This weekend I suddenly realized that today it has been 19 years ago that Diana, Princess of Wales died in that carcrash in Paris, on August 31, 1997.
She was not a saint and made mistakes, but she was also a kind and generous woman, who did much to reach out to people. People with AIDS, the homeless, people who lost loved ones and others.
She also was very brave when she addressed the problem of landmines.
I think she changed the idea of the British monarchy and also how the monarchy operates, her influence here can still be seen today.
She was a truely beautiful and remarkable woman.
I can remember this very well - also the amazing 'mass grief' that her death brought about. It was an astounding phenomenon that I hadn't seen before - it was like the world stood still for a while. I do agree with your analysis - neither was she perfect nor was she a saint, but she used her popularity for a lot of good causes. The impact that her death (and the people's reaction) had on how the British monarchy operates is clearly undeniable. In the unlikely case you haven't seen it, I can definitely recommend the film 'The Queen', starring the fabulous Helen Mirren - it's a real eye-opener, and Mirren is superb in this role (as in most other roles I've seen her...) :-)
ReplyDeleteI still know where I was when I heard the news and how I immediately called my parents (even though it was only 7.30 am).
DeleteWe were all glued to the television and the outpour of grief was also felt in our country. Never saw anything like it and never will again, I think.
The queen is an excellent film, and Helen Mirren is absolutely amazing!!
Kind regards,
She was an amazing person. I remember staying up late when I was little to watch her wedding; and getting up very early nineteen years ago to watch her funeral. I wish she'd lived long enough to see her two darling grandchildren; she would have loved them so much.
ReplyDeleteI also remember seeing her on television when I was very young when they married. And I think the whole Netherlands were glued to the television in the days before the funeral.
DeleteI think she would have adored her two grandchildren and I love that one of princess Charlotte's name is Diana.
Kind regards,