The Heart of Princess Diana

The death of a princess seems to rarely send a ripple through the world but on August 31, 1997 the death of Princess Diana sent an entire shockwave through the hearts of millions. She was not only a princess in the British royal family but she was a princess of the people. I was only 10 when she died but I remember seeing the news coverage and my mother’s reaction, it seemed to hit especially close to home since my mother is from England. She was only 36 when she died, and she is still missed greatly today.

Princess Diana set the bar for what it means to utilize your title. She may have been a princess but she did not treat anyone as if they were a commoner. She claimed to have never fit into royalty and refused to conform to their rigid customs. She was heavily involved in charities, especially involving children and was openly welcoming to people with HIV/AIDS (which was very frowned upon in the 80s - mid 90s) and she openly shook the hand of an HIV/AIDS patient on live television, helping to change the worlds perception of the disease.

Everything always seems to work better when we all work together.

Princess Diana led with her heart and that heart was filled with hope, love and compassion and it is these traits that are remembered not only by her children but by the world. We need to remember Princess Diana and her kindness to others as we navigate the stressful holiday seasons and push into the new year. Everything always seems to work better when we all work together.

“[She would] like to be a queen of people's hearts, in people's hearts”- Princess Diana

Written By: Alicia Whitcome, our monthly guest author specializing in women of history.