Remembering Princess Diana

Table Talk


A rebel princess with an empathetic heart, a mix of stubbornness and compassion – Late princess Diana had many facets to her personality. She was the most photographed woman in the 20th century.  Until a tragic car crash took her life in Paris on August 31,1997, English tabloids devoured on her life which provided endless fodder for them ever since her marriage to Prince Charles.

Diana’s life story has been told and re-told a hundred times. But all those tell-alls couldn’t satiate the curiosity of the world in the 80s and 90s, the pre-social media era.

The shy, young princess who got introduced to the world with her fairytale marriage with Prince Charles in 1981, soon became an instant darling of the press. Her iconic coiffure was copied by millions around the world as her life unfurled before them through photographs.

The perfect picture soon began to fall apart when the world came to know about Charles’ long-term extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he later married. The murky details of Diana’s broken marriage were revealed in Andrew Morton’s book – Diana, Her True Story.

The book showed Diana’s life was a far cry from any fairytale;  suicide attempts, postpartum depression and eating disorders… she was just like any other vulnerable person trapped in a loveless marriage.

Soon, the reports regarding her alleged affairs started making headlines, much to the embarrassment of the royal family.

Following her divorce, Diana continued utilising her fame for charity works and awareness programmes. The famous ‘Ottawa Treaty’ – a bill banning the usage of anti-personnel landmines, for which she actively campaigned, came to effect after her death, and she was duly credited for her efforts in making that happen.

Diana was only 36 when that fatal car crash took her life in the wee hours in Paris 18 years back. A few days back, some photographs showed her resting place in Althorp being covered in moss, and surrounded by overgrown vegetation. But the memories of people’s princess still remain fresh in the hearts of millions even today.

A pictorial tribute to the Late princess (Image credit: AP)