Royals

Remembering Diana’s legacy 19 years after her untimely death

On the 19th anniversary of Princess Diana's tragic death, we look back at her wonderful legacy.
Princess Diana

August 31st marks 19 years since the tragic passing of Princess Diana.

Many remember the Princess of Wales for her fabulous sense of style. The world also looks back at Diana’s incredible love for her two boys and her hands-on approach in raising Prince William and Prince Harry.

But the 36-year-old was also incredibly selfless and caring – something that shone through her inspiring humanitarian work.

She was a woman who embraced her own ideal of what it meant to live life to its fullest, passing those values along to her sons, and in turn, her legacy burns bright in her great-grandchildren.

In her short 36 years, the mother-of-two embodied her beliefs, focusing on giving back and spreading her positive energy.

She had the remarkable ability to inspire all the while helping others.

“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back if only they had the chance,” she once famously mused.

Click through to check out some of Diana’s most incredible moments

Princess Diana

It’s been 19 years since the tragic passing of Princess Diana. The charismatic royal sadly lost her life after a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

She was just 20 years old when she became a household name following her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles.

But for the Princess of Wales, it was her role has a phenomenal mother to her darling boys, Prince William and Prince Harry that made us fall in love with her.

The world will never forget Diana’s incredible love for her two Princes and her hands-on approach in raising them.

For Diana, she never strayed from what mattered: “Family is the most important thing in the world.”

No matter what was happening in Diana’s personal life, her number one priority was always to love her family. “Hugs can do great amounts of good – especially for children,” Diana revealed.

An unbreakable bond: “I live for my sons. I would be lost without them.”

The loving mother was also a hands-on Princess. She once mused, “I touch people. I think everyone needs that. Placing a hand on a friend’s face means making contact.”

Her legacy burns bright in those that love her, particularity in the Duchess of Cambridge. It’s clear the qualities Prince William grew up loving in his mother, is what drew him to his love, Catherine.

Of course Princess Diana’s youngest son Harry is a humanitarian at heart and has his mother’s magic touch.

Diana immersed herself in the unfamiliar – always ready to soak in new cultures.

The passion to learn and help others is something Catherine shares with her late mother-in-law.

Everything Diana did was filled with love. She once admitted, “the greatest problem in the world today is intolerance. Everyone is so intolerant of each other.”

Just like his mother, Harry has wholeheartedly immersed himself into the world and other cultures.

Prince William and Prince Harry’s world stopped when they lost their mother in 1997. In 2008, Harry shared a piece of his heart and grief at a Thanksgiving service. “William and I can separate life into two parts. There were those years when we were blessed with the physical presence beside us of both our mother and father. And then there are the 10 years since our mother’s death.”

Under the watchful eye of mum! “When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivaled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector,” Harry admitted. WATCH: Charles Spencer’s powerful eulogy at Diana’s funeral. Gallery continues after the video!

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Charles Spencer’s powerful eulogy

Diana was the Princess of hearts. She took action to fulfill her desire to make the world a better place. Her unrelenting work with charities and causes ranging from the treatment of AIDS to the abolition of landmines was something to behold. Once stating, “I don’t go by the rule book… I lead from the heart, not the head.”

Her phenomenal work is being carried on by her kids. In 2013, Prince Harry retraced Diana’s footsteps by visiting Angola in Southern Africa. He’s also a proud patron of HALO – a charity close to Diana’s heart. “My mother, who believed passionately in this cause, would be proud of my association with HALO. In her special way, she adopted it as her own.”

Meanwhile, in 2007 Prince William took on the honourable role as the president of the Royal Marsden Hospital Trust – the same organisation Diana was president for for eight years.

Diana was close friends and fellow humanitarian with Mother Teresa, who passed away just a few days before Diana. The Princess would often join the nun in helping those in need.

Even in the face of royal pressures, Diana stayed true to herself. Her quirky nature made her lovable to millions. She once quipped, “They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?”

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” And she lived by that motto. The warmth of her heart could put a smile on a little baby’s face in an instant.

Or bring out laughter in Hollywood royalty. Diana shares a chuckle with the legendary Liza Minnelli.

Many remember the Princess of Wales for her fabulous sense of style.

She positively dazzled in this royal blue silk number when she stepped out at the Victor Chang Charity Ball for the Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney back in 1996.

Diana’s classic yet understated style will go down in the history books.

One thing was for sure, this Princess knew how to make a jaw-dropping entrance!

19 years may have passed, but the memory of Princess Diana’s is more vivid than ever. In the words of her youngest son Harry, “Put simply, she made us, and so many other people, happy. May this be the way that she is remembered.”

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Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding interview

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