Real Mom: Sons' Intimate Memories of Princess Diana. Diana Princess of Wales What are the names of Diana and Charles' children

"William and Harry - the only men in my life, who did not let me down,” - this is how Lady Diana spoke about her sons. Having survived her husband's scandalous infidelities, she could not trust him, so she devoted herself entirely to raising her two sons.

Both William and Harry were crazy about their mother as children, and they still remember her with warmth and tenderness today. Her mischievous character gave them no rest, and sometimes it was Princess Diana who was the instigator of the most daring antics. So, she came with pleasure to watch her favorite boys kick the ball around the football field, and her loving mother often secretly put sweets in Harry’s leggings. Lady Di sent funny postcards to her favorite boys with kind words, and once unexpectedly invited Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell, supermodels whose photographs decorated the teenage William’s room, to Buckingham Palace (William was almost speechless from surprise and stumbled while going up the stairs to his room.

Filming documentary film became the first time that Harry and William decided to talk publicly about their mother. They admitted that frank conversations with the filmmakers became a kind of way of reflection, since Diana’s death still remains a painful and not fully experienced event for both sons.

Speaking of mom, William and Harry willingly showed off their childhood photos. Most of the photographs were taken by Diana herself; she loved photographing her sons. These family chronicles have not been published before and will be a real gift for TV viewers.

William and Harry are sure that it was their mother who raised them as they are now: open, sociable, natural. The only thing they truly regret is that they lost their mother so early, they did not have time to give her the love, tenderness and attention that she deserved. Harry, who spoke with his mother on the eve of the disaster, still cannot forgive himself that their last conversation was short and he, still just a child, wanted to end it quickly. Harry assures that he remembered all the words Diana said at that moment for the rest of his life.

The story of Princess Diana is often called the story of Cinderella, who married the prince. However, not wanting to live according to the protocol, .

The beautiful Princess Diana, who passed away so suddenly and tragically... People still remember and love her. The biography of Princess Diana sheds light on why she became an ideal for many people. Her story is an illustration of a person's collision with such a powerful force as the royal family, duty, monarchy.

In the list of one hundred great Britons, Princess Diana surpassed Darwin, Newton and even Shakespeare, taking third place after Churchill and Brunel. Who is she? And why is Princess Diana's death still controversial? What difficulties did the wife of the heir to the throne of Great Britain encounter? How did she manage to earn such respect from citizens as to surpass Shakespeare himself?

Aristocracy

The Princess of Wales (nee Diana Spencer) was married to Prince Charles, the son of the Queen of Great Britain, for fifteen years. Her birthday is July 1, 1961. On this day, in the county of Norfolk, a girl was born into the family of Viscount Althorp, who had an unusual fate awaiting her. She was the third daughter in the family (her older sisters were Jane and Sarah).

Later, Diana's parents had a son, Charles. Three years after her birth, at Charles's baptism, fate had already crossed the little Spencers with the Queen of England: she became godmother to Diana's brother.

Life at Sandrigham Castle, where Diana spent her childhood, would seem like paradise to most people: six servants, garages, a swimming pool, a tennis court, many bedrooms. An ordinary aristocratic family. The girl was also raised in full accordance with traditions.

What is traditional English education famous for? The distance between children and parents, as well as the refusal to cultivate vanity in children, pride in what they themselves have not yet achieved. For a long time, the little Spencers did not understand how privileged they were.

Perhaps the kindness and generosity of the adult Diana is a positive consequence of such upbringing and, of course, the result of the influence of her paternal grandmother, whom the future princess loved very much. She helped those in need and did charity work. When the princess was still just Diana, her biography had already added a sad page: her parents’ divorce hit the girl at the age of six. The children remained to live with their father.

Since childhood, Diana preferred dancing (she studied ballet at the boarding school) and swimming, and she was successful in drawing. Diana had a hard time exact sciences, but I liked history and literature. Her achievements in ballet aroused the admiration of others.

London and adult life

U During her years at West Heath School, the future queen of hearts showed miracles of kindness, helping the sick and elderly, and also went to a hospital for the mentally ill, where volunteers looked after children suffering from physical and mental disabilities. Perhaps this is what helped the girl realize how important it is to help those in need, and to confirm that her calling is caring for others. Her responsiveness and ability to sympathize with people did not go unnoticed at school: Diana received a badge of honor in her graduating class.

After graduating from school, Diana decided to live an independent life in London. She worked in low-paid jobs: as a nanny, as a waitress. At the same time, she learned to drive, and subsequently to cook. The girl did not abuse alcohol and did not smoke, did not like noisy entertainment, spent free time in solitude.

Then Diana entered the competition for the position of a ballet teacher for students junior classes, but a lower leg injury soon put an end to this activity. Then she went to work as a teacher in kindergarten, and also worked as a housekeeper for her sister.

Life in London was distinguished by both the girl’s great employment and pleasant, easy and cheerful entertainment. She had her own apartment, which her parents gave her. She lived there with her friends, they often had tea parties, played pranks like children, and played pranks on their friends. For example, once a “cocktail” of flour and eggs was smeared on the car of a young man who did not arrive at the appointed time.

Dating and marriage

“You shouldn’t expect much from life, it leads to disappointment. Accept her for who she is, life is much easier this way.”

Initially, the one who, more than thirty years later, would set a record for waiting for the British crown, entered Diana’s life as a friend of her sister Sarah. The story of young Spencer and the thirty-year-old heir to the throne did not begin immediately.

The prince was characterized as a rather selfish person. He never adjusted to the tastes of the girls he seemed to be courting. In fact, could it really be called courtship if the servants even sent flowers for him? However, this is quite understandable, given his status as the most eligible groom all over the world.

Perhaps the prince himself would have preferred to remain free, but the situation obliged. And he decided to choose his wife for purely rational reasons, knowing about the impossibility of divorce, but at the same time wanting to keep his lifestyle unchanged.

From mid-1980, the prince began to show increased attention to Diana. And after him, reporters began to show increased attention to her, and the borders privacy disappeared. Even then, Diana saw how close the Parker-Bowles family was to Charles.

Six months later, on February 6, 1981, the prince proposed to Diana. Diana began to immerse herself in the life of the royal court, which meant she had a need to look impeccable, and besides, she was now one of those who personified the monarchy. Then Princess Diana's style began to take shape. She realized that her outfit should always satisfy the tastes of the most picky and be impeccable in any conditions.

IN Buckingham Palace she was deprived of everything: independence, privacy, the possibility of self-realization, sincerity - in fact, the status of the prince’s bride deprived her of freedom. Noisy gatherings with friends, spontaneity, a lot of communication and work - now all this is a thing of the past.

More and more hints about the prince’s close relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles added fuel to the fire. Andrew Morton, in his book about Diana, said that right on the eve of the wedding, she wanted to break off the engagement because of the discovery of a bracelet that was bought by the prince as a gift to Camilla.

On July 29, 1981, Diana became a princess. Even during their honeymoon, her husband gave cause for concern. Princess Diana discovered photographs of Camilla, and then cufflinks, according to Charles, given to the one he once loved.

The story of Princess Diana was turning into a tragedy. She developed bulimia nervosa. Her married life was not all smooth sailing: her husband’s attitude left much to be desired, and the inability to have a heart-to-heart talk with anyone made the situation hopeless. But these are the rules of the court, where duty is above all, and feelings must be kept in check. She had no one to turn to, she was left alone and faced with the need to live up to the image of a beautiful princess and an exemplary wife in a love triangle situation.

Gradual disappearance of illusions

“Don’t try to look serious – it won’t help anyway”

Princess Diana's children were to be raised in the traditions of the English court - under the supervision of nannies and governesses. But their mother insisted that her sons not be cut off from her and from a normal way of life. Princess Diana had a surprisingly strong position on children and their upbringing. She breastfed them herself and actively participated in the process of their development and education.

The princess gave birth to her first child, son William, on June 21, 1982. Although the princess was infinitely happy about the birth of her first child, nervous exhaustion and a feeling of hopelessness made themselves felt with emotional outbursts. And then it turned out that the husband’s parents have an extremely negative attitude towards conflicts in the family of Prince Charles and are ready to allow him to file for divorce. To the eyes of respectable persons, brought up in strict rules, she, apparently, seemed to be an ordinary hysterical woman.

As Diana herself later said, the Queen said almost directly in conversations with her that perhaps Diana’s problems were not the result of an unsuccessful marriage, but the unsuccessful marriage was the result of the girl’s mental problems. Depression, deliberate self-harm, bulimia nervosa - could these all be symptoms of the same disorder?

Diana became pregnant again. The husband wanted a girl, but on September 15, 1984, “Princess Diana’s daughter” turned out to be a boy. Diana hid the ultrasound results until the birth of the child.

Did Princess Diana have any lovers? It is noteworthy that the press and society looked at any friendly relationship between the princess, and even just an acquaintance, as a reason for censure, but no one seemed to notice the obvious connection between Prince Charles and Camilla.

Complete break

“There are more important problems than ballet. For example, people dying on the street"

The fairy tale of Princess Diana and Prince Charles ended before it began, but their tragedy lasted ten years. Her husband was not interested in Diana’s inner life, her experiences and fears; she could not count on his support.

Slowly but surely, Princess Diana searched for inner support. Well, it was not for nothing that Diana herself told her that without the ability to suffer, you will never be able to help others. Pulling herself together, Diana began the journey to herself. She meditated, studied various philosophical movements, looked for answers to questions regarding the world and man’s place in it, fears, was fascinated by psychology, etc.

When Princess Diana found herself, she began to pay a lot of attention to people who were not lucky in life. She visited hospitals for the seriously ill, homeless shelters, and an AIDS department. Count Spencer, Diana's brother, in a conversation with biographer Morton, spoke of the princess as a strong-willed, purposeful and firm person who knows what she lives for, namely, to be a conduit for good, using her high position.

Later, when William suffered a head injury, the whole world could see his father's indifference as he went first to Covent Garden and then on an expedition related to environmental issues. How this resonated with the behavior of the mother, who was ready to help many people!

Does the Lord protect the righteous?

“I want to be with those who suffer, wherever I see them, and help them.”

The scandal, apparently, was inevitable. At the end of August 1996, the ill-fated prince and princess received their freedom. After the divorce, Diana retained the title of Princess of Wales and received large compensation (17 million pounds and 400 thousand every year).

After the official breakup, Diana took a very active civic position. She was going to make films, fight illiteracy and the evil existing in the world. In addition, she tried to build new relationships: first, Dr. Hasnat Khan became her chosen one, and then producer Fayed. But the death of Princess Diana suddenly put an end to her wildest dreams.

The princess died as a result of an accident at the age of 36: on August 31, 1997, a car accident occurred in a tunnel. In the car was not only Princess Diana, but also Dodi al-Fayed, the son of an influential billionaire. Subsequently, Mohammed Fayed spent a lot of effort to shed light on the death of Princess Diana and his son. Many still believe that the tragedy was planned by the royal court to stop the princess's "indecent" behavior.

A short biography of Diana seems to be a story not about a princess, but about an ordinary woman whose life was far from simple. There is no doubt that Diana had a big, generous soul, and this woman deserves the fondest memory. After a difficult day, Diana always told herself that she did everything she could. It seems the same can be said about her earthly life. Author: Ekaterina Volkova

Diana Frances Spencer, Her Highness Princess of Wales, was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk into an English aristocratic family. Her father John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, came from ancient family Spencer-Churchill, bearers of royal blood descended from Charles the Second, famous as the “Merry King”. Charles had 14 recognized illegitimate sons who received the title, a large number of unrecognized children and not a single heir born in an official marriage. However, thanks to this king, the list of aristocratic families in England has significantly expanded.

The dynasty to which Princess Diana belonged can be proud of such eminent sons as Sir and the Duke of Marlborough. The ancestral home of the Spencer family is Spencer House, located in the Westminster quarter of central London. Diana's mother Frances Shand Kydd also comes from an aristocratic family. Diana's maternal grandmother was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

The biography of the future princess was also beyond claims. Elementary education the future Princess Diana received it at Sandringham, where she spent her childhood. Lady Di's first teacher was Gertrude Allen, a governess who had previously taught the girl's mother. Further education Diana attended Sealfield Private School and later attended Riddlesworth Hall. As a child, the character of the future princess was not difficult, but she was always quite stubborn.

According to the teachers’ recollections, the girl read and drew well, dedicating her drawings to her mother and father. Diana's parents divorced when she was 8 years old, which was a great shock for the child. As a result of the divorce proceedings, Diana remained with her father, and her mother went to Scotland, where she lived with her new husband.

Next place The future Princess of Wales attends the exclusive girls' school West Hill in Kent. Here Diana did not prove herself to be a diligent student, but music and dancing became her hobbies, and, according to rumors, in her youth Lady Di was not good at exact sciences, and she even failed her exams several times.

In 1977, Diana and Prince Charles met in Althorp, but at that time the future spouses did not pay serious attention to each other. In the same year, Diana studied in Switzerland for a short time, but returned home due to severe homesickness. After completing her studies, Diana began working as a nanny and kindergarten teacher in the prestigious London area of Knightsbridge.

Prince Charles and the wedding

In 1980, Diana again entered the social circle of Prince Charles. The single life of the heir to the throne at that time was a serious cause for concern for his parents. Queen Elizabeth was especially worried about her son’s relationship with a noble married lady, a relationship with whom the prince did not even try to hide. In the current situation, the candidacy of Diana Spencer for the role of the princess was happily approved royal family, Charles and, according to some rumors, even Camilla Parker Bowles.

The prince first invited Diana to the royal yacht, after which an invitation was received to Balmoral Castle to meet the royal family. Charles proposed at Windsor Castle, but the engagement was kept secret for some time. The official announcement took place on February 24, 1981. The symbol of this event was the famous ring of Princess Diana - a precious sapphire surrounded by fourteen diamonds.

Lady Di became the first Englishwoman in 300 years to marry the heir to the throne.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer became the most expensive wedding ceremony in British history. The celebration took place at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. The wedding ceremony was preceded by a parade through the streets of London of a carriage with members royal family, the march of the Commonwealth regiments and the "Glass Carriage" in which Diana and her father arrived.

Prince Charles was wearing dress uniform Commander of Her Majesty's Fleet. Diana wore a dress with an 8-meter train costing 9,000 pounds, designed by young English designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel. The design of the dress was kept in the strictest confidence from the public and the press, and the dress was delivered to the palace in a sealed envelope. The head of the future princess was decorated with a family heirloom - a tiara.

Diana and Charles's wedding has been called a "fairytale wedding" and "the wedding of the century." According to experts, the audience watching the broadcast of the celebrations in live on the world's main television channels, amounted to more than 750 million people. After a gala dinner at Buckingham Palace, the couple traveled by royal train to the Broadlands estate and then flew to Gibraltar, from where Charles and Princess Diana began their cruise Mediterranean Sea. At the end of the cruise, another reception was given in Scotland, where members of the press were given permission to photograph the newlyweds.

The wedding celebrations cost taxpayers almost three million pounds.

Divorce

The personal life of the crowned family was not so fabulous and soon attracted public attention with several scandals in which, according to the press, various lovers and mistresses constantly appeared. According to rumors, even at the time of Charles’ marriage proposal, Diana knew about his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Subsequently, it became increasingly difficult for the princess to contain her jealousy and protect the family’s reputation, since Prince Charles not only did not interrupt the extramarital affair, but also openly admitted it. The situation was complicated by the fact that in the person who took her son’s side in this conflict, Princess Diana received an influential opponent.

By 1990, the delicate situation could no longer be hidden and the situation became widely publicized. During this period, Princess Diana also admitted her relationship with riding coach James Hewitt.

In 1995, according to rumors, Diana met her true love. While visiting a friend in the hospital, the princess accidentally met cardiac surgeon Hasnat Khan. The feelings were mutual, but the constant attention of the public, from which the couple even fled to Khan’s homeland, Pakistan, and the active condemnation by Khan’s parents of both his role as the princess’s de facto lover and the freedom-loving views of the woman herself, did not allow the romance to develop and, perhaps, deprived a chance for happiness between two people truly in love.

At the insistence of Queen Elizabeth, Charles and Diana officially divorced in 1996, four years after the effective breakup of their family. Her marriage to Prince Charles produced two sons: Welsh and Welsh.

After the divorce, Diana, according to journalists, begins a relationship with film producer, the son of Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed. This connection was not officially confirmed by any of the princess's close friends, and in the book written by Diana's butler, the fact of their relationship is directly denied.

Death

On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident. During Diana's visit to Paris, a car, in which, in addition to the princess herself, there were Dodi al-Fayed, bodyguard Trevor Rhys Jones and driver Henri Paul, driving in the tunnel under the Alma bridge, collided with a concrete support. The driver and Dodi al-Fayed died instantly at the scene. Princess Diana died two hours later in the Salpêtrière hospital. The princess's bodyguard survived, but received severe injuries head, as a result of which he does not remember anything about the moment of the accident itself.

Princess Diana's wrecked car

The death of Princess Diana was a shock not only for the people of Great Britain, but also for the whole world. In France, mourners turned a Parisian replica of the Statue of Liberty's torch into a spontaneous memorial to Diana. The princess's funeral took place on September 6. Lady Di's grave is on a secluded island on Althorp Manor (the Spencer family estate) in Northamptonshire.

Among the causes of the car accident, many factors are cited, starting with the version according to which the princess’s car tried to break away from the car with the paparazzi pursuing them, and ending with the version regarding. There are still many rumors and theories about the causes of the death of everyone's favorite princess.

A Scotland Yard report published ten years later confirmed the fact that the investigation found that the speed limit for driving on the section of road under the Alma Bridge was twice the speed limit, as well as the fact that the driver had alcohol in his blood that was three times the legal limit.

Memory

Princess Diana enjoyed the sincere love of the people of Great Britain, who affectionately called her Lady Di. The princess did a lot of charity work, donating significant funds to various foundations, was an activist in the movement that sought to ban anti-personnel mines, and provided people with material and moral assistance.

Sir dedicated the song “Candle in the Wind” to her memory, and the song “Privacy”, in which he not only expressed grief for the princess, but also talked about the burden of constant attention and gossip, which may be indirectly to blame for Lady Di’s death.

10 years after her death, a film was made dedicated to the last hours of the princess’s life. The songs “Depeche mode” and “Aquarium” are dedicated to her. Postage stamps are issued in her honor in many countries around the world.

According to a BBC poll, Princess Diana is one of the most popular faces in the history of Britain, ahead of other English monarchs in this ranking.

Awards

Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
Order of Virtue Special Class

Autograph: Monogram: Awards:

Diana, Princess of Wales(English) Diana, Princess of Wales), born Diana Frances Spencer(English) Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July, Sandringham, Norfolk - 31 August, Paris) - from 1981 to 1996, the first wife of Prince Charles of Wales, heir to the British throne. Widely known as princess Diana , Lady Diana or lady di. According to a poll conducted in 2002 by the BBC broadcaster, Diana took 3rd place in the list of the 100 greatest Britons in history.

Biography

Diana spent her childhood in Sandringham, where she received her primary education at home. Her teacher was governess Gertrude Allen, who also taught Diana's mother. She continued her education in Sealfield, at a private school near King's Line, then at preparatory school Riddlesworth Hall.

When Diana was 8 years old, her parents divorced. She stayed to live with her father, along with her sisters and brother. The divorce had a profound impact on the girl, and soon a stepmother appeared in the house, who disliked the children.

In 1975, following the death of her grandfather, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer and she received the courtesy title "Lady", reserved for the daughters of high peers. During this period, the family moves to the ancient family castle of Althorp House in Northamptonshire.

At age 12, the future princess was accepted into the exclusive girls' school at West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent. Here she turned out to be a bad student and could not graduate. At the same time her musical abilities there was no doubt. The girl was also interested in dancing. In 1977, she briefly attended school in the Swiss city of Rougemont. Once in Switzerland, Diana soon began to miss home and returned to England ahead of schedule.

In the winter of 1977, before leaving for training, she first met her future husband, Prince Charles, when he came to Althorp to hunt.

In 1978 she moved to London, where she first stayed in her mother’s apartment (who then spent most of her time in Scotland). As a gift for her 18th birthday, she received her own apartment worth £100,000 in Earls Court, where she lived with three friends. During this period, Diana, who had previously adored children, began working as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten in Pimilico.

Family life

Shortly before her death, in June 1997, Diana began dating film producer Dodi al-Fayed, son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, but apart from the press, this fact was not confirmed by any of her friends, and this is also denied in the book of Lady Diana’s butler, Paul. Barrel, who was a close friend of the princess.

Public role

Diana was actively involved in charitable and peacekeeping activities(in particular, she was an activist in the fight against AIDS and the movement to stop the production of anti-personnel mines).

She was one of the most popular women of her time in the world. In Great Britain she has always been considered the most popular member of the royal family, she was called the “Queen of Hearts” or “Queen of Hearts.” Queen of Hearts).

Visit to Moscow

Death

On August 31, 1997, Diana died in Paris in a car accident along with Dodi al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul. Al-Fayed and Paul died instantly, Diana, taken from the scene (in the tunnel in front of the Alma bridge on the Seine embankment) to the Salpêtrière hospital, died two hours later.

The cause of the accident is not entirely clear; there are a number of versions ( alcohol intoxication driver, the need to escape at speed from being pursued by paparazzi, as well as various conspiracy theories). The only surviving passenger of the Mercedes S280 with the number 688 LTV 75, bodyguard Trevor Rhys-Jones (English)Russian, who was seriously injured (surgeons had to restore his face), does not remember the events.

In celebrity ratings

In 1998, Time magazine named Diana one of the 100 most important people XX century.

In 2002, a BBC poll ranked Diana third on the list of Great Britons, ahead of the Queen and other British monarchs.

In literature

Many books have been written about Diana in various languages. Almost all of her friends and close collaborators spoke with their memories; There are several documentaries and even feature films. There are both fanatical admirers of the memory of the princess, who even insist on her holiness, and critics of her personality and the pop cult that has arisen around her.

In music

In 2007, 10 years after her death, on the day when Princess Diana would have turned 46 years old, a memorial concert called “Concert for Diana” was held, the founders were Princes Harry and William, and world stars of music and cinema performed at the concert. The concert took place at the famous Wembley Stadium in London, and Diana's favorite band, Duran Duran, opened it.

In 2012, American singer Lady Gaga performed a song dedicated to Princess Diana at one of her shows on her “The Born This Way Ball” world tour. The song is called "Princess Die"

In cinema

To mark the 10th anniversary of Diana’s death, the film “Princess Diana. Last Day in Paris", which describes the last hours of Lady Diana's life.

In 2006, the biographical film “The Queen” was shot, which describes the life of the British royal family immediately after the death of Princess Diana.

In philately

In honor of Princess Diana, postage stamps were issued in Albania, Armenia, North Korea, Pitcairn, and Tuvalu.

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Literature

Yauza-Press. Princess Diana. A life told by herself. (A woman of the era. A unique autobiography) 2014- ISBN 978-5-9955-0550-1
D. L. Medvedev. Diana: Lonely Princess. - M.: RIPOL classic, 2010. - ISBN 978-5-386-02465-9.
N. Ya. Nadezhdin. Princess Diana: "The Tale of Cinderella": Biographical Stories. - M.: Major, Osipenko, 2011. - 192 p. - ISBN 978-5-98551-199-4.

Notes

After her divorce in 1996, Diana ceased to be Her Royal Highness and Princess of Wales, but, as is customary for divorced wives of peers, her personal name was supplemented with a reference to the lost title of Princess of Wales.
Officially, she never had such a title, since the title of “prince/princess + name”, with rare exceptions, is only given to members of the royal house by birth.
(15 July 1981). Retrieved July 23, 2013.
Izvestia newspaper, May 13
, March 12, 1994
Article on the website celtica.ru
(Russian) . dni.ru (16:42 / 12/14/2006). Retrieved October 4, 2009. .
Faulkner, Larissa J.. Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies.
. Am Ia Annoying.com.
. WayBack Machine.
(Russian) . onuz.net. Retrieved October 4, 2009. .
Alexandra Zakharova.(Russian) . Russian newspaper. rg.ru (December 2, 2013). Retrieved January 26, 2014.

Excerpt characterizing Diana, Princess of Wales

If the goal of the European wars at the beginning of this century was the greatness of Russia, then this goal could be achieved without all the previous wars and without an invasion. If the goal is the greatness of France, then this goal could be achieved without revolution and without empire. If the goal is the dissemination of ideas, then printing would accomplish this much better than soldiers. If the goal is the progress of civilization, then it is very easy to assume that, besides the extermination of people and their wealth, there are other more expedient ways for the spread of civilization.
Why did it happen this way and not otherwise?
Because that's how it happened. “Chance made the situation; genius took advantage of it,” says history.
But what is a case? What is a genius?
The words chance and genius do not mean anything that really exists and therefore cannot be defined. These words only denote a certain degree of understanding of phenomena. I don't know why this phenomenon happens; I don’t think I can know; That’s why I don’t want to know and say: chance. I see a force producing an action disproportionate to universal human properties; I don’t understand why this happens, and I say: genius.
For a herd of rams, the ram that is driven every evening by the shepherd into a special stall to feed and becomes twice as thick as the others must seem like a genius. And the fact that every evening this very same ram ends up not in a common sheepfold, but in a special stall for oats, and that this very same ram, doused in fat, is killed for meat, should seem like an amazing combination of genius with a whole series of extraordinary accidents .
But the rams just have to stop thinking that everything that is done to them happens only to achieve their ram goals; it is worth admitting that the events happening to them may also have goals that are incomprehensible to them, and they will immediately see unity, consistency in what happens to the fattened ram. Even if they do not know for what purpose he was fattened, then at least they will know that everything that happened to the ram did not happen by accident, and they will no longer need the concept of either chance or genius.
Only by renouncing the knowledge of a close, understandable goal and recognizing that the final goal is inaccessible to us will we see consistency and purposefulness in life historical figures; the reason for the action they produce, disproportionate to universal human properties, will be revealed to us, and we will not need the words chance and genius.
One has only to admit that the purpose of the unrest European peoples unknown to us, but only the facts are known, consisting of murders, first in France, then in Italy, in Africa, in Prussia, in Austria, in Spain, in Russia, and that movements from west to east and from east to west constitute the essence and the purpose of these events, and not only will we not need to see exclusivity and genius in the characters of Napoleon and Alexander, but it will be impossible to imagine these persons otherwise than as the same people as everyone else; and not only will it not be necessary to explain by chance those small events that made these people what they were, but it will be clear that all these small events were necessary.
Having detached ourselves from knowledge of the ultimate goal, we will clearly understand that just as it is impossible for any plant to come up with other colors and seeds that are more appropriate to it than those that it produces, in the same way it is impossible to come up with two other people, with all their past, which would correspond to such an extent, to such the smallest details, to the purpose that they were to fulfill.

The main, essential meaning of European events at the beginning of this century is the militant movement of the masses of European peoples from West to East and then from East to West. The first instigator of this movement was the movement from west to east. In order for the peoples of the West to be able to make the warlike movement to Moscow that they made, it was necessary: 1) for them to form into a warlike group of such a size that would be able to withstand a clash with the warlike group of the East; 2) so that they renounce all established traditions and habits and 3) so that, when making their militant movement, they have at their head a person who, both for himself and for them, could justify the deceptions, robberies and murders that were accompanied this movement.
And starting from french revolution the old, not great enough group is destroyed; old habits and traditions are destroyed; a group of new sizes, new habits and traditions are developed, step by step, and the person who must stand at the head of the future movement and bear all the responsibility of what is to come is being prepared.
A man without convictions, without habits, without traditions, without a name, not even a Frenchman, by the most strange accidents, it seems, moves among all the parties that worry France and, without attaching himself to any of them, is brought to a prominent place.
The ignorance of his comrades, the weakness and insignificance of his opponents, the sincerity of the lie and the brilliant and self-confident narrow-mindedness of this man put him at the head of the army. The brilliant composition of the soldiers of the Italian army, the reluctance of his opponents to fight, his childish audacity and self-confidence gain him military glory. Countless so-called accidents accompany him everywhere. The disfavor into which he falls from the rulers of France serves to his advantage. His attempts to change the path destined for him fail: he is not accepted into the service in Russia, and he fails to be assigned to Turkey. During the wars in Italy, he is on the verge of death several times and is saved each time in an unexpected way. Russian troops, the very ones that could destroy his glory, for various diplomatic reasons, do not enter Europe as long as he is there.
On his return from Italy, he finds the government in Paris in that process of decay in which the people who fall into this government are inevitably erased and destroyed. And for him there is a way out of this dangerous situation, consisting of a meaningless, causeless expedition to Africa. Again the same so-called accidents accompany him. Impregnable Malta surrenders without a shot; the most careless orders are crowned with success. The enemy fleet, which does not let a single boat through, lets through an entire army. In Africa, a number of atrocities are committed against almost unarmed inhabitants. And the people who commit these atrocities, and especially their leader, convince themselves that this is wonderful, that this is glory, that this is similar to Caesar and Alexander the Great, and that this is good.
That ideal of glory and greatness, which consists in not only not considering anything bad for oneself, but being proud of every crime, attributing to it an incomprehensible supernatural significance - this ideal, which should guide this person and the people associated with him, is being developed in the open air in Africa. Whatever he does, he succeeds. The plague does not bother him. The cruelty of killing prisoners is not blamed on him. His childishly careless, causeless and ignoble departure from Africa, from his comrades in trouble, is given credit to him, and again the enemy fleet misses him twice. While he, already completely intoxicated by the happy crimes he had committed, ready for his role, comes to Paris without any purpose, the decay of the republican government, which could have destroyed him a year ago, has now reached its extreme, and the presence of him, fresh from a person's parties, now only can elevate him.
He doesn't have any plan; he is afraid of everything; but the parties seize on him and demand his participation.
He alone, with his ideal of glory and greatness developed in Italy and Egypt, with his madness of self-adoration, with his audacity of crimes, with his sincerity of lies - he alone can justify what is about to happen.
He is needed for the place that awaits him, and therefore, almost independently of his will and despite his indecision, despite the lack of a plan, despite all the mistakes he makes, he is drawn into a conspiracy aimed at seizing power, and the conspiracy is crowned with success .
He is pushed into the meeting of the rulers. Frightened, he wants to run away, considering himself dead; pretends to faint; says meaningless things that should destroy him. But the rulers of France, previously smart and proud, now, feeling that their role has been played, are even more embarrassed than he is, and say the wrong words that they should have said in order to retain power and destroy him.
Chance, millions of coincidences give him power, and all people, as if by agreement, contribute to the establishment of this power. Accidents make the characters of the then rulers of France subservient to him; accidents make the character of Paul I recognizing his power; chance conspires against him, not only not harming him, but asserting his power. An accident sends Enghien into his hands and inadvertently forces him to kill, thereby, stronger than all other means, convincing the crowd that he has the right, since he has the power. What makes it an accident is that he strains all his strength on an expedition to England, which, obviously, would destroy him, and never fulfills this intention, but accidentally attacks Mack with the Austrians, who surrender without a battle. Chance and genius give him victory at Austerlitz, and by chance all people, not only the French, but all of Europe, with the exception of England, which will not take part in the events that are about to take place, all people, despite the previous horror and disgust for his crimes, now they recognize his power, the name he gave himself, and his ideal of greatness and glory, which seems to everyone to be something beautiful and reasonable.
As if trying on and preparing for the upcoming movement, the forces of the West several times in the years 1805, 6, 7, 9 rush to the east, growing stronger and stronger. In 1811, the group of people that had formed in France merged into one huge group with the middle peoples. Together with an increasing group of people, the power of justification of the person at the head of the movement further develops. In the ten-year preparatory period preceding the great movement, this man is brought together with all the crowned heads of Europe. The exposed rulers of the world cannot oppose the Napoleonic ideal of glory and greatness, which has no meaning, with any reasonable ideal. One in front of the other, they strive to show him their insignificance. The King of Prussia sends his wife to curry favor with the great man; the Emperor of Austria considers it a mercy that this man accepts the daughter of the Caesars into his bed; the pope, guardian of the sacred things of the people, serves with his religion the exaltation of a great man. It is not so much that Napoleon himself prepares himself to fulfill his role, but rather that everything around him prepares him to take upon himself the full responsibility of what is happening and is about to happen. There is no act, no crime or petty deception that he has committed that is not immediately reflected in the mouths of those around him in the form of a great deed. Best holiday, which the Germans can come up with for him is the celebration of Jena and Auerstätt. Not only is he great, but his ancestors, his brothers, his stepsons, his sons-in-law are great. Everything is done in order to deprive him of the last power of reason and prepare him for his terrible role. And when he is ready, so are the forces.
The invasion is heading east, reaching its final goal - Moscow. The capital is taken; Russian army more destroyed than enemy troops were ever destroyed in previous wars from Austerlitz to Wagram. But suddenly, instead of those accidents and genius that had so consistently led him so far in an unbroken series of successes towards his intended goal, there appears a countless number of reverse accidents, from a runny nose in Borodino to frost and the spark that lit Moscow; and instead of genius there are stupidity and meanness, which have no examples.
The invasion runs, comes back, runs again, and all the coincidences are now no longer for, but against it.
There is a counter-movement from east to west with remarkable similarity to the previous movement from west to east. The same attempts at movement from east to west in 1805 - 1807 - 1809 precede the great movement; the same clutch and group of huge sizes; the same pestering of the middle peoples to the movement; the same hesitation in the middle of the path and the same speed as you approach the goal.
Paris - the ultimate goal has been achieved. Napoleonic government and troops are destroyed. Napoleon himself does not have more meaning; all his actions are obviously pathetic and disgusting; but again an inexplicable accident occurs: the allies hate Napoleon, in whom they see the cause of their disasters; deprived of strength and power, convicted of villainy and deceit, he would have to appear to them as he seemed to them ten years ago and a year after - an outlaw robber. But by some strange chance no one sees this. His role is not over yet. A man who ten years ago and a year after was considered an outlaw robber is sent on a two-day journey from France to an island given to him in possession with guards and millions who pay him for something.

The movement of peoples begins to settle into its shores. The waves of the great movement have subsided, and circles are formed on the calm sea, in which diplomats rush, imagining that they are the ones causing the lull in the movement.
But the calm sea suddenly rises. It seems to diplomats that they, their disagreements, are the reason for this new onslaught of forces; they expect war between their sovereigns; The situation seems insoluble to them. But the wave, the rise of which they feel, is not rushing from where they expect it. The same wave is rising, from the same starting point of movement - Paris. The last surge of movement from the west is taking place; a splash that should resolve the seemingly intractable diplomatic difficulties and put an end to the militant movement of this period.
The man who devastated France, alone, without a conspiracy, without soldiers, comes to France. Every watchman can take it; but, by a strange coincidence, not only does no one take it, but everyone greets with delight the man whom they cursed the day before and will curse in a month.
This person is also needed to justify the last collective action.
The action is completed. The last role has been played. The actor was ordered to undress and wash off the antimony and rouge: he would no longer be needed.
And several years pass in which this man, alone on his island, plays a pathetic comedy in front of himself, petty intrigues and lies, justifying his actions when this justification is no longer needed, and shows the whole world what it was like what people took for strength when an invisible hand guided them.
The manager, having finished the drama and undressed the actor, showed him to us.
- Look what you believed! Here he is! Do you see now that it was not he, but I who moved you?
But, blinded by the power of the movement, people did not understand this for a long time.
The life of Alexander I, the person who stood at the head of the countermovement from east to west, is even more consistent and necessary.
What is needed for that person who, overshadowing others, would stand at the head of this movement from east to west?

FULL NAME: Diana, Princess of Wales nee Diana Frances Spencer (Diana Frances Spencer)

DATE OF BIRTH: 07/01/1961 (Cancer)

PLACE OF BIRTH: Sandringham, UK

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: blond

FAMILY STATUS: Married

FAMILY: Parents: John Spencer, Frances Shand Kydd. Spouse: Prince Charles. Children: William Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry of Wales

HEIGHT: 178 cm

OCCUPATION: Princess of Wales

Biography:

From 1981 to 1996, the first wife of Prince Charles of Wales, heir to the British throne. Popularly known as Princess Diana, Lady Diana or Lady Di. According to a survey conducted in 2002 by the BBC, Diana was ranked 3rd in the list of the hundred greatest Britons in history.

Born 1 July 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk to John Spencer. Her father was Viscount Althorp, a branch of the same Spencer-Churchill family as the Duke of Marlborough and Winston Churchill. Diana's paternal ancestors were of royal blood through the illegitimate sons of King Charles II and the illegitimate daughter of his brother and successor, King James II. The Earls Spencer have long lived in the very center of London, in Spencer House.

In 1975, after the death of her grandfather, Diana's father became the 8th Earl Spencer and she received the courtesy title "Lady", reserved for the daughters of high peers. During this period, the family moved to the ancient ancestral castle of Althorp House in Northamptonshire.

At the age of 12, the future princess was accepted into a privileged girls' school at West Hill, in Sevenoaks, Kent. Here she turned out to be a bad student and could not graduate. At the same time, her musical abilities were beyond doubt. The girl was also interested in dancing. In 1977, she briefly attended school in the Swiss city of Rougemont. Once in Switzerland, Diana soon began to miss home and returned to England ahead of schedule.

In 1978, she moved to London, where she first stayed in her mother’s apartment (who then spent most of her time in Scotland). As a gift for her 18th birthday, she received her own apartment worth £100,000 in Earls Court, where she lived with three friends. During this period, Diana, who had previously adored children, began working as an assistant teacher at the Young England kindergarten in Pimlico.

Diana first met Charles, Prince of Wales, at the age of sixteen, in November 1977, when he came to Althorp on a hunting trip. He met her older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. One weekend in the summer of 1980, Diana and Sarah were guests at one of the country residences, and she saw Charles playing polo, and he showed serious interest in Diana as a potential future bride. Their relationship got further development, when Charles invited Diana to Cowes one weekend for a ride on the royal yacht Britannia. This invitation followed immediately after a visit to Balmoral Castle (the Scottish residence of the royal family). There, one weekend in November 1980, they met with Charles's family.

Over five years of married life, the spouses' incompatibility and an age difference of almost 13 years became obvious and destructive. Diana's belief that Charles was having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles also had a negative impact on the marriage. Already in the early 1990s, the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales fell apart. The world media first hushed up the event and then made a sensation out of it. The Prince and Princess of Wales spoke to the press through friends, and each blamed the other for the collapse of their marriage.

Diana presenting the trophy to Guillermo Gracida Jr. at a polo tournament at the Guards Polo Club in 1986
The first reports of difficulties in the relationship between spouses appeared already in 1985. Prince Charles has reportedly rekindled his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. And then Diana gave up extramarital affairs with Major James Hewitt. These adventures were described in Andrew Morton's book "Diana: Her true story", published in May 1992. The book, which also showed the suicidal tendencies of the unfortunate princess, caused a storm in the media. In 1992 and 1993, recordings of telephone conversations were leaked to the media, which negatively reflected on both royal antagonists. Tape recordings of conversations between the Princess and James Gilbey were provided to the Sun newspaper's hotline in August 1992, and transcripts of intimate conversations were published in the newspaper the same month. Next, in November 1992, tapes containing intimate details of the Prince of Wales's relationship surfaced. and Camille, also picked up by the tabloids. On 9 December 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced the couple's "amicable separation" in the House of Commons. In 1993, the Trinity Mirror newspaper (MGN company) published photographs of the princess in tights and cycling shorts while working out at one of the fitness centers. The photographs were taken by the owner of the fitness center, Bruce Taylor. The princess's lawyers immediately demanded an indefinite ban on the sale and publication of photographs around the world. Despite this, some newspapers outside the UK managed to reprint them. The court upheld the claim against Taylor and MGN, prohibiting further publication of the photographs. MGN eventually apologized after facing a wave of public criticism. It was said that the princess received £1 million in legal fees and £200,000 was donated to causes she headed. charity organisations. Taylor also apologized and paid Diana £300,000, although it was alleged that members of the royal family helped him financially.

In 1993, Princess Margaret burned “particularly personal” letters Diana wrote to the Queen Mother, deeming them “too personal.” Biographer William Shawcross wrote: "No doubt Princess Margaret felt she was protecting her mother and other members of the family." He suggested that Princess Margaret's actions were understandable, although regrettable from a historical perspective.

Diana blamed Camilla Parker-Bowles, who had previously had a relationship with the Prince of Wales, for her marital problems, and at some point she began to believe that he had other affairs. In October 1993, the princess wrote to a friend that she suspected her husband of having an affair with his personal assistant (his sons' former nanny), Tiggy Legg-Brook, and that he wanted to marry her. Legg-Bourke was hired by the prince as a young companion for his sons while they were in his care, and the princess was resentful of Legg-Bourke and dissatisfied with her attitude towards the young princes. On December 3, 1993, the Princess of Wales announced the end of her public and social life.

At the same time, rumors began to appear about the Princess of Wales's affair with James Hewitt, former instructor in horse riding. These rumors were made public in Anna Pasternak's 1994 book entitled "The Princess in Love", which was made into a film of the same name by director David Green in 1996. Julie Cox starred as the Princess of Wales, and Christopher Villiers portrayed James Hewitt.

On 29 June 1994, in a television interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, Prince Charles appealed to the public for understanding. In this interview he confirmed his extramarital affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, saying he rekindled the relationship in 1986 when his marriage to the princess was "irretrievably broken down". Tina Brown, Sally Bedell-Smith and Sarah Bradford, like many other biographers, fully supported Diana's 1995 BBC Panorama confession; in it she said that she suffered from depression, bulimia and subjected herself to self-torture many times. The show transcript records Diana's confessions, confirming many of the problems she told interviewer Martin Bashir about, including "cuts on her arms and legs." The combination of illnesses from which Diana herself said she suffered led some of her biographers to suggest that she had borderline personality disorder.

The cause of the accident is not entirely clear; there are a number of versions (the driver was intoxicated, the need to escape at speed from being pursued by paparazzi, as well as various conspiracy theories). The only surviving passenger in the Mercedes S280 with license plate 688 LTV 75, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (Russian)English, who was seriously injured (his face had to be reconstructed by surgeons), does not remember the events.

On December 14, 2007, a report was presented by the former Commissioner of Scotland Yard, Lord John Stevens, who stated that the British investigation confirmed the findings that the blood alcohol content of the car driver, Henri Paul, at the time of his death was three times higher than the French legal limit. legislation In addition, the speed of the car exceeded the permissible speed in this place twice. Lord Stevens also noted that the passengers, including Diana, were not wearing seat belts, which also played a role in their deaths.