Anniversaries of Diana's Death (and Birthday)

[james]

I recently re-discovered a video about Diana which compromises a series of accounts by members of the pulblic regarding their own experinces with her and it was a revelation. It reminded me why her funeral prompted the reation it did and although I was never a mad "DI fan" it illustrates why she was held in such high esteem. In the past eight years the media has wallowed in the mud of sex, sleaze and any other way they could pull her down to the lowest of the low and one becomes immune to it after a while. I was even starting to believe that I (like the countless millions who grieved after she died) was a gullible fool who let the media dictate my emotions. However this programme called "The unseen Diana" reminded me as to why the world reacted as it did upon her death. Love her or loathe her Diana was a first class humanitarian and her life can be summed up in Robert Kennedy's eulogy to JFK when he quoted Shakespeare and said " The evil that men do lives after them' The good is oft interred with their bones".

 

[runaway princess]

It is quite a sad day...I wonder what the boys are feeling about his?..Or even her brother?

 

[grecka]

Hard to believe it's been eight years. In my mind, it was just yesterday I was watching those horrible scenes of grief at Kensington Palace with the gigantic sea of flowers and remembrances stretching in all directions outside the gates.

 

[tiaraprin]

On This Sad Day For All Of US. . .

I would like to thank everyone who has come here and posted their tributes and heartfelt feelings about Diana here in memory of her death. I have been truly touched by many of you since I started this thread. I think I have pretty much accomplished what I wanted to with this thread; and that is a place where people could come and discuss their feelings about Diana and pay tribute to her.

I pay tribute to all of you who shared your heartfelt feelings with me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I would also like to thank and pay tribute to Warren and Elspeth for their moderating on this thread and keeping it on the path I wished for it. Both of you have helped me to achieve on this thread pretty much what I wanted to achieve. Heartfelt thanks to both of you.

I would also like to speak to all of Diana's loyal followers. I understand your feelings that you feel the forum is one sided and I used to have them. However, as I have learned, you can talk about Diana and what you feel provided you do it in the appropriate manner.

All the moderators wish for is that people speak appropriately and not attack. Everyone has the right to their opinions. Everyone is not going to agree with us. That is fine, just as long as they show me and all of you the same politeness and respect that I strive so hard to show in my opinions now. Granted, I don't succeed all the time, but I try. If any of you have any questions or problems, please contact Elspeth and Warren through private messaging. Elspeth and Warren have helped me a great deal and they are not evil, mean people. They are here to help make this forum the best it can be. Elspeth and Warren have defended this memorial thread and have encouraged it although they feared this would turn into an attack forum. They have removed inappopropriate posts and have spoken to forum members that have not followed what I wished to accomplish on this thread. They have consulted with me about things on the thread also and asked my opinions when they did not have to. If someone makes an inappropriate post, contact Elspeth and Warren and discuss it with them. If something is truly wrong or offensive, they will take care of it.

Lastly, I would like to pay my tribute to Diana.

Diana I miss you very much still after all these years. You stay in my heart always. I pray for you and I pray for your beloved boys. I will defend William and Harry in anyway I can. I will defend and fight for your honor always for now you have no way to speak for yourself.

I hope that you can look down here to this thread in your honor and see how many people still love you after all these years. Starting this thread and seeing it come to fruition is my tribute to you Diana and what you have gave and taught me through your life. We are all still out there Diana and we still love and miss you no matter what. We aren't going anywhere, EVER. Just know that.

 

[tiaraprin]

I recently re-discovered a video about Diana which compromises a series of accounts by members of the pulblic regarding their own experinces with her and it was a revelation. It reminded me why her funeral prompted the reation it did and although I was never a mad "DI fan" it illustrates why she was held in such high esteem. In the past eight years the media has wallowed in the mud of sex, sleaze and any other way they could pull her down to the lowest of the low and one becomes immune to it after a while. I was even starting to believe that I (like the countless millions who grieved after she died) was a gullible fool who let the media dictate my emotions. However this programme called "The unseen Diana" reminded me as to why the world reacted as it did upon her death. Love her or loathe her Diana was a first class humanitarian and her life can be summed up in Robert Kennedy's eulogy to JFK when he quoted Shakespeare and said " The evil that men do lives after them' The good is oft interred with their bones".

James, that is truly a wonderfully worded expression of your feelings and respect for Diana. It touched me deeply and I thank you.

 

[Squidgy]

Tiaraprin;

Thank you for this wonderful thread ... When you started it, I thought it was a wonderful idea ... but I feared it would soon go astray and that it would immediately be reduced to an argument about who is most to blame in the whole Diana/Charles episode. That's why, I quickly made my contribution and then, for the most part, never really looked at this thread again. It is only in the last few days that I have dared to look at it again.

I still haven't read the middle parts yet, but now that I know that you, Elspeth & Warren having been keeping this thread on topic, I know that it is now safe to read those bits. Thanks to our great moderators for the extra work this has required.

And thanks to you Tiaraprin. You put your heart on your sleeve and in a way you made yourself very vulnerable when you created this thread. I admire your courage. And from what I've read so far, it is a nice tribute to the Princess. Thanks.

 

[tiaraprin]

Tiaraprin;

Thank you for this wonderful thread ... When you started it, I thought it was a wonderful idea ... but I feared it would soon go astray and that it would immediately be reduced to an argument about who is most to blame in the whole Diana/Charles episode. That's why, I quickly made my contribution and then, for the most part, never really looked at this thread again. It is only in the last few days that I have dared to look at it again.

I still haven't read the middle parts yet, but now that I know that you, Elspeth & Warren having been keeping this thread on topic, I know that it is now safe to read those bits. Thanks to our great moderators for the extra work this has required.

And thanks to you Tiaraprin. You put your heart on your sleeve and in a way you made yourself very vulnerable when you created this thread. I admire your courage. And from what I've read so far, it is a nice tribute to the Princess. Thanks.

Thank you Squidgy for your very kind words . Yes, it was a haul for Elspeth, Warren, and myself. However, I think things have stayed better than I expected. When redirection was needed, Elspeth and Warren provided it.

This thread was my own small way to honor Diana and I was determined to succeed no matter the cost. Many people feel the forum is one sided depending on who they believe in and idolize. I wanted to make a "Diana" place where we could really discuss our feelings about her death without dealing with, for lack of a better term "Haters". I set out from my first post what this thread was about and what not to do or bring into it. I also asked for everyone to obey the rules of this forum. Some of the posts made me grit my teeth, but with Elspeth and Warren, I have dealt with it.

We shouldn't have to be ashamed of still loving Diana after all these years. I really don't care how long it has been since she has passed on and how many people tell me to come join the present. I do live in the present, but Diana is still a part of my life although she is no longer with us. When someone touches you deeply, you are not going to forget. No one forgets someone who touches their life whether they be someone they know or an icon. There are many things I don't like in the present in relation to the British Royals. However, it is something I have to deal with just as those who want to relegate Diana to the scrap heap will have to deal with the fact she is never going away and us, her loyal followers, are not going anywhere either.

 

[emily62_1]

Lady Di left us 8 years ago.

Eight years ago Lady Di left us, May she rest in peace, I know many of us will never forget her and will always miss her.

 

[tiaraprin]

Eight years ago Lady Di left us, May she rest in peace, I know many of us will never forget her and will always miss her.

Thank you Emily for posting. It is a sad day for many of us .

 

[corazon]

yeah, is a very sad day

 

[didem]

I Love you

Princess of Wales I Love you

 

[fanletizia]

Bosnian sitting volleyball players of OKI from the Bosnian Serb town of Derventa, left side, and KSO Iskra from the Bosnian town of Bugojno, right side, compete during the Princes Diana Memorial Tournament in seated volleyball in Tuzla, 70 kms north of Sarajevo, on Friday, Sept 2, 2005. Six teams participate in this memorial organized by a landmine survivor's network in Bosnia, in memory of Princess Diana who campaigned against landmines. Most of the players are victims of a land mines and were former enemies from the Bosnian 1992-95 war

From aap

 

[fanletizia]

Hello!

I recommend the article in Hello! Magazine

http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/specials/rememberingdiana/pagina_1_1.html

 

[james]

I am pleased that you liked my post Tiarapin.

The programme I referred to was made after Diana's death and is a collection of memories about her from members of the public. Although we all know about her public work and the accusations by some that it was done to manipulate her image there wasn't one story I was familiar with which says a lot as, like most members of this forum, I keep a close eye on Royal goings on. One of the most touching stories was from a desperatley sick young girl she met on an official visit to a hospital. The girl admired Diana's nail polish and the Princess said she would get her some. The family recounted how weeks later they were amazed when out of the blue the Princess arrived at the hospital quietley and unannounced with numerous bottles of this very expensive nail polish in different colours. They showed private photographs they had taken of Diana and the child showing off their painted nails and it was deeply moving. Another man she befriended on a hospital visit recounted how she came to visit him at home on New Years day and showed the home video he took of her having a cup of tea with him and his family in his house. Although they were clearly a lovely family their home was extremley humble and yet Diana looked totally happy and relaxed chatting to his wife and children on the sofa. To me this sums up what was best about the Princess and what people miss most about her. As the man in the last example said , "Rich and powerful people often don't look twice at members of the public yet Diana, who was then the future Queen of England, made you feel she couldn't have been happier to spend time with you. I don't think there's anybody in public life who's doing that now that she's gone".

 

[Georgia]

There is so much I'd like to write about the Princess but I know I'd get shouted down.
I will say this though, she will never be forgotten but perhaps she will be remembered for the wrong reasons.
On the day of her anniversary my thoughts were with the thousands of people in America (I'm British) who had lost there lives, home,hope and innocence in the hurricane. I'm quite sure had Diana been alive her thoughts would have been with them also.

 

[Warren]

No shouting down

There is so much I'd like to write about the Princess but I know I'd get shouted down.

Georgia I don't know if you have read through this thread, but if you had done so you would have found that no-one has been shouted down. All posts in the spirit of the thread are welcomed. If in doubt what the spirit is, please see Tiaraprin's introductory post (post #1).

thanks
Warren
British Forums SuperModerator

 

[didem]

Remembering Diana

Always HRH, Diana Princess of Wales
future King Mother for United Kingdom

 

[Georgia]

8 years on and I think I can see her legacy live on, of course through her children but also the change within the royal family. Watching a programme tonight on ITV it was very easy to pick out the Queen pre and post Diana. (and I don't just mean the shade of the grey!!) She is far more touchy and personal. A change which I think has helped people's perception of her.
However sitting outside her house on the day of her anniversary - I can't see why. Can you imagine Prince Harry or William taking the day off of school, uni, the army and sitting outside KP? (all the things they have had to do without her) Surely remembering her, trying to live your life a little less shelfish i.e thinking of others or a couple of hours charity work every week would be a far better way to honour a woman who spent her life speaking up for others that couldn't.

 

[Genevieve]

However sitting outside her house on the day of her anniversary - I can't see why. Can you imagine Prince Harry or William taking the day off of school, uni, the army and sitting outside KP? (all the things they have had to do without her) Surely remembering her, trying to live your life a little less shelfish i.e thinking of others or a couple of hours charity work every week would be a far better way to honour a woman who spent her life speaking up for others that couldn't.

Surely that is a better way to mourn an individual than weeping over her in private or holding candlelight vigils for her.

Every year the public remembrancese for Diana become less and less. The first year after her death people went to Kensington Palace, brought flowers and lit candles and said prayers. The crowd was still there but fewer in numbers in her second year. Now by it's eighth year, it's sparse to say something generous. Why? Because people have moved on.

Nobody sees William or Harry throwing themselves across Kensington Palace crying for their mother. And she was their mother! I did not even read that either of the boys or any of Diana's brother or sisters went to visit her grave on the anniversary of her death. Makes you wonder why complete strangers who have never met her grieve so much on such an anniversary when even her own family doesn't grieve.

 

[Elspeth]

I don't think it's fair to say that they don't grieve; it's just that they don't show their grief in public, probably because it's so personal to them and they've been trained in the royal tradition of keeping personal things to themselves.

As long as it's now a week after Diana's death, and I don't want this thread to turn into an argument about how and why people are reacting in the way they are, I'm going to close it. If people are interested in a discussion about the reaction of the public, please feel free to start another thread.

Thanks to everyone for your participation.

Elspeth

British Royals moderator

 

[Squidgy]

It's hard to believe that Diana would be 45 today! Happy Birthday Diana!

Here's one picture I don't have to worry about copyright. I took it when she visited Toronto in Oct. 1991.

 

[corazon]

Happy birthday, my queen, happy birthday.
The people dai in body but not in soul, she is with us, all the people that remenber her, love her and miss her.
Diana, forget her? never, impossible, she was just a womam, but she can (in her own way) change the world, and she did this, the change the mind of lost of people about the AIDS, HIV, landmines, cancer, homeless etc, yes she do a good job.
and she is here, in the people's hearts.
own england's rose, and forever own queen of hearts.

 

[Jackswife]

Not a perfect person but better than most. The 25th wedding celebrations in Luxembourg this week have made me think about Diana's wedding not long after . It would have been nice if she and Prince Charles had been able to celebrate their Silver anniversary this summer as well. Rest in peace.

 

[Heidi P.]

It's hard to believe that Diana would be 45 today! Happy Birthday Diana!

Here's one picture I don't have to worry about copyright. I took it when she visited Toronto in Oct. 1991.

I miss Diana so much and it is hard to believe, had she lived, she would still be so young at 45 years-old. You are missed, adored and will never be forgotten.

 

[xtan]

i just realised that no was nothing much in the uk papers about princess diana today or about her sons remembering her birthday... makes me a bit sad that people are forgetting her esp her sons...

 

[grevinnan]

There is no reason to suspect that her sons have forgotten her birthday. They may not feel that an official announcement stating that they are remembering their beloved mom on this day is in order.

 

[elisabetteke]

Squidgy that's a beautiful picture of Princess Diana . She is shining as she always does.
Diana still lives in my heart, such a wonderfull woman. She did so much good things for this world.
Happy birthday Diana!!

 

[princess olga]

It's hard to believe that Diana would be 45 today! Happy Birthday Diana!
Here's one picture I don't have to worry about copyright. I took it when she visited Toronto in Oct. 1991.

What a wonderful picture, Squidgy! Please do tell..did you and she have the opportunity to exchange a few words? Did she say anything to you? What was otherwise your impression of her?
Ah, as you all can tell, I miss Diana too! But am glad she existed at all, as the adage goes. She proved that an intelligent smile can go a long way.

 

[Roslyn]

There is no reason to suspect that her sons have forgotten her birthday. They may not feel that an official announcement stating that they are remembering their beloved mom on this day is in order.

I am quite sure that Diana's sons have not forgotten her birthday. I am quite sure that for the rest of their lives they will never forget the date of their dear mother's birthday. My mother is 92 and I know she will never forget the date of her mother's birthday, and likewise I will never forget the date of mine. It's one of those things people don't do.

But William and Harry's mother is dead, and has been so for many years now, and she was no longer technically a member of the RF at the time, and in all the circumstances I think it would be an unusual thing for an official comment to be made about her birthday, and apart from the "delicate" matters, to do so would only highlight the fact that Diana was taken far too young in a tragic, avoidable, accident, and is not here to celebrate it with the sons who loved her. I think that to make any official comment would be cruel; it would cause her sons unnecesary heartache to be forced to deal with their memories and grief publically, and would expose them unnecessarily to media scrutiny about their reactions to the event.

It would just not be appropriate, IMO.

 

[Lovelydiana]

I want to wish Diana a very happy birthday since she was born in 1961 like my mother she would have been 45 yesterday. I'm a bit late for wishing Diana a happy birthday because it was canada day yesterday and I was celebrating that. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Rest in peace forever an angel in my heart! You will never be forgotten.