

The death of Princess Diana was immediately followed by an unprecedented outpouring of grief from all over the world.

He recovered and returned to England, where he works in a family business and has published a book on his experiences with Diana. The bodyguard, Rees-Jones, survived, despite suffering significant injuries. Diana was taken to Paris’ La Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, but several hours later, at 4 a.m., she died as a result of injuries she sustained in the crash, including a severed pulmonary vein. They were less than two miles from the Ritz Hotel.Īl-Fayed and Paul died at the scene. Investigators later estimated that the car may have been traveling in excess of 60 miles per hour.Īt 12:19 a.m., the Mercedes carrying the couple, Paul and Rees-Jones, crashed into the 13th pillar of the Pont d’Alma Bridge, which traverses the River Seine.
#CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES DIED DRIVER#
They had planned to have a quiet, romantic meal at the hotel’s restaurant-Al-Fayed had reportedly purchased a ring for Diana earlier in the day-but they had to leave after 10 minutes because they were being disturbed by the press and other patrons.Īt 11:30 that night, as they left the hotel to return to Al-Fayed’s Paris apartment, they were hounded by paparazzi, despite the fact that significant security precautions had been taken, including the use of a decoy vehicle, which left from the front of the hotel.ĭiana and Al-Fayed left the hotel using a rear entrance, with French driver Henri Paul and one of the Princess’ bodyguards, Trevor Rees-Jones.ĭriving a Mercedes S-280 limousine, Paul took Rees-Jones, Diana and Al-Fayed on a high-speed trip through the boulevards and narrow streets of central Paris. On the evening of August 31, 1997, Diana and Al-Fayed were dining privately in the Imperial Suite at Paris’ famous Ritz Hotel. The couple’s relationship quickly became the subject of tabloid fodder, and they were routinely harassed by the paparazzi wherever they went. Dodi is perhaps best known as the producer of the film Chariots of Fire. She famously shook the hands of a patient with AIDS, in front of the media, without wearing gloves, dispelling the notion that the disease is transmitted via touch.Īfter her divorce from Prince Charles was finalized, Diana’s relationship with Egyptian filmmaker Dodi Al-Fayed, the son of a billionaire and former owner of London’s iconic Harrod’s department store and the city’s soccer team Fulham F.C. She also advocated for AIDS-related causes (she was the guest of honor at the opening of the United Kingdom’s first dedicated HIV/AIDS unit in 1987), and she is credited with helping to change the public’s perception of those who suffer from the disease. As a former teacher, she was a lifelong advocate for children and supported efforts to abolish the use of land mines. She was also admired because she used her fame to raise public awareness-and charitable funds-for issues that mattered to her. Princess Diana’s Humanitarian Causesĭiana, who had developed an interest in music and fashion as a child, quickly became a global icon of popular culture as she developed relationships with a number of entertainment personalities, including singers George Michael and Elton John. In 1992, they announced their separation, and they divorced officially in 1996.

Their marriage, however, was an unhappy one marked by extramarital affairs. Prince Charles and Princess Diana had two sons-Prince William in 1982 and Prince Henry (Harry) in 1984. With the wedding, Diana was granted the title of Princess of Wales, as Charles’ official royal title is the Prince of Wales. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. The courtship of Charles and Diana lasted several years before they were married at St. In the capital, she initially worked as a nanny before taking a job as a kindergarten teacher at the Young England School. (Charles was 13 years older than Diana.)Īlthough she lost touch with him as a result of spending much of her youth attending prestigious boarding schools, Diana became re-acquainted with Prince Charles after moving to London to live and work in 1978. During Diana’s time as a child on the estate, she may have played with Charles’ younger brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Her family rented Park House, an estate owned by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles’ mother. The title has been awarded since 1765, as the Spencers have been wealthy landowners in England for centuries. In 1975, when Diana was 14, her father inherited the title of Earl from his own father, who passed away that year. Her parents were divorced in 1969, when she was eight, and her father won sole custody. At the time of her birth, in Britain’s peerage system, her father held the title of Viscount Althorp. Lady Diana Spencer: From Teacher to Princessĭiana was born on July 1, 1961, to Edward John Spencer and his wife Frances.
