Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961 at Park House in Sandringham, a rental property of her parents. In her childhood, she would sometimes play with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward who were of similar age. Furthermore, Diana had two older sisters named Sarah and Jane, along with a younger brother named Charles.
In 1969, Diana’s parents divorced when she was six years old. Her father gained custody and in 1975 became the eighth Earl Spencer, making Diana a Lady. As a result, Diana and her siblings moved to Althorp in Northampton, which was where the Spencer family lived.
Despite attending private boarding schools, Diana did not excel academically but excelled in sports, particularly swimming, earning numerous trophies. Her ambition to become a ballerina was hindered by her height of 5’10”. Upon completing school in 1978, she took on various occupations such as being a nanny, waitress, and cleaning woman. Eventually, Diana found her true calling as a teacher at the Young England kindergarten situated in Pimlico, London.
In 1980, Lady Di’s relationship with the Prince of Wales began. The prince, who was 12 years older than Diana and had previously been involved with her sister Sarah, gained significant media attention. Reporters relentlessly followed “Lady Di” and even staked out her apartment, which overwhelmed Diana.
Diana and Charles married at St Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981. Their wedding was broadcast in 74 countries and watched by a remarkable 750 million viewers worldwide. Interestingly, Diana became the first English woman in over three hundred years to marry a future monarch of England.
The Archbishop of Canterbury declared at the ceremony, “This is the material from which fairy tales are made.” However, Diana had already realized that the fairy tale was not real. Prince Charles still had feelings for his previous lover, Camilla Parker-Bowles. Princess Diana later said, “Our marriage was a trio.” Distressed, Diana developed bulimia and attempted suicide. Despite her struggles, she remained dedicated as a mother to her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. She worked tirelessly for charitable causes and was loved by the public for her kindness and generosity.
Princess Diana and author Andrew Morton secretly worked together on the publication of his book titled Diana, Her True Story in 1992. The main objective of the book was to unveil the reality behind her relationship with Prince Charles. Nevertheless, it was only after her passing that the public became aware of her involvement in the creation of this literary work.
The Prince and Princess of Wales announced their separation on December 9, 1992. The divorce was finalized on August 28, 1996. Even after the divorce, Princess Diana continued to hold the title of Princess of Wales and remained committed to various charitable organizations. Both she and Prince Charles shared custody of their sons.
In 1997, Princess Diana and Emad “Dodi” Fayed, the son of billionaire businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, were in a romantic relationship. However, their love story came to a tragic end on August 31, 1997 when they both lost their lives in a car accident in Paris. The accident occurred while they were trying to escape from paparazzi who were relentlessly pursuing them. This sudden and unfortunate event deeply saddened the world and resulted in an unprecedented outpouring of grief and affection for Princess Diana.
During her funeral, Diana’s brother delivered a moving tribute where he eloquently portrayed her as an extraordinary and irreplaceable individual. He emphasized her unique and intricate beauty that will forever remain etched in our memories.
