Princess Diana Biography "The Queen of Hearts," Diana, Princess of Wales was born Diana Frances Spencer on July, 1961 in Sandringham, England. Born into an aristocratic family with ties to royalty, Diana’s godmother was the niece of the Queen Mother, while her father, the 8th Earl of Spencer, was a direct descendant of England’s King Charles II. Diana’s parents separated when she was six years old, and custody of Diana and her brother was given to their father. As a student, Diana was regarded as below-average, and after graduating from high school she briefly attended a finishing school in Switzerland. The following year, Diana moved into a London flat with other roommates, and began working as a nanny and kindergarten teacher. In 1980, 19-year-old Diana began dating Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she had known for years through her family’s royal connections and who had also previously dated her sister, Lady Sarah. After a brief courtship, the couple were married on July 29, 1981 in one of the most high-profile weddings in history. Wearing a 25-foot train, the visibly shy blushing bride flubbed her vows in front of 3,500 invited guests and approximately 1 billion television viewers around the globe. Less than one year after their wedding, the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed the birth of first son and heir to the throne of England, Prince William of Wales. A second son soon followed, Prince Henry of Wales (called Prince Harry), in 1984. It would not be until many years later that the public would learn of the personal problems which plagued the Princess at this time, including her battles with bulimia and self-harm, which once escalated to throwing herself down the stairs while pregnant with Prince William.
After more than a decade in an unhappy marriage that included highly-publicized affairs on both ends, the Prince and Princess of Wales separated in 1992, and finalized their divorce in 1996. Newly-single and free from the constraints of royal protocol, Diana focused on her charity work, which she first became involved in during the mid-80s. During the late 80s, at a time when many people still believed AIDS to be communicable through physical contact, Diana was photographed visiting AIDS hospices and holding hands with AIDS patients. Her other most notable cause was bringing attention to landmines and the destruction they inflict on innocent victims who lose their limbs and lives. Diana had been involved in a rift with her long time friend, Elton John, but following the murder of Gianni Versace in July 1997 the two were reunited in their grief. On August 31, 1997, the car which Diana and her companion, Dodi al-Fayed, were riding in crashed in a tunnel in Paris, France, while trying to avert the paparazzi. Diana and al-Fayed were both killed in the crash, and Diana’s September 1997 funeral broadcast was watched by over 1 billion people around the globe, drawing as many viewers as her wedding to Prince Charles.She was buried with a set of rosary beads in her hands, a gift she received from Mother Teresa. French investigators and British officials determined that the driver of the vehicle, Henri Paul, was drunk and on drugs at the time of the fatal crash; however conspiracy theories abound to this day, and have led French authorities to re-open the investigation. Diana's legacy of charity lives on through the establishment of the Diana Memorial Award, as well as through her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who are the Patrons of several charities. Let us know of changes to the Princess Diana biography at editor@yuddy.com |
