Why do you like Diana?

[juliamontague]

Hi,
In our German lessons we're talking about Myths at the moment.
Our school book tells about several myths (greek myths...), but also about Diana.
Our teacher asked us why the people love(d) Diana so much. And we could think about this at the weekend.
I thought the best thing would be to ask the people who love Diana, so I ask you.

Why do you love Diana?
When did it begin?
Doy ou think she is a myth?

Thanks
Julia

 

[sara1981]

im learn about her since she died in 1997 and im collection of her for 8 years but she very glamorous Princess and i have her magazine in scrapbooks with Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall both in scrapbooks also and i read books about her of her life and her marriages to Prince Charles,birth of Prince William&Prince Harry,Divorces,donation of her frocker dresses,falling in love with Dodi since her divorces to Prince of Wales and death in Paris,France.

and im wishes she was here and i never met her before and i did met Prince of Wales at Prince's trust but he nice man and charming.

im collection magazine from my Aunt she have it and i got magazine from my old school have it and i buy magazine from stores also! and lots of more from member who dont wanted to kept of magazine about Princess Diana but i like to kept magazine about her but i got magazine from australia one of my member send me about Diana and some Camilla,Charles but i never went Australia no!

Sara Boyce

 

[sesa]

Wow! what a question. I will be very suprised if you do not get a huge & varied response from this.
Let me begin with this: What I feel about Diana is not love. For me personally, love is reserved for people that I personally know. Since I did not know Diana, what I feel for her is "respect". I have/had the utmost repect for her. She was the epitomy of "class".
I think it started when all the news started coming out about her eating disorders, suicide attempts, news about her marriage. Giving the privledged life that she had, she could have sunk even further and blamed it on everyone around her, but she realized what she had and decided to use it for good causes. I think her biggest achievment was with AIDS. She herself showed the world that it was o.k. to touch, hug, hold hands with someone that is suffering from this horrible disease, and that by doing so, you would not become infected. I mention this, because at the time she did this, people were not as informed about it as they are now, and all these people were being left to die on their own with no one around because of the fear of contracting the disease. She also did this with people with other diseases. Her compassion for sick people & older people was endless. Her compassion came from the heart. It was not just some sort of form of charity work. She generally wanted to help, and she used her Title and image for these purposes.
As for being a "myth" I do not think she is one. Like "movie legends" I think her life and what she has left behind will be more percieved as a legend rather than a myth.
Hope this helps.

 

[iowabelle]

I was just drawn to her the first time I saw her in 1981. Can't explain it.

I don't think she's a myth. There's been too much "tell all." But I think I like her better for hearing that she wasn't a saint and knowing that she had problems. I probably could have talked to Diana with problems more than a princess who knew nothing more than the names of her favorite designers.

 

[tiaraprin]

I have loved Diana since she became engaged to Prince Charles in February 1981. I was totally taken aback by a young girl who was going to be transformed into a Princess when she married Prince Charles that July day. My love and admiration has only grown throughout her life, her tragic death, and the ensuing years.

Diana, despite her faults, was a truly caring human being who could reach the masses and act just as the ordinary people do on the street. She truly cared about helping people and patronized charities that put her in direct conflict with the courtiers such as AIDS. When she shook the hand of an AIDS sufferer without gloves on, she taught the world more than any doctor could have written about how one becomes infected. She helped the homeless, battered women, terminally ill children, and victims of landmines. Her selfless dedication is to be admired.

Diana was also a very good mother to her sons William and Harry. She showed William and Harry the world outside of the cocoon of royalty. She took them to hospital wards and homelessness projects. She taught them that not everyone in the world has a country home and a range rover. She made them wait in line at fast food places just like everyone else--no special treatment. She showered them with love so they would never grow up as she did--feeling unwanted and unloved.

Diana stood up for women everywhere by not accepting a sham of a marriage and made it abundantly clear she was not going to tolerate it. While her husband's affair did drive her to seek affection elsewhere, Diana wanted to blow the whistle on the immoral, secret ways of a royal/aristocratic marriage.
She made mistakes in this area, but still managed to convey to women everywhere that they deserved to be loved, cherished, and treated with respect by men. It is a lesson I carry close to my heart.

Non-Diana fans will say she was manipulative and vengeful. To be honest, I can understand why she would be vengeful with the husband she got and what he did!! I say good for you Diana!! Maybe Charles learned a lesson from this debacle, but I highly doubt it. Charles got his cake and is eating it too, which disgusts me to no end! My consolation is that Diana will haunt him and his wife for the rest of their lives. They won't escape her legacy.

Diana is not a myth when all is said and done. She was a flesh and blood human being who tried to do the best she could. Her life was splashed all over, so there really is no enigmatic factor. What she leaves behind is a legacy of a woman who grew up, did fantastic work, and tried to change the monarchy from its stuffy distance from the people.

 

[sara1981]

Agree with Tiaraprin

i would agree with you! Diana is still in legacy! and she never forgotten and many people loves Princess Diana very much and people hold the signs at Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding they talking about Diana wont forget about it but i would agree it! but Diana is still Queen of hearts and she is still Princess of hearts.

Sara Boyce

 

[Zonk]

Why do I like Diana? Wow! What a question...I have been trying to explain that for years to many friends and family.

Growing up I was not your normal child of the late 70's/early 80's growing up in the DC area. My parents taught me the love of reading and thru my reading I found myself intrigued by the British monarchy. One day in February of 1981, I found an article in the Washington Post about the engagement of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. Of course they pushed a fairy tale story (but who knew then what we know now) and I couldn't get enough of her! I read every article, magazine, watched every 20/20 special (no Primetime, Dateline back then) I could get my hands on. Got at the crack of dawn (in the summer no less) to watch the wedding. I was hooked! Heck...even the Archbishop said that this was the dream/stuff that fairytales were made of. At that time, Diana represented all that was good in the world. The idea that everyone could find their "Prince" their soulmate and love could get you thru the trials and tribuations of life. Remember in 1981, although we had had major wars, poverty, civil rights movement, etc....it was still a simpler time. There was no concept of using a plane as weapon, or putting a bomb on a double decker bus or a train...at least not in the US. That was not my reality.

As the years went by and I got older, I still followed her life..the births of her children, the death of her father, her problems in her marriage,the his and her affairs, the divorce, etc. It was like we grew uptogether. We (and I use the term loosely) realized that life wasn't always a fairy tale. Things didn't turn out the way you planned. As Erma Bombeck used to say, "if life is a bowl of cherries...then why am I always getting the pits."

Her death was a tremendous shock to me. My mother's generation can say they knew where they were when Kennedy got shot, I can say the same about Diana and when the towers fell. It was like a loss of innocence. I found myself in the same position as 1981, I read everything about her (now we had the internet..so there was more material) and watched every program about her life. I also got up early (again the crack of dawn) to watch her funeral. I taped her funeral..and to this day I haven't watched it. I remember my roomate, knocking on my door to make sure I was okay...cause I was sobbing.

Truthfully, when I look back at that time. I am not really surprised that she died so young. Looking back its like she knew she had a short time on this earth so she had to make the most of her time here. It wasn't all she thought it would be (the ups and downs) but it was something.

Do I consider Diana a myth. Not at all. According to Webster's dictionary, a myth is one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society. So in that respect, she wasn't one. At least not in my book. I would say she was more of a legend, but according to Webster's a legend is one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society or one who inspires legends. So maybe she is that to some. But not to me.

I like Diana because she was a flawed woman. And she knew it. She represents some of the best and worst traits of humanity. The best because she was a good humaniatarian (not in a Mother Theresa kind of way) and a great mother. The worst because she could be manipulative and cunning, but I think she acted in such a way when threatened. And truthfully, I don't believe she was understood by the family she married into and she didn't understand them. Above all, she taught me that if you don't love yourself (but not in a selfish kind of way) how can you expect anyone else to love you? Life is too short to be mad over silly things and if you have something to say (good or bad) than it needs to be said. But not in a mean, vindictive way but more of setting the record straight. Also, if life isn't going the way you thought would be...there is no need to give up..their are different roads to take. And finally, life isn't about just aging in terms of getting older each year. but more maturing as an adult and accepting the consequences of your actions. Her life lessons aided me in becoming a better person. Although, I probably should give my parents some credit as well

 

[juliamontague]

Thanks for all your answers.
Julia

 

[emily62_1]

I love Diana to bits.

hard to say why.... I think that , apart from the fact she was so beautiful, but was not a bit conscious of this, apart frm the fact that she was also, as we say in my country , " beautiful inside", not at all agressive, but very humble, down to earth, I do believe she really cared for the homeless, the AiDS victims etc. and that's amazing for a girl born in a wealthy ,noble Family, who has married the Prince of Wales, who then belonged to the RF,- 1 would just think- how come she did care?????????- i think that she had suffered so much when her mum left her and home when she was only 6, she remembered the footsteps of her mum leaving the house many years after.... this makes me so sad for her, if she had not been frail, she would have not cared for her hubby not loving her, but another woman, but she craved for love.... and she never found it..... and last, a Princess, beautiful, loved by ppl, glamorous, loved so much her own kids and did want other kids by Charles, she longed for a baby girl, all these things, and her pros with food, her emotional problems, the fact that she was so lonely that she relied in the butler, and the fact that her own mum did not care for her, not her bro or her 2 sis, well, this is why I love Diana to bits, OMG, I forgot that she died a horrible death at only 36.....

 

[Margrethe II]

I was in grade 6 of Primary School when Diana, Princess of Wales was tragically killed, so I had grown up seeing this lady on TV, in magazines etc. I noticed how much she was admired for her beauty and warmth. I dont think there is any one reason why I, like millions of other Australians adored Diana. She was everyone's Princess and in one way or another she touched us all. Maybe it was her sincerity, sense of fun, that smile and infectious laugh? If I could give a certain answer I would.

I miss not seeing Diana on the news, or at functions & magazines.

"MII"

 

[sara1981]

I was in grade 6 of Primary School when Diana, Princess of Wales was tragically killed, so I had grown up seeing this lady on TV, in magazines etc. I noticed how much she was admired for her beauty and warmth. I dont think there is any one reason why I, like millions of other Australians adored Diana. She was everyone's Princess and in one way or another she touched us all. Maybe it was her sincerity, sense of fun, that smile and infectious laugh? If I could give a certain answer I would.

I miss not seeing Diana on the news, or at functions & magazines.

"MII"

like many people who love CP Mary lots! also but i would agree but Princess Diana is popular Princess and also Mary too!

i would agree with you!

Sara Boyce

 

[sara1981]

hard to say why.... I think that , apart from the fact she was so beautiful, but was not a bit conscious of this, apart frm the fact that she was also, as we say in my country , " beautiful inside", not at all agressive, but very humble, down to earth, I do believe she really cared for the homeless, the AiDS victims etc. and that's amazing for a girl born in a wealthy ,noble Family, who has married the Prince of Wales, who then belonged to the RF,- 1 would just think- how come she did care?????????- i think that she had suffered so much when her mum left her and home when she was only 6, she remembered the footsteps of her mum leaving the house many years after.... this makes me so sad for her, if she had not been frail, she would have not cared for her hubby not loving her, but another woman, but she craved for love.... and she never found it..... and last, a Princess, beautiful, loved by ppl, glamorous, loved so much her own kids and did want other kids by Charles, she longed for a baby girl, all these things, and her pros with food, her emotional problems, the fact that she was so lonely that she relied in the butler, and the fact that her own mum did not care for her, not her bro or her 2 sis, well, this is why I love Diana to bits, OMG, I forgot that she died a horrible death at only 36.....

i would agree with you!

i think Prince Charles wanted baby daughter really bad and Princess Diana at birth they found out its another BOY! and both got disappointment for girls but Diana wanted more add children like her siblings but Diana wanted married to pakistan and have baby girls but i do believe her!

Sara Boyce

 

[sofia]

I love princess Diana, she is the princess of the heart. even if she died,
she stayed in our heart. i love her too much. I am from Morocco.

 

[Mahoogie]

When I was a child,I was a fairy tale fan.I like stories about princesses like sleeping beauty,cinderella etc..I got interested in Princess Diana when I started seeing her pics from Australian tabloids.I was just a lttle girl then, and got fascinated with the fact that there are real-life princesses exist in this world.I thought it was just a legend or fantasy.From then, I started to get interested about the princess' life..Diana became my heroin and she was the only princess that I've known and cared for even if I didnt met her in person..There is something in her that makes the people like her.Of course no one can please everybody and so was the princess, but Diana made a mark that made many people appreciate her be it in fashion,motherhood, most especially-the work for humanity..

 

[sara1981]

When I was a child,I was a fairy tale fan.I like stories about princesses like sleeping beauty,cinderella etc..I got interested in Princess Diana when I started seeing her pics from Australian tabloids.I was just a lttle girl then, and got fascinated with the fact that there are real-life princesses exist in this world.I thought it was just a legend or fantasy.From then, I started to get interested about the princess' life..Diana became my heroin and she was the only princess that I've known and cared for even if I didnt met her in person..There is something in her that makes the people like her.Of course no one can please everybody and so was the princess, but Diana made a mark that made many people appreciate her be it in fashion,motherhood, most especially-the work for humanity..

me too!

i like Princesses video includes the Little Mermaid,Cinderella and lots of more! when i was little girls i watch princesses movies also but im wishes i would become Princess one days or become Crown Princess one day no matters for me if my family would like me to become Royals im hope so!

Sara Boyce

 

[Idriel]

Hello Julia.
I would not say I love Diana, but I deeply admire certain aspects of her life (more of that later).

First I want to say that I think she is a myth. A modern myth. Old-fashioned myths cannot possibly exist because of how intrusive the media have become. Just look at the books who have been published about Marylin Monroe (another myth) in recent years. They are far more graphics and intrusive that anything that has been published during her lifetime.

That said, what I admire in Di is how she used the myth(s) created around her public persona to promote great causes (AIDS, landmines, homeless, ...) and make a real difference.
I don't really care for her personal battles (bulimia, depression, etc.) because I was a little kid when all that was mediated, and did not read any magazine at the time.
I really heard about her for the first time when she died. I remember I was on holiday with my family and everybody was totally upset. I was also affected by that, it was all over the radio and TV, 24 hours a day. I remember discovering her stunning face (she was at the top of her beauty when she died) and seeing universal demonstrations of grief and emotion. It was very powerful, even my dad bought Elton's song (something he would never admit today). It's a weird way of being introduced to someone, because after her death all reports shown her as a saint. I kept this image of her for a long time, and I think a lot of people never grown out of it.

Non-Diana fans will say she was manipulative and vengeful.

IMO when talking about Di, it's important to distinguish what she was, what she wanted the public to believe she was, and what the media made of her.

Anyway, on the whole, I like her a great deal, like when you have a lot of affection for someone you know is flawed but capable of extraordinary good things.
And pro or not, the attention she still gets today proves she was a truly fascinating woman.

 

[Harry's polo shirt]

This is suprisingly difficult to answer, there is so much to say about why I like her. I can't get my thoughts in order. I guess the main reason is because of her love. She didn't fake her way through charity events like some other royals do. She adored her children and didn't let anyone else raise them, she understood her role as mother. That role did not end with Will and Harry, she held children she didn't know and you could see the sincerity in her eyes.

 

[Reina]

Well I like Diana b/c she was a survivor and a strong person even in the face of all she went through. She made alot of mistakes and had to grow up alot, but at the end of her life she was a more mature and level person. Also she learned to forgive ppl who had trespassed against her. She learned from her own trespasses. She was a shining star who set the precedent of her time. There will not be another Diana. SHe had a unique role. However she, as well as her role, are quite ambiguous to me. That is one of the main reasons why I like Diana so much. She was unique, ambiguous, and peculiar. Not a saint, but someone who help to bring alot of change in the RF and the world. Peculiar ppl are subject to alot of animosity from ppl and when they fall, they fall hard. She overcame huge obstacles and she made huge mistakes of which coudl be an example to all to not emulate. However she did get up again and made a big difference in the world.
.

 

[maryshawn]

Like others, I was intrigued by Diana since the wedding; it indeed looked like a "fairytale." Then, I became even more intrigued when things did not turn out perfectly and she became a more "real" person who had to contend with all of the things we all go through--unrequited love, raising children, work and balance, starting over,..... Any mythological status she has would be the fact her death at such a young age came as such a shock. I admire her profoundly for her simple yet highly effective ways of demonstrating to the world AIDS is not something to be shunned and you can shake hands and hug those with leprosy without catching it. Her walks through the landmine fields were equally effective. She later said she had been terrified but she put herself on the line for the causes she cared about. People who knew her or met her or saw the impact she had on the sick and dying said it was remarkable how "terminally ill people would hang on to see her" and "she never disappointed." She had an aura about her, which was quite special and unique, and for someone who often felt hopeless in her own life, she inspired a great deal of hope in others. I don't think we will see anyone like her for a long time.

 

[Sammy]

What a great question, with a HUGE answer!!
I was 14 when she married Charles, and I remember thinking "why would she marry that old guy?" My mother has always collected on the Queen and Princess Margaret, so I guess it was a way to relate to her.
As the years passed I came to admire Diana on her own merits. To me, she is the classic example of the saying "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade" I think Diana made a lot of "lemonade" and shared it with others.

 

[james]

She had so much yet gave so much back. I can't think of anyone in public life who does that now.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I like Diana because it was so easy (effortless, really) to relate to her. Just looking at her, just seeing her, how could anyone not feel that overpowering wave of compassion? As a beauty, she was not perfect, but somehow she was totally amazing, ethereal even. the only person in history who compares to Diana was Jackie. People say, "Oh but Mother Teresa did more, gave up more!" But that is relative! Because MT did not give up HERSELF. Diana was a walking, talking Emotion. Unlike Charles and William, and like Harry, she left herself open and vunerable. That's why I like Diana. because she was real.

 

[tiaraprin]

She had so much yet gave so much back. I can't think of anyone in public life who does that now.

And how soon so many people forget and turn their backs on what she achieved. It makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[princess olga]

One of her major assets, I believe, and totally overlooked and dismissed by the media more often than not, was her intelligence. I think people who like her, sense and understand that this was a person who was so much more than the humble title of her last job before marriage: nanny and kindergarden teacher.

True, she did not have the kind of formal education that is so often confused with real intelligence. But we only need to take one look at her intelligent smile to grok that this was an incredibly smart, street-smart maybe, but smart, charismatic person who understood from the very beginning--even before her engagement-- that if she wanted to accomplish anything within her royal role, she needed the support of the public. And support she got, in spades.

She had a myriad of ways to put people at ease, one of which was being perhaps overly self depricative. This also contributed to perhaps people sometimes thinking she was a bit dim. Which she wasn't.

I think she also genuinely liked people, although the kind of interest in her life became a bit much to bear for her at the end--but that's understandable. I have to say that I lost interest in her a bit after that interview with Bashir, in which she revealed everything and the kitchen sink. (Which I wouldn't have done in her place. that and the fact she said she wanted to be queen of people's hearts. I mean, come on!, what a silly thing to say for a 30-plus year-old professional!)

But besides that comment, in that interview, it was plain for all to view how smart she was: she spoke very very eloquently, and to some that was a bit of a surprise. And now that we have had the opportunity to read some of her correspondence, it again is plain and clear that this was an intelligent, eloquent mind at work. Her writing was just beautiful, she really had a writing style entirely her own.

And of course, it didn't hurt she was tall and pretty, supposedly funny, with a lovely voice, too.

 

[windsor the troll]

Diana was just such a great person.
Even though I never met her I felt as though I knew her. I suppose thats a commonly expressed feeling as she touched the hearts of everyone.

When she died, I told myself that she was in a better place now. With God looking down guiding her two sons through life.

 

[childofgod1982]

Why do you love Diana?
A: Because of her personaly, how she was able to work with everyone very well. She was very resptful towards others. I LOVE HER WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLE. being learning disable it touch my heart. I love her styles of clothes and her hair. I wish I was good at picking out clothes, like her. Lets what else.....um....I like how she like to be call "queen of hearts" because she was one. I still admier her to this day.



When did it begin?
A: In 1996 a year to the day before she die.

Do you think she is a myth?
A: NO I DO NOT THINK SHE IS A MYTH. SHE WAS SOOOO REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Christo's Girl]

I remember being 6 when she married and getting up at 4:30 am to watch with my royalist grandmother(God rest her soul). There was something about her and didn't everyone you know what that wedding? It was the start of an obsession that lasted to the end of her life. She was really looking great at the time of her death. I really do wonder what her plans were. I do not think they included marriage to Dodi.

 

[corazon]

I will posted here and I will have troubles. ha ha. why diana? hmmmm is hard to say.
I was 14 years old when she died, i don't know why but my life change in that moment, I never back to be the same person.
I love diana, noting can change that. She work, the help people, she have troubles, have 2 buatiful sons, and die young, etc etc etc
I want day so many thing about her, but not, some thing are only for myself.
she never will forget, she still is the mother of a future and she will be ever, but she not was another princess in the world, she was the person most photographed in the history. she not was perfect, of course.
for many people she is alive in the heart, her soul is here, with the people that love her.
She was part of monarchy, part of british history, part of the lives the people and instititions she help, i love her because she was a real person, like every of us, she have light.

She have ''angel'' like we said in argentina.
many people does not understand because we love her, and you want that I said the true? I not understand it either ha ha, only love her, is very simple and very comlicated.
she not is a myth, she is real. but in the future I think she will remembered like a myth.
if my post is off of topic, please moderators, delete it.

 

[Regina]

Why do you love Diana?
I like Diana a lot because she was a woman with charisma, kindness and elegance. She was fragile, very unhappy, and rejected by many, but she used all her knowledge about unhappiness to help the Others. She was very pretty, and she had a wonderful style and good taste for cloths. Of course she was not perfect but she is dead now and no matter the mistakes she made she will always be remember as one of the sweetest Princesses Europe had.

When did it begin?
I liked to read about Diana since I was a child. When she came to Portugal I was very little but I remember how much we liked her: funny, elegant, full of life, etc. I just couldn't believe when I knew she was dead. I felt like if I knew her personally.

Do you think she is a myth?
She is a myth. because myths never die. She will always be remember. She had "something" that changed many perople's life. Some call charisma, others call "angel", other call "elán"... I don't know. These kind of persons only appears once in a while, they are special for some reason. Diana was cried by millions all over the world, in all continents, by people of all races and ages, by men and women, children and olders. May she rest in peace, the peace she never had here.

 

[dianafan]

I have loved Diana since she became engaged to Prince Charles in February 1981 I'm 2 years older than Princess Diana and I have seen the wedding on the television and we thought that it was a fairytale the marriage of the century said them on the television! I find Diana a nice princess with an irradiation them a difficult life have had but nevertheless there always came them on top of!How she handled always children was really beautiful see! She was this way a mother kind always made time for them went always loving with william and Harry for, you saw on the burial of its how its children loved her! People were glad if they considered her each time as Charles and Diana on a visit came people called of near always on her her are able see!
She will comfort people and AIDS broke out then there she will visit people and gave them a hand and even kissed them whereas other people had to there fright of touch people with AIDS! I do not say that she is holy Diana was also but people and had errors also its such as everyone!
I hope that they will forget its never and at me them the princess of the hearts and the princess of the people remains! Sorry for my english I hope that you understand me!
I love princess Diana forever!