Who are Princess Diana's children? Diana, Princess of Wales. London and adult life

Diana Frances Spencerborn in Norfolk, England

1967

Diana's parents divorced. Diana initially lived with her mother, and then her father sued and received custody.

1969

Diana's mother married Peter Shand Kydd.

1970

After being educated by teachers, Diana was sent to Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk, a boarding school

1972

Diana's father began a relationship with Raine Legge, Countess of Dartmouth, whose mother was Barbara Cartland, a novelist

1973

Diana began her education at West Heath Girls School in Kent, an exclusive boarding school for girls.

1974

Diana moved to the Spencer family estate in Althorp

1975

Diana's father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, and Diana received the title of Lady Diana

1976

Diana's father married Raine Legge

1977

Diana left West Girls Heath School; her father sent her to the Swiss physical education school, Chateau d'Oex, but she only studied there for a few months

1977

Prince Charles and Diana met in November when he was dating her sister, Lady Sarah. Diana taught him to dance

1979

Diana moved to London, where she worked as a housekeeper, nanny and assistant kindergarten teacher; she lived with three other girls in a three-room apartment bought by her father

1980

While visiting her sister Jane, who was married to Robert Fellows, the Queen's assistant secretary, Diana and Charles met again; Charles soon asked Diana on a date, and in November he introduced her to severalmembers of the royal family: queen, queen mother and the Duke of Edinburgh (his mother, grandmother and father)

Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana Spencer during dinner at Buckingham Palace

Lady Diana went on a previously planned holiday in Australia

Wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales, in St. Paul's Cathedral; television broadcast

October 1981

The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Wales

Official announcement that Diana is pregnant

Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis) born

Prince Harry (Henry Charles Albert David) born

1986

Disagreements in the marriage became obvious to the public, Diana begins a relationship with James Hewitt

Diana's father died

Publication of Morton's bookDiana: Her True Story" , including the story of Charles's long affair withCamilla Parker Bowlesand allegations of five suicide attempts, including sometime during Diana's first pregnancy; It was later revealed that Diana, or at least her family, collaborated with the author; her father contributed many family photographs

Official announcement of the legal separation of Diana and Charles

Announcement from Diana that she is retiring from public life

1994

Prince Charles, interviewed by Jonathan Dimbleby, admitted that he had been in a relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles since 1986 (later revealed to have started earlier) - to a British television audience of 14 million.

Martin Bashir's BBC interview with Princess Diana was watched by 21.1 million viewers in Britain. Diana talked about her struggles with depression, bulimia and self-deprecation. In this interview, Diana said her famous line: "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," referring to her husband's relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles

Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had written to the Prince and Princess of Wales, with the support of the Prime Minister and a secret lawyer, advising them to get a divorce.

Princess Diana said she agreed to divorce

July 1996

Diana and Charles agreed to divorce

Divorce of Diana, Princess of Wales and Charles, Prince of Wales. Diana received approximately $23 million plus $600,000 per year, retained the title "Princess of Wales" but not the title "Her Royal Highness" and continued to live at Kensington Palace; the agreement was that both parents were to be actively involved in their children's lives

Late 1996

Diana became involved in the problem of landmines

Biography, life story of Princess Diana of Wales

Diana Frances Spencer is the first wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles of Wales.

Childhood

Diana was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk on the private estate of the Windsor dynasty Sandringham. The girl's father, John Spencer, was Viscount Elthropa, a member of the Spencer-Churchill family (the same family included the Duke of Marlborough and). Diana's paternal ancestors came from royal families through the illegitimate son of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of James II. Frances Rood, Diana's mother, was also from an aristocratic family.

Little Diana spent her childhood years in her native Sandringham Palace. There the girl received her primary education at home. The first grains of knowledge were laid in her by the experienced governess Gertrude Allen, who at one time taught Diana’s mother. A little later, Diana entered Silfield private school, and then Riddlesworth Hall preparatory school.

In 1969, Diana's parents divorced. The girl remained to live with her father in her home. Diana's sisters and brother remained with them. The eight-year-old girl was very upset about the separation of those closest to her. Soon John Spencer married for the second time. The new stepmother did not like the children. Living in her own family was becoming harder and harder for Diana every day.

When Diana was twelve years old, she was accepted into a privileged school for girls in Kent. Alas, Diana was unable to cope with her studies; she was never able to finish school. However, teachers noted her unconditional talent for music and dancing.

In 1975, Diana's grandfather, John's father, died. John Spencer automatically became the eighth Earl of Spencer, and Diana herself received the title of Lady. At the same time, the whole family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House (Nottroughtonshire).

Youth

In 1977, Diana entered school in Rougemont (Switzerland). Soon the girl began to feel very homesick. As a result, in 1978, she decided to return to her native England. At first, Diana lived in the London apartment of her mother, who at that time spent most of her time in Scotland. Two years later, in honor of her eighteenth birthday, Diana received an apartment in Earls Court as a gift. There she lived for some time with three friends. To earn her living, the hardworking Lady Diana worked as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten (Pimlico, central London). Dina adored children, so work was a joy for her.

CONTINUED BELOW

Diana met her future husband in the winter of 1977. At that time, Prince Charles came to Althrop to hunt. Diana took a liking to the noble young man at first sight.

On July 29, 1981, Diana and Charles were married at St. Paul's Cathedral (London). Diana looked simply magical - her lush silk taffeta dress with huge sleeves, a deep neckline and a long train, decorated with hand embroidery, pearls and rhinestones, became one of the most famous outfits in history. The image of the happy bride was completed by an incomparable tiara, an heirloom from Diana’s family. Three and a half thousand guests were invited to the wedding ceremony, and seven hundred and fifty million people watched the wedding process live.

In 1982, Diana gave birth to a son. The firstborn was named. Two years later, another child appeared in the family - a son.

In the early 1990s, the relationship between Diana and Charles became cold. The rift between the spouses arose due to Prince Charles's intimate relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a married woman whom Charles dated before his wedding to Diana. Diana herself, a prominent and attractive woman, kept in touch for some time with James Hewitt, her own riding instructor. As a result, in 1992, Diana and Charles separated, but decided not to file a divorce. The queen insisted on an official break. In 1996, Diana and Charles signed all the necessary documents.

In 1997, information appeared in the press that Lady Diana began a whirlwind romance with Dodi Al-Fayed, a successful film producer and the son of an Egyptian billionaire. However, neither Diana herself nor her close friends confirmed this fact. It is likely that these were just rumors without any basis.

Social activity

It was not for nothing that Lady Diana was called the “Queen of Hearts” - the woman was famous for her tender attitude towards the people, her care for those who were much less fortunate in this life than herself. Thus, Diana was quite actively involved in charity work, was an activist in the fight against AIDS, was engaged in peacekeeping activities and opposed the production of anti-personnel mines.

In 1995, Princess Diana of Wales visited Moscow. On June fifteenth of that year, Diana visited the Tushino Children's Hospital. Diana donated expensive equipment to the medical institution. The next day, Diana went to primary school No. 751, where a kind-hearted British aristocrat opened a branch of the Waverly House fund for helping disabled children.

Awards and prizes

Princess Diana of Wales was awarded the Queen's Royal Family Order.

In 1982, Diana received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown in the Netherlands. That same year, in Egypt, the princess was awarded a special class of the Order of Virtue.

Death of Princess Diana

On August 31, 1997, Diana, Dodi al-Fayed, Trevor Rhys Jones (bodyguard) and Henri Paul (driver) were involved in a car accident in a tunnel under the Alma Bridge (Seine embankment, Paris). Dodi and Henri died on the spot. Diana was taken to the Salpêtrière hospital. For two hours, doctors fought for the life of the “queen of hearts,” but the injuries she received turned out to be incompatible with life. Lady Diana died in her hospital bed. Trevor Rhys Jones managed to survive, but his face had to be reconstructed.

The cause of the accident is still unknown. Trevor was unable to reconstruct the chain of events. Journalists put forward several versions of the disaster: Henri Paul's drunkenness, speeding in the hope of breaking away from the paparazzi, and a conspiracy theory against Diana.

In 2007, former Scotland Yard commissioner Lord John Stevens published his report, which stated that alcohol was indeed found in the driver's blood, the car was moving at speeds exceeding the permitted speed, and the passengers were not wearing seat belts. All this together led to the accident.

Princess Diana of Wales was buried on September 6 at Elthrop Estate, Northamptonshire.

Lady Diana and her influence on culture

Many books have been written about Diana in different languages.

In 1986, the British rock band Depeche Mode included the song New Dress in their album, which talks about the too close attention of reporters to Diana’s personal life.

In 1997, the Soviet and Russian rock group "

Princess Diana can rightfully be considered the star of the British monarchy. Neither before nor after her, no one from the royal family was as loved and adored by the subjects of the “crown” as she was. Her life still arouses great interest among the media and ordinary people, although a lot of time has passed since the death of the princess.

What do we know about Diana?

Née Spencer was born in the summer of July 1, 1961 in Norfolk. Diana Frances had a noble origin. Her mother and father were viscounts and also maintained close ties to the English royal family.

Diana's father John was from the same family line as Churchill, as well as the Duke of Marlborough. All of them came from the Spencer-Churchill family. The father of the future princess himself was Viscount Elthorp.

Only through the illegitimate, but also recognized sons of King Charles II, Diana carried part of the “royal blood”. As a child, the future princess lived in Sandringham. The Viscount's daughter completed the first educational stage at home.

The girl's parents then taught her at a private school near King's Line. A little later, after failures in her studies, she entered Riddlesworth Hall School. At the age of eight, Diana experienced her parents' divorce. She, her half-sisters and brother remained to live with their father. Diana's father quickly got a new wife, but she was unable to establish contact with the children, so she played the role of an evil stepmother in their fate.

In 1975, Diana officially received the title "lady". This event was overshadowed by the death of her grandfather. At the age of twelve, Diana Francis was sent to West Hill School. She studied poorly; only Diana’s musical abilities aroused admiration.

In addition to her favorite music, Diana was fond of dancing. She loved these two activities and excelled in her creative field..

In 1978, the girl moved to live in London. She had her own home there. Being very young, Diana loved to tinker with kids, so she got a job looking after children at the Young England kindergarten as a teacher’s assistant.

How did the lady meet the prince?

The first meeting of the future princess of Britain with Prince Charles took place when she was only 16 years old. In 1977, the prince came to her father's estate to play polo.

After a short courtship, Charles invited Diana to the royal yacht. At the beginning of 1980, Diana had the honor of meeting the royal family at the family castle, Balmoral.

The press immediately drew attention to the Prince of Wales's genuine interest in the young lady. Although the engagement of the young people was kept secret, all the details of their meetings, which the media could find out, were savored by journalists from different sides almost every day.

Under such pressure, Prince Charles made a hasty proposal to Diana. This happened on February 6, 1981. Diana was then the first Englishwoman to later become a royal bride, and she was also the first bride to have a paid position before becoming a princess.

Before the wedding, the girl settled in Buckingham Palace with the Queen Mother. The Queen herself presented Diana with an elegant and intricate sapphire brooch as a sign of her affection.

Wedding celebration

The wedding of Diana and the Prince of Wales took place on July 29, 1981. The day was chosen taking into account weather conditions so that nothing could overshadow the grand celebration. The wedding ceremony took place in St. Paul's Cathedral. Why not in Westminster Abbey, which is generally accepted for monarchs and nobility? There were simply more places for guests in this cathedral. The church, of course, was not as pretentious as the abbey, but it also captivated with its surroundings and beauty.

So Lady Diana and the future queen of the hearts of her subjects became the Princess of Wales. The festive ceremony was shown by all world media. The broadcast was watched by approximately 700 thousand television viewers. Another approximately 650 thousand spectators waited for the couple on the street to enjoy the spectacle of the wedding procession.

The girl's wedding dress cost about 10 thousand pounds. The full length of her veil was also impressive, measuring 7.5 meters.

Fate after the wedding

The question of whether Charles truly loved Princess Diana remains open to this day. After the wedding, Lady Diana quit her job at the kindergarten and began her direct duties as Princess of Wales.

She visited kindergartens, schools, and charity events. Diana was very active in charity work. Helped those in need and supported AIDS patients. Its popularity among British citizens grew at a tremendous speed. Diana was literally considered an angel of mercy in the flesh. People began to call her our “Lady Di,” thereby showing special affection for her and her activities.

Every appearance, every trip abroad attracted a lot of attention to Charles’s wife. Diana very quickly became a trendsetter, managing to bring a little glamor to the strict royal dress code.

Diana loved to be in the company of children and ordinary people; she spoke openly about the problems of modern society, which earned herself even greater fame.

The princess could easily go for tea to establishments that she supported through her charitable activities. It was Diana who put an end to prejudices about AIDS patients by publicly shaking the hand of one person infected with the disease.

During her career as Charles's wife, Lady Di received the following awards:

• Order of Queen Elizabeth II;
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Crown;
• Egyptian Order of Virtue.

The princess had many more unofficial awards.

Unfulfilled dreams of happiness

The birth of Charles and Lady Di's first son, William, occurred on June 21, 1982. Then, on September 15, 1984, the couple's second son, Henry, was born. Diana always dreamed of a big family.

From the very beginning, the Princess of Wales insisted on a completely normal upbringing for her sons. At her insistence, they were sent to simple kindergartens, then attended an average English school.

After the birth of Prince Henry, known today as Harry, Diana and Charles' marriage began to crack. It is known that before the wedding, Charles told his friend that he did not love Diana yet, but perhaps he would be able to love her in the future.

Apparently, Charles, who was 13 years older than her, failed to fall in love with the girl. Then the couple began to live separately. After this event, Andrew Morton’s book “Diana: Her True Story” was published. The manuscript was published with the consent of the princess herself and with the participation of her friends.

This is how the world learned about Lady Di’s suicide attempts, about her experiences, loneliness, and also about the fact that she struggled with bulimia for many years. This book provided evidence that Charles was still interested in his former girlfriend Camilla Parker. This hurt the Princess of Wales, and ultimately led to the couple's divorce.

The Prince and Princess of Wales officially divorced in 1996.

The couple's divorce turned into a confrontation when Diana gave a frank interview to the BBC channel. In it, she sincerely spoke about how Charles never wanted to be king and about how difficult it was for her to live in the royal family. After the divorce, Diana devoted a lot of time to her children. She appeared with them at all social events.

Diana Spencer always said that she wanted to become a queen, but she did not want the English throne, but wanted to be the queen of people's hearts. Her reputation after the divorce was slightly damaged by information about affairs with other men. So Officer Hewitt vilely made his relationship with the princess public by writing a book about it.

When the divorce proceedings ended, the princess switched from direct charitable activities to other work. She put all her dresses up for auction. The proceeds from the sale amounted to more than £3.5 million. Diana also visited her sick mother Teresa. After the divorce, the media tirelessly followed Lady Di's activities, discussing her every step and every decision she made.

Divorce: before and after

Formally, the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles broke up much earlier than the divorce proceedings began. Evil tongues said that even after marrying Diana, Charles did not end his relationship with his former girlfriend Camilla.

And Diana herself soon began an affair with cardiac surgeon Hasnat Khan. There is information that they really loved each other, but could not withstand public pressure and broke up. In addition, Khan’s parents were also against this relationship. Diana and Hasnat tried to save their relationship by leaving for Pakistan, but nothing worked out for the lovers there either.

Diana Frances Spencer's next relationship was the last in her life. So she was credited with an affair with Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed. The couple was allegedly even seen on the same yacht. But it was never possible to confirm this connection with indisputable facts.

Cause of death of Princess Diana

The Princess of Wales died from injuries acquired in a car accident on August 31, 1997. Diana was traveling in the car with her bodyguard and her “tabloid” lover Dodi al-Fayed. Everyone who was driving around Paris in that ill-fated car, except for the bodyguard, died.

Even after a lengthy investigation, the police were unable to convincingly explain why the car accident occurred..

The disaster occurred when the driver attempted to break away from reporters on motorcycles pursuing Diana. In the tunnel, he lost control, and according to one version, a collision occurred.

Princess Diana was hospitalized, but she died after two hours in the hospital. Trevor Rea Jones (Lady Di's bodyguard), having recovered from his injuries, claimed to remember nothing about the accident. After the incident, his face had to be restored almost completely using plastic surgery. The fatal scene took place in a tunnel under the Parisian Pont Alma. Diana's car collided with a concrete support.

At the age of 36, the people's favorite Lady Di passed away. A wave of grief swept across Britain and France. Memorials were erected in honor of the princess, to which people laid flowers.

The princess was buried in her native Elthorp on a secluded island. Versions of her death excited the hearts and minds of people for a long time. Some believed that Diana's death was a direct consequence of a conspiracy against her. Others blamed it on the paparazzi who followed the princess. Scotland Yard also published its version, which said that the driver's blood alcohol was three times the limit, and the speed in the tunnel was also greatly exceeded.

Many songs and poems were written in memory of Diana. Elton John and Michael Jackson also dedicated their works to her. 10 years after the accident, a film was made about Princess Diana and the last hours of her life. In addition, today stamps with her image are issued in many countries. According to inexorable statistics, Princess Diana has broken all records of popularity among British monarchs. She remained in the hearts of people as their true unofficial queen.

Princess Diana as a child

Diana was born in Norfolk on the private estate of the Windsor dynasty, Sandringham. Diana's ancestors through her father John Spencer came from royal families through the illegitimate son of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of James II. Frances Rood, Diana's mother, was also from an aristocratic family. Diana spent her childhood in her native Sandringham Palace. There the girl received her primary education at home.

Little Diana. (pinterest.com)

Diana in childhood. (pinterest.com)

Her governess was Gertrude Allen, who had previously taught Diana's mother. A little later, the girl entered Silfield private school, and then Riddlesworth Hall preparatory school.

Diana as a teenager. (pinterest.com)

In 1969, Diana's parents divorced. The girl remained to live with her father in her home. Diana's sisters and brother remained with them. The eight-year-old girl was very upset about the separation of those closest to her. Soon John Spencer married for the second time. The new stepmother did not like the children. Living in her own family was becoming increasingly difficult for Diana.

The Spencer Family, 1975. (pinterest.com)

When Diana was 12 years old, she was accepted into a privileged school for girls in Kent. Alas, Diana was unable to cope with her studies; she was never able to finish school. However, teachers noted her unconditional talent for music and dancing.

School years. (pinterest.com)

In 1975, Diana's grandfather, John's father, died. John Spencer automatically became the eighth Earl of Spencer, and Diana herself received the title of Lady. At the same time, the whole family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House (Nottroughtonshire).

Youth

In 1977, Diana entered school in Rougemont (Switzerland). Soon the girl began to feel very homesick. As a result, in 1978, she decided to return to her native England.

Young Diana. (pinterest.com)

With a pony. (pinterest.com)

At first, Diana lived in the London apartment of her mother, who then mainly lived in Scotland. Two years later, in honor of her 18th birthday, Diana received an apartment in Earls Court as a gift. There she lived for some time with three friends.

Diana decided to find a job and got a job as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten in central London. Diana adored children, so work was a joy for her.

Princess Diana and Charles

Diana met her future husband in the winter of 1977. At that time, Prince Charles came to Althrop to hunt. Diana took a liking to the noble young man at first sight.

On July 29, 1981, Diana and Charles married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. A lush silk taffeta wedding dress with huge sleeves, a deep neckline and a long train, decorated with hand embroidery, pearls and rhinestones, has become one of the most famous dresses in history.

Charles and Diana on their wedding day. (pinterest.com)

3.5 thousand guests were invited to the ceremony, and 750 million people watched the wedding process live.

During the honeymoon, 1981. (pinterest.com)

In Scotland, 1981. (pinterest.com)

In 1982, Diana gave birth to a son, William. Two years later, another child appeared in the family - son Harry.

Family photo. (pinterest.com)

Diana and Charles with children. (pinterest.com)

Diana with children. (pinterest.com)

Princess Diana and Dodie

In the early 1990s, the relationship between Diana and Charles became cold. The discord between the spouses occurred due to Charles's intimate relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a married woman whom the prince dated before the wedding.

Diana herself kept in touch for some time with James Hewitt, her riding instructor. As a result, in 1992, Diana and Charles separated, but decided not to file a divorce. Queen Elizabeth II insisted on an official break. In 1996, Diana and Charles signed all the necessary documents.

In 1997, information appeared in the press that Lady Diana began a whirlwind romance with Dodi Al-Fayed, a successful film producer and son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Diana and Dodi. (pinterest.com)

However, neither Diana herself nor her close friends confirmed this fact. It is likely that these were rumors.

Social activity

Lady Diana was called the “queen of hearts” - the woman was famous for her tender attitude towards the people, her care for those who were much less fortunate in this life than herself. Thus, Diana was quite actively involved in charity work, was an activist in the fight against AIDS, was engaged in peacekeeping activities and opposed the production of anti-personnel mines.

Princess in Moscow, 1995. (pinterest.com)

In 1995, Princess Diana of Wales visited Moscow. She visited the Tushino Children's Hospital and donated expensive equipment. The next day, Diana went to primary school No. 751, where she opened a branch of the Waverly House fund for helping disabled children.

Death of Princess Diana

On August 31, 1997, in a tunnel under the Pont Alma in Paris, Diana, Dodi Al-Fayed, Trevor Rhys Jones (bodyguard) and Henri Paul (driver) were involved in a car accident.

Dodi and Henri died on the spot. Diana was taken to the Salpêtrière hospital. For two hours, doctors fought for the life of the princess, but the injuries she received turned out to be incompatible with life.

The cause of the accident is still unknown. Trevor was unable to reconstruct the chain of events. Journalists put forward several versions of the disaster: Henri Paul's drunkenness, speeding in the hope of breaking away from the paparazzi, and a conspiracy theory against Diana.

LONDON, August 31st. /Corr. TASS Igor Brovarnik/. Thursday marks 20 years since Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997), died in a car accident. As a representative of Buckingham Palace told TASS, members of the British royal family, including its head Queen Elizabeth II, do not plan to take part in any official commemorative events on the occasion of this tragic anniversary.

“No official events related to the anniversary of the princess’s death are planned with the participation of members of the royal family. The royal family will spend this day privately,” Buckingham Palace reported.

However, Diana's sons, Princes William and Harry, paid tribute to their mother on Wednesday at the memorial White Garden near Kensington Palace, which was Diana's official residence until her death. The princes got acquainted with the composition of the garden, consisting of white flowers - tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as palm trees planted around the perimeter of a rectangular pond.

At the same time, fans of the people's princess, this is exactly how Diana remained in the memory of millions of Britons, despite the rainy weather in London, began to bring photographs of her and flowers to the gates of Kensington Palace, as was the case 20 years ago.

Then the people of the United Kingdom saw her off on her last journey as a national hero. More than 1 million people took to the streets of London to watch her funeral cortege, while half the country's population - more than 32 million people - watched the funeral broadcast on television.

Symbol of the era

Diana is rightfully considered one of the symbols of the late 20th century. A philanthropist, philanthropist and style icon, she charmed many people with her warmth, while straightforwardness was always her hallmark.

The princess was an active participant in the fight against AIDS, visiting HIV-infected people in hospitals, convincing the public that people with such a diagnosis should not be outcasts.

Diana was not afraid to shake their hands, although at that time there were many myths about this virus, and she also did not shy away from lepers. She opposed the proliferation of anti-personnel mines, which often harm civilians.

"TASS/Reuters"

The People's Princess managed to visit Russia in June 1995, visiting the Tushino Children's Hospital in Moscow, to which she donated medical equipment as part of her charitable donation. During her visit to the British Embassy in the Russian capital, she was awarded the International Leonardo Prize, which has been awarded to philanthropists and organizers of activities in the humanitarian field since 1992.

Without a doubt, Diana managed to change the old-fashioned appearance of the British monarchy and become the “queen of people’s hearts,” as she is still called in her homeland.

How did the princess die?

Princess Diana was the wife of Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, from 1981 to 1996, but the couple began to live separately in 1992.

Diana died in a car accident on the night of August 31, 1997 in Paris, in a tunnel under the Pont Alma. The driver of the car, Henri Paul, in which the princess was traveling, tried to break away from the paparazzi, and when entering the tunnel at a speed of 105 km/h, he lost control and collided with a column dividing the flow of traffic.

The victims of the tragedy were the princess herself, her lover Dodi al-Fayed and the driver. Only bodyguard Trevor Rhys-Jones survived the car accident. Dodi's father, Egyptian billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed, claimed that the accident was organized by British intelligence services at the direction of the royal family. In 2008, a British court rejected these accusations.

Was it an accident

British security specialist Alan McGregor earlier in an interview with The Sun newspaper suggested that the death of the Princess of Wales could not have been a tragic accident, but a planned murder, the preparation of which could have taken six months.

McGregor, who collaborated with the Saudi intelligence services, was dissatisfied with the security measures at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, where Diana was staying with Dodi al-Fayed shortly before her death. "I saw so many security breaches in that hotel and a number of other strange things, so it was bound to happen sooner or later," he said.

“You could say that all the elements that led to her death were just a tragic coincidence, but part of me believes that the preparation process [of the murder] could have taken six months,” said a British ex-secretary officer.

McGregor wondered why such an important and high-status person as Princess Diana was entrusted to be driven by a chauffeur who worked at the hotel. “It had to be a specially trained driver or a security agent,” he stressed, also pointing out that the Mercedes in which the couple was supposed to leave was driven from a public hotel parking lot in violation of safety precautions.

“Diana often said that she feared for her life, and no one even asked why,” McGregor recalled.

Diana's last words

Former emergency services employee Xavier Gourmelon, who was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the accident, said in his first interview with the press that Diana was conscious for some time and could speak after the car accident. “We were very close and it took us less than three minutes to get to the accident site,” Gourmelon, 50, recalled.

"She was moving a little and I could see that she was alive. I saw that she had a minor bruise on her right shoulder, but other than that there was nothing significant. There was no blood at all," he said in an interview The Sun.

Gourmelon told what happened after Diana was removed from the mangled Mercedes.

"I held her hand and told her to stay calm and not move. She said: 'Oh my God, what happened?' I gave her some oxygen, me and my team were with her after she was taken out of the car "It happened very quickly because we didn't have to cut the deformed body of the car," he noted.

After some time, 36-year-old Diana stopped breathing. “We are all trained in first aid, I saw that she had a cardiac arrest and she stopped breathing. I gave her a cardiac massage and after a few seconds she was breathing again,” the former rescuer shared his memories.

“To be honest, I thought she would live,” he said. “As far as I know, when Diana was in the ambulance, she was alive, and I hoped that she would live. But later I found out that she died in the hospital".

"I know now that she had serious internal injuries, but the whole episode is still in my head. And the memories of that night will remain with me forever. I had no idea at the time that it was Princess Diana. I found out about it “When they put her in the ambulance, one of the paramedics told me that it was her,” added Gourmelon, who took part as a witness in the investigation into the circumstances of the princess’s death in 2007.