The "People's Princess" will be forever missed.
Princess Diana, known as the "People's Princess," was everyone's favorite. Unfortunately, her life came to a tragic end in a car crash on August 31st, 1997. Just two months before, on July 1st, she had turned 36.
On her birthday in 1997, Diana attended a gala held in honor of the Tate Gallery's Centenary in London.
The Princess of Wales was dressed in a beaded black gown by Jacques Azagury, and looked stunning as ever, per PEOPLE.
Speaking to Hello!, Jacques said, "Diana loved it. I believe she had another dress to wear but ended up wearing mine." He also added that she had become more confident since the divorce. "She was happier than I had ever seen her. There was something about the way she carried herself; a certain new-found confidence," he added.
Diana took some time before entering the gala to greet and accept gifts from fans awaiting her arrival outside. Photos show Diana holding bouquets of flowers and a heart-shaped balloon, with the biggest smile on her face. Truly, she radiated joy.
"Diana had a genius for people," her younger brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, once said. "She could make any person, whether they were the grandest or the most humble feel totally at ease in her company."
Charles, who accompanied Diana to the event, revealed that it was the last time he saw her alive. "The last time I saw Diana was on July 1, her birthday in London, when typically she was not taking time to celebrate her special day with friends but was guest of honor at a special charity fundraising evening."
Princess Diana was a great mother to her sons, Harry and William. The boys have grown into men and now have families of their own; however, they continue to honor their mom's memory and appreciate her efforts to raise them.
According to Tina Brown’s 2007 biography The Diana Chronicles, no fewer than 90 bouquets of flowers were sent to Kensington Palace that year, as per SCMP. Prince Harry, who was only 12-year-old then, made the last birthday very special for his mother. According to Brown’s biography, the young prince phoned his mum from his boarding school at Ludgrove and got a group of his school friends to sing Happy Birthday over the phone.
On what would have been Diana's 59th birth anniversary, the Duke of Sussex surprised attendees of the virtual Diana Awards with an emotional speech, per Harper's Bazaar.
"I know that my mother has been an inspiration to many of you, and I can assure you she would have been fighting in your corner. Like many of you, she never took the easy route or the popular one or the comfortable one. But she stood for something, and she stood up for people who needed it," Prince Harry said.
In May 2022, Prince William, who attended the official opening of the Manchester Arena memorial with his wife, Kate Middleton, spoke about his own experience with grief, according to Us Weekly.
The Duke of Cambridge noted that he knew “the pain and the trauma” has not gone away following the 2017 bombing, which took place during an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people. “As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten,” he continued.
Happy Birthday, Princess Diana! You will always be missed.
References:
https://people.com/royals/princess-diana-spent-final-birthday/
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2017070140136/princess-diana-last-birthday/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Daily Express
