Princess Diana: Iconic Moments and Legacy

On Aug. 31, 1997, a car crash in a Paris underpass extinguished the life of a 36-year-old beloved around the globe. A beauty and fashion icon who wore her heart on her sleeve, Princess Diana comforted the afflicted and inspired fans everywhere with her grace, hard work for charity and resilience.

Twenty-five years later, the “People’s Princess” is far from forgotten. Her legacy lives on in sons William and Harry and their families, as well as in the hearts of legions of admirers who had envisioned a fairy-tale ending for the kindergarten assistant who wed a prince. Says Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward, “There will never be anyone quite like her again.” Here’s a look at memorable moments and the gifts Diana gave.

The Smooch Seen Around the World

An estimated 750 million people watched Lady Diana Spencer, just 20 years old, nervously exchange vows with 32-year-old Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Afterward, egged on by a sea of cheering fans, they shared a tender kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Few knew that the fairy tale already was starting to unravel. Diana reportedly thought of backing out of the wedding at the last minute, but her sisters cheekily responded that she couldn’t — her face already was on souvenir tea towels. Charles allegedly wanted to back out too. The public later learned that the prince was still involved with the married Camilla Parker Bowles, and Diana knew it.

Becoming a Model Mum

Diana proudly presented Charles with William, born nearly 11 months after the wedding on June 21, 1982, followed by Harry, born Sept. 15, 1984. Dubbed “the heir and a spare,” each made his public debut with Diana and Charles on the steps of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital a day after their births. William’s wife, Catherine Middleton, continued that tradition with George, Charlotte and Louis.

Juggling Motherhood and the Limelight

A devoted and thoroughly modern mother, Di defied royal convention with openly affectionate, hands-on parenting. She insisted on taking 10-month-old William on a tour of Australia and New Zealand in April 1983 instead of leaving him home with a nanny. The baby, nicknamed “Wills,” delighted the press by crawling, standing with assistance and waving. Charles looked glum, perhaps because Diana was getting the lion’s share of attention. Her popularity eclipsed his, to the point where he was relegated to the background when admirers pushed forward with bouquets and hopes for a touch or a dazzling smile. “With the media attention came a lot of jealousy,” Diana told the BBC’s Martin Bashir in her famous 1995 TV interview after the couple’s separation. “We'd be going round Australia, for instance, and all you could hear was, ‘Oh, she’s on the other side,’ ” an expression of disappointment that Charles would be closest to them. As adulation mounted, the bashful former schoolteacher perfected a polished public persona.

Adding Normalcy to the Monarchy

Royals weren’t known for eating at McDonald’s or waiting in line at public attractions. But Diana made sure her boys did both. She liked Big Macs and fries as well. During outings to an amusement park in the early ’90s, the trio got joyfully drenched on a log flume ride. Before the visits, Diana insisted their group receive no VIP treatment. She also taught William and Harry to be sensitive to those without their privilege, taking them to homeless shelters. “She understood there was a real life outside the palace walls,” William recalled in a rare interview aired on HBO in 2017. “She wanted us to see it from a very young age.”

Trailblazing Caring and Compassion

Diana did more than attend charity balls and serve as figurehead for groups that do good. Her decision to be photographed with gloves off shaking the hand of an AIDS patient in a British hospital in 1987 did much to dispel the myth that the stigmatized disease could be contracted that way. She did the same in Canada and New York City. During her work with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India, she made headlines by touching the deformed limbs of leprosy patients. When she strode through a field of potentially lethal land mines in 1997 that destroyed or injured thousands in Angola, she shone a spotlight on the issue and raised millions for the Red Cross. Her support was influential in the signing of an international mine ban initiative after her death.

From ‘Shy Di’ to Fashion Icon

Diana’s rise to fashion influencer began with a demure feathered shag haircut, billowy dresses and a red sweater imprinted with one black sheep amid a flock of white ones. (Did she feel like one with the royals?) Then came the puffy-sleeved ivory taffeta and lace wedding gown with a 25-foot train that — love it or hate it — launched thousands of copycat dresses. As the decades passed and her style sense soared, the hemlines got higher and the décolleté dipped. At a White House state dinner in 1985, Diana stunned in a midnight blue velvet off-the-shoulder gown as she twirled on the dance floor with John Travolta. She learned to communicate via what she wore. A prime example: the so-called “revenge dress” — a skin-tight, low-cut black creation she wore to an event in 1994, the same night Prince Charles admitted to infidelity during their marriage on national TV.

An Outpouring of Mourning

Who could have predicted that the vital princess coming into her own post-divorce would die senselessly after a paparazzi car chase at age 36? Fans in England and the U.S. awoke to the news on Aug. 31, 1997. Flowers, notes, candles, stuffed animals and other gifts piled up outside the gates of Kensington Palace, where Diana lived an often lonely existence in an elegant apartment. Similar impromptu tributes popped up near the Paris tunnel where she was fatally injured, outside the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

Goodbye, England’s Rose

Diana’s funeral in Westminster Abbey was televised worldwide to an audience estimated at 2.5 billion. Luminaries present included Hillary Clinton, Luciano Pavarotti, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Steven Spielberg. Charles and Queen Elizabeth were there; Camilla Parker Bowles was not. The queen, who at first wouldn’t cut short her annual Scotland vacation to return to London, relented and bowed her head as Diana’s coffin was carried down the aisle. Elton John played a reworked version of his Marilyn Monroe tribute, “Candle in the Wind.” “Goodbye, England’s rose,” he sang. “Your candle’s burned out long before your legend ever will.” How heartbreaking to see 15-year-old William and 12-year-old Harry walking through the streets of London following their mother’s casket, heads down and suffering. It was “a long, lonely walk,” William told the BBC in 2017, saying he tried to hide his emotions behind his long blond bangs. The brothers’ simple white bouquet atop the coffin bearing their handwritten card that simply said “Mummy” brought many to tears.

William Finds His Soulmate

Following eight years of on-and-off dating at St. Andrew’s University and afterward, Prince William finally put a ring on commoner Catherine Middleton’s finger. And not just any bling: his mother’s 12-carat Ceylon sapphire engagement ring encircled by 14 diamonds. Prince Harry originally chose it when he and his brother divided Diana’s jewelry, but generously gave it to William. The ring was “my way of making sure mother didn’t miss out on today,” William said when they announced their engagement in 2010. The glowing “Waity Katie,” as the press dubbed her, showed off her perfect manicure, a contrast to Diana, who bit her nails under the stress of dating a royal and didn’t flaunt them in engagement photos.

Carrying on Diana’s Legacy

The duo enthusiastically became involved with multiple charities, including the Heads Together mental health initiative with Prince Harry. The queen anointed William and Kate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the sporty pair enjoyed competing against each other at charity events. Whether it was golf or foot races, William and Kate were game.

Harry Soldiers On

After serving in the army for 10 years, including two tours in Afghanistan, Harry was at loose ends. Then he founded the Invictus Games, which runs competitions such as wheelchair basketball and track and field events for wounded warriors, with the motto: “We came. We saw. We’re unconquered.” His romance with U.S. actress Meghan Markle became official when he brought her to the games in 2017. In 2019, he repeated Di’s land mine walk in Angola.

Di’s Youngest Settles Down

Former wild child Harry (naked billiards in Las Vegas — what was he thinking?) tied the knot with American Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, in a well-choreographed wedding at the Windsor Castle chapel. It was attended by celebs including Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney. The pair clutched hands at every opportunity and arrived at the reception in James Bond style, with Meghan in a halter-top dress and Harry at the wheel of a vintage Aston Martin.

Kate and Meghan Embody Di’s Style

Each of the late Diana’s daughters-in-law paid homage with dozens of ensembles they chose for public appearances. Diana famously wore her sparkly white high-collared “Elvis” gown and the Queen’s Lover’s Knot tiara on a 1989 visit to Hong Kong. Kate chose that tiara and a white gown for the 2019 British state dinner for Donald Trump. Meghan adopted the slicked-back hairstyle Di wore to the Council of Fashion Designers of America ball when she attended the 2019 premiere of The Lion King movie. All three made British fascinator mini hats famous. While Kate hews to the royal standard of formality, Meghan echoes Diana’s casual side by being photographed in jeans.

Diana’s Name Lives On

In 2020, Harry and Meghan made the unpopular decision to step away from royal duties to pursue a lower-key life in Southern California with son Archie, far from British tabloid snarkiness and a perceived lack of support from the monarchy. William and Harry, once so close, seemed increasingly at odds. “He’s my brother,” Harry told Oprah Winfrey in a March 2021 TV interview with Meghan. “We’ve been to hell together. But we’re on different paths.” Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth and Diana live on in Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Lilibet Diana, born on June 4, 2021. Lilibet is Elizabeth’s childhood nickname, also used as a term of affection by her late husband, Prince Philip. William and Kate’s second child, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, also honors the two women.

The Man Who Would be King

Back on the balcony where his parents once shared a loving moment, William — second in line for the throne behind Charles — celebrated the 70th anniversary of his grandmother’s reign in June 2022. Kate tried to keep mischievous 4-year-old Louis reined in as roaring fighter jets marked the occasion, while William corralled George and Charlotte. Meghan and Harry, as “nonworking royals,” were not seated on the balcony and were reportedly snubbed by William and Kate. But they did get to introduce Lilibet to her great-grandmother. Diana surely would have been proud.

Kitty Bean Yancey, a former USA Today deputy manager for celebrities and entertainment, has been reporting on the royals since 1983.