Lady Diana. Princess of human hearts Benoit Sophia

Chapter 2. GENEALOGY OF “CINDERELLA”, or THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT DIANA SPENCER’S PARENTS

They often said about Diana: incredible, a simple teacher became a princess! Yes, that's the story modern Cinderella! Of course, the rise of a modest girl is like a fairy tale. But is this fairy tale about the people's princess so simple, and can the family of monarchs easily accept a simpleton from the street into their ranks? If you believe this, you might want to check out the pedigree of the shy "Cinderella."

The mother of the future Princess of Wales, Frances Althorp, traced her descent from the Irish politician, member of the British Parliament Edmund Bourke Roche, who lived in the 19th century. For services to prosperity British Empire Queen Victoria granted Mr. Edmund Roche the title of baronet, after which he began to be called the first Baron Fermoy.

The third Baron Fermoy, Edmund's youngest son James Roche, married Frances Wark in 1880, the daughter of a wealthy American stockbroker. As historians testify, in those days, marriages between the scions of the British aristocracy and the “dollar princesses” of the New World were common, when two components were mixed: title and money. In this case, the arranged marriage ended after eleven years. Taking three children, the woman returned back to New York. Her father Frank Wark left thirty million pounds each to his grandchildren Maurice and Francis, on the condition that the heirs... renounce their British titles and take American citizenship. But the brothers refused to accept such conditions. However, when Frank Work died in 1911, they found a way to get most of the inheritance and live comfortable life. An amazing fate befell Maurice; a young man fought during the First World War; in force family circumstances was forced to take the title of fourth Baron Fermoy and return to Great Britain in 1921.

Edmund Bourke Roche - 1st Baron Fermoy

The experience of American life made him a stranger among his own. But the education received at Harvard, sincerity and lack of snobbery, and military training made his image attractive in the eyes of many young ladies high society. However, sympathy for him was strong with different sides, which confirms his repeated election to the House of Commons.

Maurice managed to become friends with Albert, Duke of York, youngest son King George V. The royal friend managed to secure such a privilege: the Fermoys were given a lease on the Park House guest house located on the territory of the royal Sandringham estate. Here, on January 20, 1936, Frances, the second daughter of Maurice, who later became the mother of Diana, would be born. The girl was born on a fateful day: the day of the death of King George V.

The British crown went to the late monarch's eldest son, Edward VIII. Who, as we know from history, was madly in love with the American Wallis Simpson. He dreamed of marrying his chosen one, but she was a divorced woman, and such a marriage could not take place in the royal family. The same story - an affair with the officer's ex-wife Camilla - will be experienced by the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, and the beautiful Diana, by the will of fate, will be drawn into this ill-fated love triangle.

British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin threatened King Edward with legal resignation if he did not refuse unequal marriage. The prime minister's statement forced the monarch to choose: either the throne or love. Edward rushed to seek advice from his friend William Churchill, but received evasive answers. As a result, the monarch chose love and abdicated the throne on December 10, 1936 in favor of his younger brother Albert.

Edward, Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson in 1935. It was the desire of the future king to marry the divorced Wallis that led to his abdication in December 1936

Duke of York Albert Frederick Arthur George, who ascended the throne as George VI, favored his close friend Maurice Fermoy. It is not surprising that the king's friend was desirable in the eyes of many beauties of high society. Lady Glenconner once remarked:

Maurice was such a red tape guy. Even I was a little afraid of him.

In 1917, during his next trip to America, the successful womanizer met the pretty American Edith Travis and fell in love with her. They gave birth to illegitimate daughter; many years later, she published a book of memoirs, Lilac Days, telling about the passionate feelings of her parents Maurice and Edith.

Maurice's wife was a luckier and more prudent girl named Ruth Gill, whom the loving Briton met in Paris - where the daughter of a Scottish colonel studied piano at the conservatory. However, before meeting Maurice, Ruth dated his younger brother Francis. Realizing that the older brother would inherit the family title and position in society, the young musician immediately went over to Maurice.

She was 23 years old and he was 46 when they got married. This significant event occurred in 1931. Ruth was not only ambitious, but also a smart girl who knew very well what she wanted to get out of life. She learned to play by the rules high society and easily closed my eyes love affairs husband. And she wisely used her passion for music, becoming a patron of the brainchild she created in 1951 - the Festival of Art and Music in King's Lynn.

Maurice Rocher, 4th Baron Fermoy - Diana's maternal grandfather

Diana's grandmother managed to become friends with the Queen Mother, becoming for the royal person best friend. Perhaps, when it came to approving her granddaughter for the role of Princess of Wales, the royal family expected to see in Diana the qualities of her grandmother Lady Ruth Fermoy? But instead of patience and accommodating behavior, over the years, only one thing appeared in Diana - a willful desire for freedom. However, there were reasons for this...

The family of Maurice and Ruth had two daughters - the eldest “bug-eyed” (as she was called) Mary and the youngest “attractive, cheerful and sexy” (as defined by school friends) Frances. Years later, a member of Prince Charles' staff admitted:

When Frances looks at you with her bright blue eyes, she seems grander than the queen herself!

Among the girl's admirers was John, the eldest son of the seventh Earl Spencer, George VI's equerry, Viscount Althorp. Perhaps he would not have paid attention to the fifteen-year-old exalted baby if not for her domineering mother Lady Ruth Fermoy, who immediately set the goal of getting John as her son-in-law. She did everything to make the man interested in her daughter: she arranged “casual” dates, found common interests between them, slipped in nice gifts supposedly on behalf of Frances...

Viscount Althorp was undoubtedly an attractive match for the Baron Fermoy's pretty youngest daughter. And soon he believed that Frances was a charming girl, without whom he could not live.

And so, a few months after Frances turned seventeen, John announced his separation from his fiancée, Lady Anne Coke, and his engagement to Frances Roche Fermoy. In June 1954, a wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey, which was attended by almost 2,000 guests, including Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The mothers of many families dreamed of a groom like John. Of course - the eldest son of Earl Spencer, heir to thirteen thousand acres in the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk, owner of the family castle Althorp House, stuffed with priceless works of art!

Wedding of Diana's parents in June 1954

The British, who boast of their ancestry, never fail to emphasize their superiority over others. The Spencers also had their own big advantage. It turns out, and as the author of the book “Diana: The Lonely Princess” D. Medvedev tells us, “The first mentions of the Spencers appeared 250 years before the arrival of the famous Hanoverian dynasty, which began in 1714, King George I, and 430 years before the current accession ruling dynasty Windsor (until 1917 - Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). The Spencers not only served the monarchy, they were among its creators. They lent money to King James I, contributed to the fall of his grandson James II and the enthronement of George I. They became related more than once royal dynasties and famous surnames of the United Kingdom. As a result of genealogical intricacies, Diana was a distant relative of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, seven US presidents, including George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt, and also - which is quite surprising! - his eleventh cousin own husband, Prince Charles."

However, on individual sites you can find more extensive information about the pedigree of Lady Di, and among her ancient relatives there are: Rurik of Novgorod; Igor Kyiv; Svyatoslav Kyiv; Prince of Kyiv Vladimir the Great; daughter of Prince Vladimir, wife of the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, Maria Dobronega; as well as many, many famous representatives of the noble ducal and count families of Bavaria, Bohemia, Austria and England, supposedly forming one highly branched family tree. The newfangled theory that the world is ruled by representatives of the same families easily fits into this situation, and some researchers see in this a planetary conspiracy, a Masonic plan, and even... a reptilian conspiracy.

Wikipedia, popular among Internet users, reports that Diana “was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk, in the family of 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.”

Despite the low self-esteem of the representative of the Spencer family, Diana, the self-esteem of this entire strong family was fundamentally high, which was confirmed by the motto on the coat of arms: “God preserves the just.” And the British establishment respected the Spencers’ claims to be “right” and somewhat chosen.

Diana's father, John Althorp, was of noble birth, but unlike his fellow members of traditionally prim British society, he was an open person, preferring to show his emotions rather than hide them. His friend, Lord St. John Fawsley, assured that John was not afraid to speak openly about his feelings and preferred to live life to the fullest. His eldest daughter Sarah spoke about her father, the Viscount:

My father had an innate ability to find a way to human hearts. If he was talking to someone, he really began to be carried away by the feelings of the interlocutor. He knew how to love people! I don’t think this quality can be learned: you either have it from birth or you don’t...

Albert Edward Jack Spencer, Viscount Althorp is Diana's paternal grandfather. Photo from 1921

This character was formed in John as a kind of opposite to the character of his father - the conservative and despotic Viscount Jack Spencer, who disdained everyone who was lower than him in the class caste. Even with his servants he communicated with gestures, pursing his lips contemptuously. It is not surprising that this heavyset and rude man was feared by many, including his son.

Due to his gentle nature and excessive openness, John was drawn to strong women; Frances turned out to be just like that - confident and strong-willed. One of his relatives confessed:

Johnny loves to communicate with strong and strong-willed ladies. There is a feeling that they are a real tonic for him.

Jack Spencer, who stifles any initiative of his son, making him dependent in everything, immediately disliked his young daughter-in-law. Of course, Frances repaid Jack in kind. Moreover, she not only hated her father-in-law, but also disdained his beloved, protected and cherished brainchild - the family castle of Althorp. The young woman openly stated:

The castle evokes a depressing melancholy, as if you are always in a museum that is closed after the departure of regular visitors.

Saving his strength for the decisive fight with his daughter-in-law, the father-in-law warned that he was expecting his first-born, to whom he could pass on the title (girls in British society do not inherit the title). Nine months after the wedding, the first child was born - daughter Sarah, whom the happy young mother immediately dubbed “the honeymoon child.”

Earl Spencer, who on the eve of the birth ordered that firewood be prepared in Althorp for future bonfires in honor of the birth of his grandson, angrily ordered everything to be curtailed until better times.

Francis and John Spencer

Two years later, Frances gave birth to her second child, and again it was a girl. She was given the name Jane. On January 12, 1960, a boy, John, was finally born into the family of Viscount Althorp, whose life lasted only eleven hours. As it turned out, the baby had lung dysfunction, which actually deprived him of his chances of survival.

Count Spencer, dissatisfied with what was happening and deprived of all sympathy, began to persistently demand the birth of an heir. But on the warm evening of July 1, 1961, a girl, Diana Francis, was born. And only in May 1964, the long-awaited heir to the Spencer family, Charles, was born.

Diana turned two years old

This text is an introductory fragment.

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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 stayed 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 kindergarten Young England 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. Lush wedding dress made of silk taffeta with huge sleeves, a deep neckline and a long train, decorated with hand embroidery, pearls and rhinestones, it became one of the most famous outfits in history.

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

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

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 intimate relationships Charles 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 activities

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: alcohol intoxication Henri Paul, speeding in hopes of getting away from the paparazzi and a conspiracy theory against Diana.

A bright, amazing woman, an extraordinary personality, one of the most famous people of her time - that’s exactly what Diana, Princess of Wales was. The people of Great Britain adored her, calling her the Queen of Hearts, and the sympathy of the whole world was manifested in the short but warm nickname Lady Di, which also went down in history. A number of films have been made about her, many books have been written in all languages. But the answer to the most important question is whether Diana was ever really happy in her bright, but very difficult and such short life, - will forever remain hidden behind a veil of secrecy...

Princess Diana: biography of her early years

On July 1, 1963, their third daughter was born in the house of Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, rented by them in the royal estate of Sandrigham (Norfolk).

The birth of a girl somewhat disappointed her father, Edward John Spencer, the heir to an ancient earl's family. The family already had two daughters, Sarah and Jane, and noble title could only be passed on to his son. The baby was named Diana Francis - and it was she who was later destined to become her father's favorite. And soon after the birth of Diana, the family was replenished with the long-awaited boy, Charles.

Earl Spencer's wife, Frances Ruth (Roche), also came from a noble Fermoy family; her mother was a lady-in-waiting at the queen's court. The future English princess Diana spent her childhood in Sandrigham. The children of the aristocratic couple were brought up in strict rules, more typical of old England than of the country of the mid-twentieth century: governesses and nannies, strict schedules, walks in the park, riding lessons...

Diana grew up as a kind and open child. However, when she was only six years old, life caused the girl serious mental trauma: her father and mother filed for divorce. Countess Spencer moved to London to live with businessman Peter Shand-Kyd, who left his wife and three children for her. About a year later they got married.

After a lengthy legal battle, the Spencer children remained in the care of their father. He also took the incident very hard, but tried to support the children in every possible way - he occupied himself with singing and dancing, organized holidays, and personally hired tutors and servants. He meticulously selected an educational institution for his eldest daughters and, when the time came, sent them to Sealfield Primary School in King Lees.

At school, Diana was loved for her responsiveness and kind character. She was not the best in her studies, but she made great progress in history and literature, was interested in drawing, dancing, singing, swimming, and was always ready to help her fellow students. Close people noted her tendency to fantasize - obviously, this made it easier for the girl to deal with her experiences. “I will definitely become someone outstanding!” - she liked to repeat.

Meeting Prince Charles

In 1975, the story of Princess Diana moves to new stage. Her father accepts the hereditary title of Earl and moves the family to Northamptonshire, where the Spencer family estate, Althorp House, is located. It was here that Diana first met Prince Charles when he came to these places to hunt. However, they did not make an impression on each other then. Sixteen-year-old Diana found the intelligent Charles with impeccable manners “cute and funny.” The Prince of Wales seemed completely infatuated with Sarah, her older sister. And soon Diana went to continue her studies in Switzerland.

However, she quickly grew tired of the boarding house. Having begged her parents to take her away from there, she returns home at eighteen. Her father gave Diana an apartment in the capital, and the future princess plunged into an independent life. Earning money to support herself, she worked for wealthy friends, cleaning their apartments and babysitting children, and then got a job as a teacher at the Young England kindergarten.

In 1980, at a picnic at Althorp House, fate again confronted her with the Prince of Wales, and this meeting became fateful. Diana expressed sincere sympathy to Charles in connection with the recent death of his grandfather, Earl Mountbaden. The Prince of Wales was touched; a conversation ensued. All evening after that, Charles did not leave Diana’s side...

They continued to meet, and soon Charles secretly told one of his friends that he seemed to have met the girl he would like to marry. From that time on, the press drew attention to Diana. Photojournalists began a real hunt for her.

Wedding

In February 1981, Prince Charles made an official proposal to Lady Diana, to which she agreed. And almost six months later, in July, the young Countess Diana Spencer was already walking down the aisle with the heir to the British throne in St. Paul's Cathedral.

A married couple of designers - David and Elizabeth Emmanuel - created a masterpiece outfit in which Diana walked to the altar. The princess was dressed in a snow-white dress made from three hundred and fifty meters of silk. About ten thousand pearls, thousands of rhinestones, and tens of meters of gold threads were used to decorate it. To avoid misunderstandings, three copies of the wedding dress were made at once, one of which is now kept in Madame Tussauds.

Twenty-eight cakes were prepared for the festive banquet, which were baked over fourteen weeks.

The newlyweds received many valuable and memorable gifts. Among them were twenty silver dishes presented by the Australian government and silver jewelry from the heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia. A New Zealand representative presented the couple with a luxurious carpet.

Journalists dubbed the wedding of Diana and Charles “the greatest and loudest in the history of the twentieth century.” Seven hundred and fifty million people around the world had the opportunity to watch the magnificent ceremony on television. It was one of the most widely broadcast events in television history.

Princess of Wales: first steps

Almost from the very beginning, married life turned out to be not at all what Diana dreamed of. Princess of Wales - the high-profile title she acquired after her marriage - was cold and prim, like the whole atmosphere in the royal family's house. The crowned mother-in-law, Elizabeth the Second, did not take any steps to ensure that the young daughter-in-law fit into the family more easily.

It was very difficult for the open, emotional and sincere Diana to accept the external isolation, hypocrisy, flattery and impenetrability of emotions that govern life in Kensington Palace.

Princess Diana's love for music, dancing and fashion was at odds with the way people in the palace used to spend their leisure time. But hunting, horse riding, fishing and shooting are recognized entertainments crowned persons- she was of little interest. In her desire to be closer to ordinary Britons, she often violated the unspoken rules that dictate how a member of the royal family should behave.

She was different - people saw it and accepted her with admiration and joy. Diana's popularity among the country's population grew steadily. But in the royal family they often did not understand her - and, most likely, they did not really strive to understand.

Birth of sons

Diana's main passion was her sons. William, the future heir to the British throne, was born on June 21, 1982. Two years later, on September 15, 1984, his younger brother Harry.

From the very beginning, Princess Diana tried to do everything to prevent her sons from becoming unhappy hostages of their own origin. She tried in every possible way to ensure that the little princes had as much contact as possible with the simple, ordinary life filled with impressions and joys familiar to all children.

She spent much more time with her sons than the etiquette of the royal house prescribed. On vacation, she allowed them to wear jeans, sweatpants and T-shirts. She took them to the cinemas and to the park, where the princes had fun and ran around, ate hamburgers and popcorn, and stood in line for their favorite rides just like other little Britons.

When it was time for William and Harry to receive primary education, it was Diana who sharply opposed their being brought up in the closed world of the royal house. The princes began attending preschool classes and then went to a regular British school.

Divorce

The dissimilarity of the characters of Prince Charles and Princess Diana manifested itself from the very beginning of their life together. By the beginning of the 1990s, a final discord occurred between the spouses. A significant role in this was played by the prince’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, which began even before his marriage to Diana.

At the end of 1992, Prime Minister John Major made an official statement in the British Parliament that Diana and Charles were living separately, but had no plans to divorce. However, three and a half years later, their marriage was officially dissolved by a court order.

Diana, Princess of Wales, officially retained life right to this title, although she has ceased to be Her Highness. She continued to live and work at Kensington Palace, remaining mother to the heirs to the throne, and her business schedule was officially included in the official routine of the royal family.

Social activities

After the divorce, Princess Diana devoted almost entirely her time to charity and social activities. Her ideal was Mother Teresa, whom the princess considered her spiritual mentor.

Taking advantage of her enormous popularity, she focused people's attention on truly important issues modern society: AIDS, leukemia, the lives of people with incurable spinal injuries, children with heart defects. On her charity trips she visited almost the whole world.

She was recognized everywhere, greeted warmly, and thousands of letters were written to her, answering which the princess sometimes went to bed long after midnight. Diana's film about anti-personnel mines in the fields of Angola prompted diplomats from many countries to prepare reports for their governments to ban the purchase of these weapons. At the invitation of Kofi Annan, Secretary General UN, Diana made a report on Angola at the assembly of this organization. And in home country many suggested that she become a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

Trendsetter

For many years, Diana, Princess of Wales, was also considered a style icon in Great Britain. Being a crowned person, she traditionally wore outfits exclusively from British designers, but later significantly expanded the geography of her own wardrobe.

Her style, makeup and hairstyle instantly became popular not only among ordinary British women, but also among designers, as well as movie and pop stars. There are still stories in the press about Princess Diana's outfits and interesting cases associated with them.

So, back in 1985, Diana appeared at the White House at a reception with the presidential couple Reagan in a luxurious dark blue silk velvet dress. It was in it that she danced together with John Travolta.

And the magnificent black evening dress in which Diana visited in 1994 Palace of Versailles, awarded her the title “sun princess”, spoken by the famous designer Pierre Cardin.

Diana's hats, handbags, gloves, and accessories have always been evidence of her impeccable taste. The princess sold a significant part of her clothes at auctions, donating the money to charity.

Dodi Al-Fayed and Princess Diana: a love story with a tragic end

Lady Di's personal life was also constantly under the radar of reporters' cameras. Their intrusive attention did not leave such an extraordinary personality as Princess Diana alone for a moment. The love story of her and Dodi Al-Fayed, the son of an Arab millionaire, instantly became the topic of numerous newspaper articles.

By the time they became close in 1997, Diana and Dodi had already known each other for several years. It was Dodi who became the first man with whom the English princess openly went out into the world after her divorce. She visited him at a villa in St. Tropez with his sons, and later met him in London. Some time later, the Al-Fayeds' luxury yacht, Jonicap, set off on a cruise in the Mediterranean. On board were Dodi and Diana.

The princess's last days coincided with the weekend ending their romantic trip. On August 30, 1997, the couple went to Paris. After dinner at the restaurant of the Ritz Hotel, owned by Dodi, at one o'clock in the morning they got ready to go home. Not wanting to be the center of attention of the paparazzi crowding at the doors of the establishment, Diana and Dodi left the hotel through the service entrance and, accompanied by a bodyguard and driver, hurried away from the hotel...

The details of what happened a few minutes later are still not clear enough. However, in an underground tunnel under Delalma Square, the car was hit terrible accident, crashing into one of the supporting columns. The driver and Dodi al-Fayed died on the spot. Diana, unconscious, was taken to the Salpêtrière hospital. Doctors fought for her life for several hours, but could not save the princess.

Funeral

The death of Princess Diana shook the whole world. On the day of her funeral, national mourning was declared and half-masts were lowered throughout the UK. national flags. Two huge screens were installed in Hyde Park for those who could not attend the funeral ceremony and memorial service. For young couples who had a wedding scheduled for this date, English insurance companies paid significant amounts of compensation for its cancellation. The square in front of Buckingham Palace was littered with flowers, and thousands of memorial candles burned on the asphalt.

Princess Diana's funeral took place at Althorp House, the family estate of the Spencer family. Lady Di found her last refuge in the middle of a small secluded island on the lake, which she loved to visit during her lifetime. By personal order of Prince Charles, Princess Diana's coffin was covered with the royal standard - an honor reserved exclusively for members of the royal family...

Investigation and causes of death

Court hearings to establish the circumstances of Princess Diana's death took place in 2004. They were then temporarily postponed while the investigation into the circumstances of the car accident in Paris was carried out and resumed three years later at the Royal Court in London. The jury heard testimony from more than two hundred and fifty witnesses from eight countries.

As a result of the hearings, the court came to the conclusion that the cause of death of Diana, her companion Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul was the illegal actions of the paparazzi pursuing their car, and Paul driving the vehicle while intoxicated.

These days, there are several versions of why Princess Diana actually died. However, none of them have been proven.

Real, kind, alive, generously giving people the warmth of her soul - that’s how she was, Princess Diana. Biography and life path This extraordinary woman still remains the subject of undying interest of millions of people. In the memory of descendants, she is destined to forever remain the Queen of Hearts, not only in her native country, but throughout the world...

FULL NAME: Diana, Princess of Wales, née Diana Frances Spencer

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

PLACE OF BIRTH: Sandringham, UK

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: blond

MARITAL 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 broadcaster, Diana took 3rd place in the list of the hundred greatest Britons in history.

Born July 1, 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.

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 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 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 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 dated 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 developed further 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 incompatibility of the spouses and the almost 13-year age difference became obvious and destructive. Diana's belief that Charles had 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 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' 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 charities she headed. 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, a former riding instructor. These rumors were made public in Anna Pasternak's book, The Princess in Love, published in 1994, which was made into a film of the same name by director David Greene 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.

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 (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 ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard, Lord John Stevens, who stated that the British investigation confirmed the findings that the blood alcohol content of 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 was twice as high as permissible in this location. Lord Stevens also noted that the passengers, including Diana, were not wearing seat belts, which also played a role in their deaths.

Diana Spencer is one of the most famous women of the twentieth century, whose tragic fate left a mark on the hearts of her contemporaries. Having become the wife of the heir to the royal throne, she faced betrayal and betrayal and was not afraid to expose the hypocrisy and cruelty of the British monarchy to the world.

The tragic death of Diana was perceived by many as a personal tragedy; a huge number of books, films and musical works are dedicated to it. Why Princess Diana was so popular among ordinary people, we will try to understand this material.

Childhood and family

Diana Frances Spencer is a representative of an old aristocratic dynasty, the founders of which were the descendants of kings Charles II and James II. The Duke of Marlborough, Winston Churchill and many other famous Englishmen belonged to her noble family. Her father, John Spencer, was Viscount Elthrop. The future princess's mother, Frances Ruth (née Roche), was also of noble birth - her father held a baronial title, and her mother was a confidant and lady-in-waiting of Queen Elizabeth.

Diana became the third girl in the Spencer family; she has two older sisters - Sarah (1955) and Jane (1957). A year before her birth, a tragedy occurred in the family - a boy born on January 12, 1960 died ten hours after birth. This event seriously affected the already ideal relationship between the parents, and the birth of Diana could no longer correct this situation. In May 1964, the Spencer couple gave birth to the long-awaited heir Charles, but their marriage was already falling apart at the seams, the father spent all his time hunting and playing cricket, and the mother took a lover.

From early childhood, Diana felt like an unwanted and unloved child, deprived of attention and love. Neither her mother nor her father ever told her simple words: "We love you". The divorce of her parents was a shock for the eight-year-old girl, her heart was torn between her father and mother, who no longer wanted to live as one family. Frances left the children to her husband and left with her new chosen one for Scotland; Diana’s next meeting with her mother took place only at the wedding ceremony with Prince Charles.

IN early childhood Diana was raised and educated by governesses and home teachers. In 1968, the girl was sent to the prestigious private school West Hill, where her older sisters were already studying. Diana loved to dance, drew beautifully, and went in for swimming, but other subjects were difficult for her. She was unable to pass her final exams and was left without a matriculation certificate. School failures were caused by to a greater extent lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem, rather than low intellectual abilities.

In 1975, John Spencer inherited the title of Earl from his deceased father, and a year later he married Raine, Countess of Dartmouth. The children disliked their stepmother, boycotted her and refused to sit at the same table. Only after the death of her father in 1992, Diana changed her attitude towards this woman and began to communicate warmly with her.

In 1977, the future princess went to Switzerland to continue her education. Homesickness forced her to return without graduating from school. The girl moved to London and got a job.

In English aristocratic families, it is customary for grown-up children to work on an equal basis with ordinary citizens, so Diana, despite her noble origins, worked as a teacher in the Young England kindergarten, which still exists in the respectable London district of Pimlico and is proud of its connection with the royal family .

She lived in a small apartment, given to her by her father when she came of age, and led a lifestyle common to English youth. At the same time, she was a modest and well-mannered girl, avoided noisy London parties with marijuana and alcohol, and did not start serious affairs.

Meeting Prince Charles

Diana's first meeting with Prince Charles took place in 1977 at the Spencer family estate in Althorp. The heir to the British crown was then dating her older sister Sarah, the girl was even invited to the palace, which indicated serious plans for her. However, Sarah was not eager to become a princess; she did not hide her passion for alcohol, because of which she was expelled from school, and hinted at infertility.

The Queen was not satisfied with this state of affairs, and she began to consider Diana as a possible bride for her son. And Sarah happily married a calm, reliable man with a wonderful sense of humor, bore him three children and lived a happy family life.

The queen's desire to quickly marry her son was caused by his relationship with Camilla Shand, an intelligent, energetic and sexy blonde, but not well-born enough to become the heir to the throne. And Charles liked such women: experienced, sophisticated and ready to carry him in their arms. Camilla was also not averse to becoming a member of the royal family, however, as a smart woman, she had a backup option in the person of officer Andrew Parker-Bowles. Here's Andrew's heart for a long time occupied by Princess Anne, Charles' sister.

The marriage of Camilla and Bowles became a solution to two problems at once for the royal family - at that time Charles served in the navy, and when he returned, he met his beloved as a married lady. That didn't stop them from continuing love relationship, which did not stop with the appearance of Lady Diana’s prince in her life. Looking ahead, we add that eight years after the death of Lady Spencer, the prince married Camilla.

Diana was a modest, pretty girl without a trail of scandals and with an excellent pedigree - an excellent match for the future heir to the throne. The Queen persistently suggested that her son pay attention to her, and Camilla was not against her lover’s marriage to a young, inexperienced person who did not pose any threat to her. Submitting to the will of his mother and realizing his duty to the dynasty, the prince invited Diana first to the royal yacht, and then to the palace, where, in the presence of members of the royal family, he proposed to her.

The official announcement of the engagement took place on February 24, 1981. Lady Di showed the public a luxurious sapphire and diamond ring, which now adorns the finger of Kate Middleton, the wife of her eldest son.

After the engagement, Diana left her job as a teacher and moved first to the royal residence in Westminster, and then to Buckingham Palace. It was an unpleasant surprise for her that the prince lived in separate apartments, continued to lead his usual lifestyle and rarely spoiled the bride with attention.

The coldness and aloofness of the royal family negatively affected Diana’s psyche, her childhood fears and insecurities returned, and her attacks of bulimia became more frequent. Before the wedding, the girl lost 12 kilograms; her wedding dress had to be sewn in several times. She felt like a stranger in the royal palace, it was difficult for her to get used to the new rules, and the environment seemed cold and hostile.

On July 29, 1981, a magnificent wedding ceremony took place, which was seen on television screens by about a million people. Another 600 thousand spectators greeted the wedding procession on the streets of London, all the way to St. Paul's Cathedral. On that day, the grounds of Westminster Abbey could barely accommodate everyone who wanted to take part in this historical event.

Princess Diana's wedding. Chronicles

There were some incidents - the luxurious taffeta dress was badly wrinkled during a ride in a horse-drawn carriage and did not look its best. In addition, the bride, during the traditional speech at the altar, mixed up the order of Prince Charles's names, which violated etiquette, and also did not swear to her future husband of eternal obedience. Royal press attaches pretended that this was the plan, forever changing the text of the wedding vows for members of the British court.

Birth of heirs and problems in family life

After a gala reception at Buckingham Palace, the newlyweds retired to the Broadlands estate, from where a few days later they set off on a honeymoon cruise around Mediterranean Sea. When they returned, they settled in Kensington Palace in west London. The prince returned to his usual way of life, and Diana began to expect the birth of her first child.

The Princess of Wales's pregnancy was officially announced on November 5, 1981; this news caused rejoicing in English society; people were eager to see the heir to the royal dynasty.

Diana spent almost her entire pregnancy in the palace, gloomy and deserted. She was surrounded only by doctors and servants, her husband rarely came to her chambers, and the princess suspected something was wrong. She soon learned of his ongoing relationship with Camilla, which Charles did not even try to hide. Her husband's infidelities depressed the princess; she suffered from jealousy and self-doubt, and was almost always sad and depressed.

The birth of the first-born William (06/21/1982) and the second son Harry (09/15/1984) did not change anything in their relationship. Charles continued to seek solace in the arms of his mistress, and Lady Di shed bitter tears, suffered from depression and bulimia, and drank sedative pills by the handful.

The intimate life of the couple practically disappeared, and the princess had no choice but to find another man. He became Captain James Hewitt, a former military man, courageous and sexy. To have a reason to see him without arousing suspicion, Diana began taking riding lessons.

James gave her what a woman could not get from her own husband - love, care and the joy of physical intimacy. Their romance lasted nine years, it became known in 1992 from Andrew Morton’s book “Diana: Her True Story.” Around the same time, recordings of intimate conversations between Charles and Camilla were made public, which inevitably led to loud scandal in the royal family.

Divorce of Diana and Charles

The reputation of the British monarchy was under serious threat, protest sentiments were brewing in society, and it was necessary to urgently solve this problem. The situation was aggravated by the fact that in just over ten years Diana had become the favorite of not only the British people, but also the world community, so many came to her defense and accused Charles of inappropriate behavior.

At first, Diana's popularity benefited the royal court. She was called the “queen of hearts”, “the sun of Britain” and “the people’s princess” and was put on a par with Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and other great women of the 20th century.

But over time this universal love finally destroyed the marriage of Charles and Diana - the prince became jealous of his wife for her fame, and Lady Di, feeling the support of millions, began to boldly and confidently declare her rights. She decided to show the whole world evidence of her husband’s infidelity, told her story on a tape recorder and handed over the recordings to the press.

After this, Queen Elizabeth disliked Princess Diana, but the royal family could not stay away from the scandal, and on December 9, 1992, Prime Minister John Major officially announced Diana and Charles' decision to live separately.

In November 1995, Lady Di gave a sensational interview to the BBC channel, in which she spoke in detail about her suffering caused by her husband's infidelities, palace intrigues and other unworthy actions of members of the royal family.

Candid interview with Princess Diana (1995)

Charles responded by portraying her as a psychopath and hysterical and demanding an official divorce. The Queen supported her son, awarded her former daughter-in-law a generous allowance, but deprived her of the title Your Royal Highness. On August 28, 1996, the divorce proceedings were completed, and Diana again became a free woman.

Last years of life

After her divorce from Charles, Lady Di tried to arrange her personal life again in order to finally find female happiness. By that time she had already broken up with James Hewitt, suspecting him of hypocrisy and greed.

Diana really wanted to believe that men loved her not only for her title, but also for her personal qualities, and the Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan seemed to her to be just such a person. She fell in love with him without looking back, met his parents and even covered her head as a sign of respect for Muslim traditions.

It seemed to her that in the Islamic world a woman was protected and surrounded by love and care, and this was exactly what she had been looking for all her life. However, Dr. Khan understood that next to such a woman he would always have to remain on the sidelines, and was in no hurry to propose marriage.

In the summer of 1997, Diana accepted an invitation from Egyptian billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed to relax on his yacht. An influential businessman, owner of luxury real estate in London, wanted to get to know such a popular person better.

So that Diana would not get bored, he invited his son, film producer Dodi al-Fayed, to the yacht. Lady Di at first considered this trip as a way to make Dr. Khan jealous, but she herself did not notice how she fell in love with the charming and courteous Dodi.

The tragic death of Princess Diana

On August 31, 1997, Lady Di and her new lover died in a fatal accident in the center of Paris. Their car crashed at breakneck speed into one of the supports of the underground tunnel, Dodi and driver Henri Paul died on the spot, and the princess died two hours later in the Salpêtrière clinic.

The driver's blood contained an alcohol content several times higher than the permissible limit, and the car was moving at great speed, trying to break away from the paparazzi pursuing it.

Diana's death was a huge shock to the world community and gave rise to many rumors and speculation. Many blamed the death of the princess royal family, believing that this accident was staged by the British intelligence services. Information appeared in the press that the driver was blinded with a laser by a man on a motorcycle in order to avoid Diana’s pregnancy from a Muslim and the subsequent scandal. However, all this is from the field of conspiracy theories.

Princess Diana's funeral

All of England mourned the death of the “people's princess”, because before this no person of royal blood had been so loved by the common people. Under public pressure, Elizabeth was forced to interrupt her vacation in Scotland and give her former daughter-in-law the necessary honors.

Diana was buried on September 6, 1997 at the Spencer family estate in Althorp in Northamptonshire. Her grave is hidden from prying eyes on a secluded island in the middle of the lake, access to it is limited. Those wishing to honor the memory of the “people’s princess” can visit the memorial located not far from the burial.

Reasons for popular love

Princess Diana enjoyed the support of the British not only because she gave birth to two heirs and dared to expose the vices of the crown prince. This is largely the result of her charitable activities.

For example, Diana became one of the first famous people to talk about the problem of AIDS. The disease was discovered in the early 1980s, and even ten years later, little was known about the virus and how it spreads. Not all doctors decided to contact people infected with HIV, for fear of contracting a fatal disease.

But Diana was not afraid. She visited AIDS treatment centers without a mask or gloves, shook hands with patients, sat on their beds, asked about their families, hugged and kissed them. “HIV does not turn people into a source of danger. You can shake their hands and hug them, because only God knows how much they need it,” the princess urged.

Traveling through third world countries, Diana communicated with leprosy patients: “When meeting them, I always tried to touch them, hug them, to show that they are not outcasts, not outcasts.”

Having visited Angola in 1997 (there was a civil war there at that time), Diana walked through a field that had just been cleared of mines. No one guaranteed complete safety - the likelihood that mines remained in the ground was very high. Returning to Britain, Diana launched an anti-mine campaign, calling on the army to abandon this type of weapon. “Angola has the highest percentage of amputees. Think about it: one in 333 Angolans lost a limb to mines.”

During her lifetime, Diana did not achieve “deminization,” but her son, Prince Harry, continues her work. He is a patron of the charity The HALO Trust, whose goal is to free the world from mines by 2025, that is, to neutralize all old shells and to eliminate the production of new ones. Volunteers cleared mines in Chechnya, Kosovo, Abkhazia, Ukraine, Angola, and Afghanistan.

In her native London, the princess regularly visited homeless centers and took Harry and William with her so that they could see with their own eyes the other side of life and learn compassion. Prince William later claimed that these visits were a revelation for him and he was grateful to his mother for this opportunity. After Diana's death he became patron charitable organizations, which she previously supported.

At least three times a week she went to children's hospices, where children dying of cancer were kept. Diana spent at least four hours with them. “Some will live, others will die, but while they are alive, they need love. And I will love them,” the princess believed.

Diana changed the face of the British monarchy. If earlier they were associated among ordinary people with yet another suffocating measures like tax increases, then after her actions, as well as a 1995 BBC interview (“I would like monarchs to have more contact with the people”), the monarchy turned into a defender of the disadvantaged. After Lady Di's tragic death, her mission continued.