LONDON: Diana’s tumultuous 36-year existence still has the attention of people all across the world, from her quiet adolescent engagement to Prince Charles to her roles as devoted mother, philanthropist, and international celebrity.
She appeared young, beautiful, and fun when she wed the heir to the throne in 1981 at the age of 20, capping off what the media portrayed as a picture-perfect union. She also had a very informal vibe.The monarchy was thrown into an ongoing state of instability by the terrible breakdown of her marriage to Charles, with sensational disclosures adorning the tabloids, and she turned to self-harm as a result.
In a rare 1995 interview, she talked openly about her own infidelity and her husband’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. Some members of the British elite were shocked by the interview, which dispelled the mystique surrounding the monarchy and called into question Charles’ ability to rule.
Her reputation has changed in recent years as a result of her sons’ tenacious defence of her memory and use of her alleged press abuse in their own conflicts with media organisations.
“Now she is the blessed figure and they have elevated her as such because they have talked incessantly about how she was chased to her death by the media,” says royal historian and writer Ed Owens.Diana-supportive fictionalised stories have been offered in a recent Hollywood film and the well-liked Netflix series “The Crown,” reigniting interest in her life and fashion.
