy session - YouTube

[anbrida]

Just found a long article remembering Diana. There are a lot of lovely stories of her.

Midwest Today: Princess Diana

The one I really like is the story about a old woman cried when Diana visited her hospital, because she hadn't had time to change her clothes to meet Diana, and she felt embarrassed by the outfit she was wearing. Then Diana showed her magic way to comfort people -- she took off a piece of her own jewelry and pinned it to the woman's dress, and said "There. That will make it look better."

[anbrida]

She always behaved so naturally among people.

[Alexey 1904]

Maybe she was like that because, even though she had a royal title, a part of her was like the common folk and she was showing people she could relate to their problems, too?

[Tsar bobo Iv]

she was a very wonderful person

[sirhon11234]

Originally Posted by anbrida

Just found a long article remembering Diana. There are a lot of lovely stories of her.

I thought this story from Mr. Seabrooke was very touching. Its the first I've heard of it. Overall a very interesting article.

Among those drawn to Kensington Palace to pay respects to Princess Diana after her death was Vincent Seabrook, 27, who was sleeping in a doorway in central London when the Princess spotted him and stopped to chat.
He says their chance meeting saved his life. "Without her help, I really believe I would be dead by now," he asserts.
Now working as a security guard and with his own home, he carried a handmade plaque to leave with the floral tributes. On it he wrote: "Diana, I will never forget you. I met you twice and, at the time, I was homeless. You came to me and asked how long I had been on the streets. You then went and got me something to eat and drink. It was very cold and wet on that night.
"The next time I saw you I remember you saying to me: 'I will get you somewhere to live.' And you did. You asked me about my life and I told you about the abuse I went through when I was a kid, and I could see you had tears in your eyes.
"You have a very caring heart, and I will never forget the help you gave me. Love from Vincent."
Seabrook said the Princess wrote two letters to him after their meetings in the street, expressing her continued interest in his case. This follow-up is another unpublicized aspect of Diana's human touch.

[anbrida]

I think it was a very spontaneous and genuine act of her to help the poor guy. But it is still a surprise to me to read that she had tears in her eyes when she heard about that man's abusive childhood. I think Diana must be a very emotional person.

[scooter]

Originally Posted by Nice Nofret

It happend in Klosters (Switzerland) and the royal party went down Gotschna-Slope; it was closed that day; cause avalanches were thought possible.

Diana didn't fly the body back (she was no pilot AND she did return with the rest of the royal party); so if the body was flown back it may be, that it was in the same plane (or another) but surely NOT Diana flying the thing

Not the 'royal party'. Diana was back in the villa. Charles insisted on skiing off-piste wich generated the avalanche that killed his friend.

[Tsar bobo Iv]

Originally Posted by anbrida

I think it was a very spontaneous and genuine act of her to help the poor guy. But it is still a surprise to me to read that she had tears in her eyes when she heard about that man's abusive childhood. I think Diana must be a very emotional person.

she was a very selfless and i admire her for that she was very genuine i just love her i wish she was still around

[MARG]

Originally Posted by scooter

Not the 'royal party'. Diana was back in the villa. Charles insisted on skiing off-piste which generated the avalanche that killed his friend.

Could we have some credible evidence that:

a. Charles alone insisted that they ski off-piste, as opposed to them usually doing so, and;

b. Charles party caused the avalanche and killed his friend.

As anyone with mountain experience knows, avalanches are most often environmentally generated and routinely occur without external "cause". That is not to say that skiers, boarders, heli-skiers and climbers do not set off avalanches.

[nascarlucy]

This is why Diana was so loved by others. Her kindness towards others who suffered pain and hardship. You can generally tell when someone is geniune and when someone is fake. She could relate to others in a way that others in her family couldn't.

[Warren]

Guys, this thread is meant for members' memories of the late Diana, or interesting and insightful perspectives from other sources. It's not about what William allegedly told somebody regarding his father, or a general picture-posting thread.

We have many threads in the Diana, Princess of Wales subforum so please see if there is a more appropriate one and enjoy exploring the subforum while you do so.

thanks,
Warren
British Forums moderator

[anbrida]

The following article gives a memory of Diana from Marion, a girl who Diana was friend with during her vacation with her boys on the Caribbean island of Barbuda, April 1997. The girl had a very sweet memory of her time with Diana and the boys. A very interesting reading. Don't miss it

The Express On Sunday Magazine :* Marion Remembers Her Good Friend Diana* - Princess Diana Remembered

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by anbrida

I think it was a very spontaneous and genuine act of her to help the poor guy. But it is still a surprise to me to read that she had tears in her eyes when she heard about that man's abusive childhood. I think Diana must be a very emotional person.

Not just emotional as I think that's a pretty generalized word to use. It is very easy to feel sympathetic towards another human being's plights but I think in Diana's case, she was empathetic to them.

As she had traumatic incidents in her own childhood, she could relate to Vincent on a different level (empathetic) perhaps than a person who had grown up in a loving, caring family environment would have (sympathetic).

People who are natural empaths often state that as well as being a blessing, it can also be a curse.

[perry0141]

Originally Posted by gfg02

Meeting Diana
I found this album at flickr
Meeting Diana - a set on Flickr

Thrilled to see all these live photos! Congrats for being so assertive, I admire you for the way you did this, and the paparazzi were so kind to you! Wow, I was in London but did not have but a couple of days there. Did the usual tour around London, but knew I couldn't find out where Princess Di was. I want to go back and see where she was buried at Althorpe Estate. Have you been there? If so, what can you tell me about it

Thanks,
Perry, Greensboro, NC, USA
July 13, 2012

[anbrida]

Originally Posted by Osipi

Not just emotional as I think that's a pretty generalized word to use. It is very easy to feel sympathetic towards another human being's plights but I think in Diana's case, she was empathetic to them.

As she had traumatic incidents in her own childhood, she could relate to Vincent on a different level (empathetic) perhaps than a person who had grown up in a loving, caring family environment would have (sympathetic).

People who are natural empaths often state that as well as being a blessing, it can also be a curse.

It did take me sometime to figure out what is the difference between sympatheic dn empathetic. So english is not my mother-language.

I think Diana's trauma in her childhood was overstated. Hers was far away from being abuse. I think her own sons' childhood are more miserable than hers. We must give some credits to her parents.

I read a lot stories of Diana. The overall impression I have on her is, she was very easy to be drawn to tears, for all kinds of reasons. So easy that in some cases I thought the writer was making a story. However, after reading so many of them, I began to believe that she was just this kind of person.