Memories of Diana

[Elspeth]

Today, 31 August 2007, marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Paris.​

This thread is for people to share their memories of Diana during her life, their feelings when they heard the news of her death, and their opinions about her effects on the royal family and on society in general.

I know this is a sensitive subject, particularly during a major anniversary like this one, so I'm reminding everyone to be considerate when posting criticism and respectful of the feelings of other posters whose opinions you might not agree with. This is an especially good time to keep in mind the forum rule, "Insulting comments about other posters and royals are not permitted. Criticism is acceptable; insults and flames are not. We expect our members to treat each other with respect."

The thread also is not for a rehash of the Charles-Camilla-Diana blame game, arguments about whether Charles is fit or deserving to be King (and ditto for William), declarations about what God may or may not think of Diana, Charles, Camilla, or anyone else, or any other excuse for off-topic fights between Diana partisans and Charles-Camilla partisans.

The moderators will be keeping a close watch on this thread, and I hope that's all we'll have to do. Please keep the tone of the thread civil. If things start turning nasty, the offending posts will be deleted.

 

[HMTLove23]

Memories of her with her sons is What i remember most. She was such a good mother.

 

[kimebear]

My first reaction was extreme sympathy for her sons. All the photos I had ever seen of her with them, they looked purely joyful to be together. I also felt bad that she would never get the chance to see them become men and raise families of their own.

 

[Empress]

Something funny. I was 18 when she died, and was out on a first date with an idiot who eventually asked me to marry him, and dumb dumb that I was I said yes. Needless to say, we never made it to the altar, Thank God. Also needless to say I remember far more of the feelings that I had and can remember with clarity what I said and did when I found out upon returning home that she had died, than I do about that first date.

Says something about the guy, no?

 

[sirhon11234]

I was 7 years old when she died I remember I was at a block party and had just learned how to ride a 2 wheel bicycle without training wheels when the crash occured it was 12:20 parisian time so it was 6:20pm North American time. I remeber waking up in the middle of the night to see my mother looking at the t.v and i remember seeing utter confusion a wrecked car and and an ambulance leaving the scene I was half asleep then. I didn't realize at the time that the Princess of Wales was dead. After that it was the week of Diana all local channels like CNN NBC.... showed nothing but Diana and there were seas of flowers for this one woman I was amazed at the outpouring of grief of the people, celebrities, and politicians. The funeral at the time was the saddest thing I ever watched in my life. I remember asking my mother when are they going to let Diana out of the box she's too young and beautiful to be dead only old people die and my mom bluntly said that people die everyday whether they are young or beautiful. And then I remeber being in tears for the rest of the day. From the Princess' death I learned that life is short and that we should live it to the fullest.
I have only three memories of Diana alive one is when she in Angola visiting victims of landmines the second was in June at the christies auction and the last was when everyone on t.v. were talking about that kiss she and dodi shared.

 

[sirhon11234]

Something funny. I was 18 when she died, and was out on a first date with an idiot who eventually asked me to marry him, and dumb dumb that I was I said yes. Needless to say, we never made it to the altar, Thank God. Also needless to say I remember far more of the feelings that I had and can remember with clarity what I said and did when I found out upon returning home that she had died, than I do about that first date.

Says something about the guy, no?

Wow it sounds like you had a very interesting night. I'am going to be 18 in November I cant imagine being engaged right now.

 

[pinkie40]

I felt like millions of others united in this collective shock and grief.

Ironically, there is a local, socially prominent man here in Dallas by the name of Trevor Rees-Jones. His photo was shown on local Dallas television for about 24 hours until someone realized the Al-Fayed bodyguard was not the local man!!

 

[anbrida]

I was 16 years old at that time. I remembered I heard the news during a sunday lunch. My eyes welled up with tear within a minute. I remembered I tried very hard to hold back my tears because there were other guests at that time. I thought they might found me weird when they saw my tear. Actually I pretended to be totally indifferent to the news until the end of the lunch.

I think I am a qualified Di-hard fan and also a nutter at the same time. I think about her every day for the past ten years. But I seldom talked about Diana to any people around me. (I've no problem of expressing my feeling through the internet, because no one knew my identity) No one knew I was a Di-hard fan except few people. My parents knew that because I couldn't hide my collection of pictures and books about Diana from them.

I knew I am a nutter. But there is some advantage of being nutter. Since I keep my Diana so deep deep in my heart that I don't need to mind other people's bad mouth toward her. Since in this way no one can hurt her any more.

 

[charmed4sure]

i was 13 when Diana died, i really didn't know who she was at the time, all i can remember is driving home from my grandparents, and hearing the news on the radio, and my mom turned the radio up so loud, we turned around and went back to my grandparents, and when we got there my aunt who left also was back, and they sat there and watched tv. My memories kind of scatter from there, but i do remember waking up that morning and everyone was, or had been crying and by then another one of my aunts was there. I had no idea at the time what we had lost but now at 21 i know. My thoughts and prayers go out to her boys today.

 

[principessa]

Until today, I can't believe that so a heartly and popular royal had passed away. It's so hard.

May god bless her and her family. May she rest in peace.

 

[leonardinha]

I was 22 when Diana died. I remember my mother waking me up and asking me: "Have you heard about Princess Diana?" "What's up with her? Did she lose her baby?" (because I thought she was pregnant) "No, she's dead". I was petrified and simply couldn't believe it.

 

[tara1983]

i still remember what the weather was like

I was 13 years of age when she died and i remember that day like it was yesturday.

i was watching a doc on ballet ( funny that diana loved ballet) when my dad came in from washing the car and said that one of the royels from england has been hurt in a crash in paris the first thing i thought was fergie.

then my mum said no it was diana and she has walking away with a broken arm i thought at least she is ok. then about half an hour later or so the news broke that she died. i was shocked and felt sick.

i can still remember what the weather was like the day she died.

this will never settle down her memory will live on forever.

 

[Warren]

While it's OK to share the moment we first heard the news of the car crash, or of her death, this thread is also about sharing the memories of Diana the living person.

Just as the Memorial Service will concentrate on Diana's life rather than the moment she died, it will be a more positive experience if we do the same.

thanks,
Warren

 

[LadyK]

I wasn't really a royal fan at the time of Diana's death- I just didn't know much about them. What I do really remember, and what I think most of you do too, it how brave her sons were, and how much they must have loved her. What I really remember, and what still makes me sad, is the small arrangement of white roses (Diana's favorite) with a hand written letter from Harry leaning against it, the envelope reading "Mummy."

 

[Antoniane]

10 Years After ...

I feel really sad today, like if her death had happened today...

I'll never forget her and how marvellous she was...

I also want to give some internet addresses with articles and photos.

HOLA!

GUILLERMO Y HARRY ELIGEN EL HIMNO QUE SONÓ EN LA BODA DE SU MADRE PARA CONMEMORAR SU MUERTE

Londres rend hommage à Diana, dix ans après sa mort - Yahoo! Actualités

 

[TheTruth]

I was too small to understand what happened but my mother told me she learnt about her death while ironing and listening to the radio. When she talks about it today, I can see that it marked her because like many 30-year-old-mother at that time, even against their will, indentified to her. Every mother in the world thought :" My god, those poor boys have lost their mother."

 

[sirhon11234]

I thinks its a kid's greatest fear to lose a parent.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I was 20 when she died, and serving in the navy at NAS Willow Grove, north of Philadelphia. I went to sleep in my barracks believing with all my heart she would survive the crash somehow, but then I turned on the TV in the morning to be greeted with the worst news.

 

[sirhon11234]

I was 20 when she died, and serving in the navy at NAS Willow Grove, north of Philadelphia. I went to sleep in my barracks believing with all my heart she would survive the crash somehow, but then I turned on the TV in the morning to be greeted with the worst news.

I know the media told the public that the Princess sustained a broken arm, leg, and a concusion no one at the time knew that she had massive internal injuries.

 

[Polly]

My most enduring memory of Diana was touched upon yesterday at her memorial service.

Being older than many of you, I can remember with perfect clarity the panic and hysteria surrounding AIDS in the 1980s. Nurses and allied health workers wouldn't even touch vials holding suspected sufferers' blood; people believed to be anywhere near an AIDS victim was almost certain infection and death; lurid stories about the disease and its consequences abounded and there was great fear, everywhere, about an invisible disease that had the potential to kill us all. Advertising in Australia, warning about the consequences of unprotected sex was so utterly alarming, and so very frightening that the government was forced to discontinue it to allay our terror.

And into this maelstrom of fear and ignorance, glided Diana. She visited the AIDS ward of a London hospital, held hands with dying people, hugged one or two, and with her measured and considered behaviour, instantly dispelled so many of the myths and ignominies surrounded this ghastly disease and so many poor, ailing people. Diana's actions reverberated around the globe with the force and speed of a giant bolt of lightning and forever elevated her to the stratosphere of admiration and courage and the consolidation of Diana the Good.

In her special way, she did as much for AIDS/HIV victims as the most sophisticated and intelligent scientists and doctors have ever done. For this alone, she deserves our thanks and gratitude. It's why, really, I honour her memory.

Not one single, other royal, within my lifetime, has done anything even remotely approaching this action which had such a profound and salutory effect around the entire globe.

I bear no ill-will towards anyone in the Royal Family, quite the reverse, but Diana was special and was unappreciated.

 

[Liz]

I was a huge Diana fan from the very beginning. I just thought she was so stylish and beautiful, so English...I was really in awe of her. I was 14 when she got married and like so many people in the US, got up in the middle of night to watch her wedding on tv. I was absolutely hooked, I guess you could say. I remember going to the bookstores and pouring over all the Diana books and just admiring her. She was almost larger than life to me back then. I will always remember those early days with fondness, before the truth came out regarding her relationship with Charles and the Royal Family. I miss her very much...to this day it's almost hard to believe that she is gone, she was such a fixture in my life and in so many peoples lives.

 

[pinkie40]

What was most surprising to me was how the people around me who were not big history fans or kept up with the royals were affected by Diana's sudden death.

My dad, a very simple, elderly man, was very much affected and suprised me the most. He was moved to tears by her death. He had joked the day before Diana died with the manager of the local grocery store in his ultra conservative small town about the big brou-ha-ha that had happened the same week regarding the cover of the National Enquirer featuring Diana on holiday.

The cover read "Di Goes Sex Mad" and the local church biddies had made the store manager either take the rags from the check-out line to the store office or they had to put pieces of blocking material so they would be comfortable in the thought young children would not see the headline right by the candy and gum.

The manager put the offending tabloid in the office and one had to stand in line to ask the office manager for the tabloid. An knowing the strict moral compass of this tiny town, I am sure the brave souls who asked for a copy were met with a look of uncomfortable judgement.

My dad had deep regret that he had made a joke out of Diana's escapades. He certainly was very concerned for her sons and felt very sad with them since he was adoring of his own mother.

 

[Lady Di.]

In what way do you remember Princess Diana?

Hi everybody. Another investigation for school, could you please react?
Thanks!

 

[georgiea]

I was a huge Diana fan from the very beginning.

I admire Diana, Princess of Wales and am a fan. I thought she was beautiful and a devoted family person. She really loved her boys and I know she loved Prince Charles even after they separated. Diana was lucky materialistically, but she was damaged from her parent's divorce (mental problems) and was unlucky with close relationships. She was perfect in her public role as Princess of Wales.

I have come to the conclusion that we don't have a perfect life and to me Diana's life was tragic because she did not have more time on earth to truly become a world humanitarian and help her boys grow up.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Yes, so true, Zonk. She packed a huge amount of living into her 37 years.

IIt was and remains a terrible tragedy. Its a sad thing whenever a young person dies. But she lived a Heck of a life...and she has two great sons to show for it.

 

[sirhon11234]

Agreed, Diana's life was like a novel. A really good one in fact.

 

[ghost_night554]

Agreed ghost_night. Did you get the book?

no not yet I definitely still want to but I have such a short attention span I'm trying to finish the book I bought at the airport when we left for our trip to Mexico last week. I was going to read it on the plane and pool but just totally gave up half way through..... so see what I mean? haha

Anyways back on topic! My gosh I so agree Diana lived quite a whirlwind of a life that most people don't experience even if they live to be 100!

 

[irishdi]

my memories are of meeting diana around 40 times whilst i lived in uk. i was always a huge fan and was thrilled the first time i met her at an engagement in bromley, kent 1989. i shook her hand and she spoke a few words but i was unable to speak...i was so thrilled to meet her. so all through the next 8 years i went to as many of her engagements as i could and did actually manage to converse with her when i got a little less nervous at meeting her! wonderful memories and i treasure the photos i have taken of her and of course the few i have of me with her. she was a wonderful person and she will never be replaced.

 

[Blackadder]

Agreed, Diana's life was like a novel. A really good one in fact.

Really? Where's the happy end then? To me her life rather looked like a drama. Elaborately staged, but still.

 

[Mermaid1962]

You saw her 40 times. Wow! Did you ever see her wear the same outfit twice? Did you take lots of pictures?

my memories are of meeting diana around 40 times whilst i lived in uk. me with her. .