Queen of Human Hearts: 10 Facts About Princess Diana

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Entered the ranking of the most popular Britons

In 2002, the BBC conducted a massive public poll to rank the greatest personalities in British history. The Princess of Wales finished third, behind only Winston Churchill and Isambard Brunel. The love of the people for her is difficult to overestimate: during the funeral of Diana, three million Britons took to the streets of London, and more than 2.5 billion people followed the online broadcast.

Been a charity queen

Princess Diana has done an incredible amount for charity. She not only created dozens of funds to help adults and children around the world, but also actively supported cancer patients, starving and homeless people with leprosy, advocated a ban on anti-personnel mines. In 1987, at the opening of England’s first AIDS ward, she took off her gloves and greeted patients. In those days, due to stereotypes, even doctors did not dare to do this. Later, the founder of the National AIDS Trust, admitted that “Diana has done more to help people with HIV than anyone else.” And after the divorce, she sold part of her wardrobe to donate $ 10 million to the fight against AIDS and oncology.

Often broke the rules

Diana was not just called the “Queen of Human Hearts.” Even though she never took the throne, she conquered millions around the world. The princess was radically different from any representative of the royal family: she was open, direct, and repeatedly violated the protocol and rules of the palace. Diana herself chose the names for her children, took her sons to McDonald’s and Disneyland, wore jewelry the wrong way. You can list for a long time – she was a real rebel.

Not afraid to speak the truth

Diana was also distinguished by the fact that she spoke frankly on topics of concern to her. An example of this is the famous interview with Martin Bashir, which produced the effect of an exploding bomb and became one of the main television events of the last century. In 1995, the BBC went on air with the princess, which brought together more than 20 million Britons in front of the screens. She frankly spoke about her husband’s infidelities with Camilla, palace intrigues and her own exhaustion, which brought her marriage to the heir to the throne. As he says in his book Lonely Princess Diana. Love story” publicist, historian and biographer Dmitry Medvedev – she had everything except family happiness.

Suffered from depression and neurosis

Life with the future king did not live up to Diana’s expectations and did not become a beautiful fairy tale. In the palace, she was even called “mentally unstable.” As Diana later admitted in an interview: “I was probably the first in the royal family who ever experienced depression or openly expressed it.” After a bad honeymoon and the realization that Charles was in love with another and she herself was trapped, Diana began to experience bouts of bulimia, paranoia and anxiety. According to rumors, she even made several attempts to commit suicide.

Loved more than just diamonds

Lady Dee was a recognized style icon of her time. She skillfully beat each outfit, decorating it with herself. She had access to the royal family’s jewelry, but Diana loved to spruce up designer suits with jewelry and was a big fan of Butler & Wilson, which is still on the market today. She came to the store every couple of months, then to combine seemingly incongruous things – royal dresses, formal receptions and inexpensive accessories made of faux stones for a couple of dozen pounds.

Since childhood, she was close to the crown

Despite the unofficial title of “People’s Princess” and the work of a nanny in her youth, Diana herself belonged to far from a simple family. Her father is a representative of an ancient titled family: he became the eighth Earl Spencer, and Diana received the title of “lady”. Her grandmother Ruth Fermoy was even closer to the court. Being a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II, she even lived in the royal residence of Clarence House. In addition, the queen was Diana’s godbrother, Charles.

Diana did a lot for the first time

The princess did a lot in defiance of the outdated rules of the palace. For example, she removed the words about submission to her husband from the wedding vow, replacing them with a promise to love and support Charles. Lady Di became the first in the royal family to give birth to an heir in the hospital, chose a wedding ring from a jewelry catalog, sent children to a state kindergarten, and participated with her sons in school sports events. There are many such actions in Diana’s biography: they all brought her closer to the people, but moved her away from the royal family.

knew how to joke

Courtiers and those close to Diana noted that despite frequent bouts of depression and neurosis, she loved jokes and practical jokes. According to her friend James Colthurst: “It was always original, but very kind humor.” And Michael Jackson recalled that during their meeting in 1988 at Wembley Stadium, he told her that he had removed the song Dirty Diana from the repertoire of the concert (“Slutty Diana”). Upon learning of this, the Princess of Wales asked to immediately return the composition to the set list, assuring that it was her favorite song.

Was popular with the press

It is difficult to find a second such person to whom the press and paparazzi would have an equally keen interest. Diana is considered the most photographed woman of the last century. Journalists and photographers have followed her since her engagement to Charles. Their interest did not disappear even after the divorce of the royal couple. At the same time, Diana herself knew how to use the attention of the press to her advantage in order to draw public attention to charity. The paparazzi were her constant companions, including that very night in Paris when Diana’s life was tragically cut short as a result of a car accident.

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