Top Stories
Factbox-Britain’s Princess Diana, who died 25 years ago
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Princess Diana was killed in a car crash 25 years ago, prompting mourning across the world.
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Princess Diana was killed in a car crash 25 years ago, prompting mourning across the world.
Here are some facts about Diana’s life:
* Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, into an aristocratic family, the third of four children of the then Viscount and Viscountess Althorp.
* In 1977 she met Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, at the Althorp stately house.
* On Feb. 1981, her engagement to Charles is announced and on July 29 that year they married in a sumptuous ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, watched around the world. She became the Princess of Wales.
* The couple’s first son William was born on June 21, 1982, and his younger brother Henry – known as Harry – was born on Sept. 15, 1984.
* In 1986, Charles renewed his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a woman he later referred to as “the love of his life”. Diana struggled with eating disorder bulimia as the royal couple continued public duties but led separate private lives.
* In June 1992, “Diana – Her True Story”, by tabloid reporter Andrew Morton, is published with Diana’s secret cooperation. It showed she was trapped in a loveless marriage and had attempted suicide to attract Charles’ attention.
In August that year, newspapers publish excerpts of taped telephone conversation between Diana and James Gilby, who called her “Squidgy” and told her repeatedly that he loved her.
Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of the couple in parliament in December.
* Prince Charles gives a TV interview in 1994 in which he confesses to adultery, saying he had remained true to his marriage vows, “until it became irretrievably broken down, (despite) us both having tried”.
* On Nov. 20, 1995, Diana gave a television interview to the BBC’s Martin Bashir in which she admitted adultery with former army officer James Hewitt.
She famously stated: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded”, a reference to Charles’s relationship with Camilla.
* On Aug. 28, 1996, Charles and Diana divorce, ending their 15-year marriage.
* Diana is killed on Aug. 31, 1997 in a car crash in Paris alongside her lover Dodi al-Fayed. After her funeral, she was buried on an island at Althorp.
* An inquest into her death in 2008 concludes she and al-Fayed were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of her chauffeur Henri Paul and paparazzi photographers pursuing their limousine.
* A 2021 inquiry concludes that journalist Bashir had lied and shown fake bank statements to persuade Diana’s brother Charles Spencer to introduce his sister to him, and the BBC had covered up his deception.
The BBC subsequently makes payments to Diana’s former private secretary and the ex-nanny of Princes William and Harry.
William has said the famous interview should never be aired again and that the deceitful way it was obtained had “substantially influenced” what Diana said.
“The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others,” he said.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
A car crash is an accident involving one or more vehicles that results in damage or injury. It can occur due to various factors such as driver error, weather conditions, or mechanical failure.
An engagement is a formal agreement to marry. It typically involves a proposal and acceptance, often celebrated with a ring and can lead to a wedding.
An inquest is a legal inquiry conducted by a coroner to determine the cause of a person's death, especially in cases of sudden or unexplained deaths.
A divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. It involves the termination of marital duties and responsibilities.
A funeral is a ceremony held in honor of a deceased person, typically involving burial or cremation and often includes rituals, prayers, and memorials.
Explore more articles in the Top Stories category
