The 20th century was a century of great change and one where a lot of monarchies fell. The monarchic system had a hard time keeping up with the 20th century political panorama and it had a huge downfall because of the Great War. Not all monarchies fell though and one of the most influential in this century and even world history is the British Crown.
Diana, princess of Wales, mostly known as Princess Diana, was a member of the British royal family. She was prince Charles’ first wife and had two sons: prince William and prince Harry. Diana undertook royal duties on behalf of the Queen and represented her at functions across the Commonwealth realms. She was celebrated in the media for her unconventional approach to charity work. Her patronages initially centred on children and youth but she later became known for her involvement with AIDS patients and campaign for the removal of landmines. She also raised awareness and advocated ways to help people affected with cancer and mental illness. As princess, her charisma and friendliness endeared her to the public and helped her reputation survive the acrimonious collapse of her marriage. Even after her “dislodgement” from the royal family, she continued her wave of activism and was still loved by most people.
In August 1997 she was involved in a tragic car accident in Paris and, alongside her partner and the driver, she died due to the sustained injuries. It was determined that the driver was intoxicated with alcohol and prescription drugs. Diana was 36 years old when she died. Her death caused an unprecedented outpouring of public grief worldwide, and her funeral was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people. At the time, the days immediately following Diana's death was one of the rare times people were openly repressing the way her highness acted, because the Queen and Royal family showed little to no grief to the someone who was until recently close to them. Public interest in Diana remained high and she has retained regular press coverage in the years after her death.
Princess Diana was a great woman for all the things she did in life and a beacon in hope against society’s dogmas, especially at the time. She should be remembered and that is part of the reason I wrote this.