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Diana of Wales: 25 memorable moments that defined the “people’s princess”

From the most watched wedding of the 20th century to the last public appearances of the princess: a review of the most significant moments in Lady Di’s life, 25 years after her death on August 31, 1997

Madrid - Sep 02, 2022 - 04:18CEST

On February 24, 1981, Diana Spencer and Prince Charles announced their engagement after six months of dating. The couple posed in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, where Diana wore a blue suit, matching the sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring created by then-crown jeweler Garrard, and with which Prince William later proposed to Kate Middleton.CORDON PRESS

The couple posed shortly before their wedding at Craigowan Lodge, a British royal family residence near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The princess wore a colorful sweater, baggy pants and wellies, a style that reflected the withdrawn personality that she displayed in her first meetings with the media and which she shed over the years, especially after her divorce.Tim Graham (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)

The engaged couple attended their first public event together on March 9, 1981. It was a recital at Goldsmith's Hall in London, where Diana wore a black satin gown with strapless neckline and ruffle detailing by British designer duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel. "We witnessed with our own eyes the birth of a fashion icon," the designer told the British edition of 'Vogue' magazine. In 2010, the dress was acquired at auction by the Fashion Museum of Chile for €230,000. At that first public event, Charles reproached his future wife for having picked a black dress, as this was the color of mourning, and the scolding affected Diana, who was upset during the event.Central Press (Getty Images)

On June 29, 1981, the most watched wedding of the 20th century took place. Lady Di and Prince Charles were married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, in a televised ceremony followed by 750 million people around the world. The princess walked down the aisle in a dress designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel that set future trends in bridal fashion and has been since imitated countless times by countless brides. It was a piece loaded with volume, lace and embroidery, with prominent puffed sleeves, a voluminous taffeta skirt and a train almost eight meters long. In June 2021, the design was on display in an exhibition entitled 'Royal Style in the Making' at Kensington Palace in London, which featured previously unseen pieces by some of the monarchy's most celebrated couturiers and had as its main attraction Diana's iconic dress, which was inherited by her sons William and Henry. The couple would separate 11 years later, in 1992.DPA vía Europa Press (Europa Press)

Diana walking out of London's St. Mary's Hospital after giving birth to her first child, Prince William, in 1982. Three decades later, her daughter-in-law Kate Middleton paid tribute to the outfit Diana was wearing with a dress of the same print made by Jenny Packham after the birth of her eldest son, George. Diana and Charles' second son, Henry, was born in September 1984. According to the princess, after she became pregnant for the second time, she and Charles never had sex again.Jon Hoffman (GETTY)

Princess Diana became enormously popular after her wedding. Wherever she went, she attracted huge crowds and her prominence even overshadowed the heir to the throne. One example was the Australian tour in the spring of 1983, when a huge mass of people received the couple as they arrived at the Sydney Opera House.CORDON PRESS

Diana was close friends with Sarah Ferguson. They had known each other since their teenage years, and it was she who introduced her to the man who would become her husband and father of her two daughters, Prince Andrew, third son of Elizabeth II. When they joined the British royal family, they became great allies. "Diana and I had our own mental health issues, and we used to talk [about it]," Ferguson said in an interview with People magazine last year. This relationship placed both women in the spotlight. They suffered continuous media persecution, criticism and comparisons, and the media insisted on proving that they were enemies. Pictured above, the princesses at the Windsor polo club, in June 1983.Georges De Keerle (Getty)

Another one of the most memorable moments in the life of Diana of Wales was the dance she starred in with John Travolta to the song 'You should be dancing' from the movie 'Saturday Night Fever.' It took place at the gala dinner hosted by Ronald and Nancy Reagan at the White House in November 1985, where the princess wore a velvet dress created by British designer Victor Edelstein. The outfit has been auctioned up to three times. The last time was in December 2019, when it was acquired by the charity Historic Royal Palaces for more than €200,000.AP

Jewelry was also key for Diana, who used them to express herself and convey messages. The princess made the most of them by combining them with matching dresses and experimenting, as she did with this choker that she wore as a headband during a trip to Melbourne in 1985. The item was part of the 'Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure,' the set of emerald and diamond jewellery that once belonged to Queen Mary of Teck, grandmother of Elizabeth II.Getty

Lady Di in one of her best-remembered poses, sitting on the stairs of the entrance to Highgrove House, Prince Charles' country house in Gloucestershire, England, in 1986.Tim Graham

In terms of style, Diana was bold enough to try all kinds of combinations. An example was her look at the 1986 America's Cup party, held at the Grosvenor House hotel in London, consisting of a Murray Arbeid dress with a black body and a voluminous red skirt, which she combined with two long gloves, one black and one red. As a curious fact, the princess stopped wearing this accessory because she liked to shake hands and have direct contact with people.Anwar Hussein (Getty Images)

Out of her jewelry collection, if there was one piece that Diana of Wales looked particularly good in, it was the Spencer tiara, named after herself. It had belonged to her family since 1919 and she wore her to all the most important events, including her wedding to Charles. Above, a visit to the German city of Bonn in 1987. The tiara was on display in June at Sotheby's in London as part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II's reign. It will be inherited by her granddaughter Charlotte, William's second daughter.Herman Knippertz (AP)

A lover of dance, music and firmly committed to the world of culture, the Princess of Wales stepped on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival for the first and last time in 1987. She wore a light blue dress by Catherine Walker, one of her head designers. Six years later, in 2013, it was auctioned for more than €90,000, money that went to charitable causes.Tim Graham (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)

Catherine Walker also designed the dress she wore to the gala of the British Fashion Awards in 1989. It was a design full of pearls with a matching bolero jacket that Diana herself called "the Elvis dress." Since 2006, it has been part of the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, where it was loaned by the collectors' house The Franklin Mint, after acquiring it at a charity auction in 1997.Julian Parker (UK Press via Getty Images)

Diana wanted her children to lead normal lives as much as possible. She was seen in public with them going on walks, enjoying their holidays and doing various outdoor activities. She also used to eat fast food with them on weekends. Pictured above, with her sons Henry and William during a visit to Thorpe Park amusement park in London, in 1990GTRESONLINE

This down-to-earth attitude to child rearing extended to school. In June 1989 the princess participated in a race of mothers at Wetherby, the school that Prince William attended, showing a naturalness that differed vastly from the restrictive demeanor of the royal family.AP

The Princess of Wales focused on charity work, helping sick, at-risk and wounded children in numerous countries such as India, Pakistan and New Zealand. Above, with an HIV-positive baby in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 1991.Dave Caulkin (AP)

On June 14, 1992, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the traditional ceremony of the Order of the Garter at Windsor Castle. Diana barely looked up from the ground, and a slight smile showed on her face. That same day, 'Diana, Her True Story' was published, a book by Andrew Morton, with whom the princess had collaborated in secret. The biography unleashed controversy with revelations about her alleged suicide attempts.Tim Graham (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)

The Prince and Princess of Wales embarked on their last official tour together in November 1992, in South Korea. A month later, on December 8, Buckingham Palace announced their separation. It was also reported that Diana would remain at Kensington Palace and Charles would move to Clarence House, which is currently still his residence in London.Anwar Hussein (GETTY IMAGES)

The so-called "dress of revenge" is one of the most iconic in the history of the British monarchy. In June 1994, after more than a year of speculation about the reasons for the breakup between Prince Charles and Diana, a documentary titled 'Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role ' was released, in which he confessed to having been unfaithful. "I was faithful until it was clear to me that our marriage was irreparably broken," he said. That same night, the so-called people's princess went to a party organized by the magazine 'Vanity Fair' at the Serpentine Gallery in London in a short black dress that left her shoulders exposed. It was a creation of the Greek designer Christina Stambolian that Lady Di had bought years before but had remained intact in her closet until then, as it was deemed too provocative.Princess Diana Archive (Getty Images)

After their breakup, Diana underwent a radical image change, with much more personal and daring choices that did not depend on the protocol and approval of the royal house. This turned her into a style icon. In the picture, the princess at a charity concert held in Italy in 1995, wearing a bold white strapless dress by Versace, which she combined with matching shoes and bag.Tim Graham (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)

Diana of Wales' interview with journalist Martin Bashir on the BBC's 'Panorama' program in November 1995 was described as the scoop of the century by the British media. Three years after separating from Charles, the princess discussed her fears, her need to be heard and the infidelities of both. The interview left memorable phrases such as "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." The couple signed the divorce papers shortly after that, in August 1996, after 15 years of marriage. In late 2020, a plot of blackmail and lies used to convince Diana to grant the interview was uncovered, and the BBC was forced to apologize.PA/BBC SCREEN GRAB (PA / Cordon Press)

Diana's commitment to fashion was further evidenced in 1996, when she attended the Met gala, the charity event held at the Metropolitan Museum of New York that has become one of the main events of the fashion industry. It was in December, just a few months after her divorce from Prince Charles. That year, the event paid tribute to the legacy of Christian Dior, and Diana opted for one of the first designs created by John Galliano for the prestigious French designer's firm: a blue lingerie dress with black lace applications. She combined it with a Lady Dior bag, one of the most iconic models of the house, and her famous pearl necklace presided over by a huge sapphire.Associated Press

Mario Testino took the last official portraits of Diana, in 1997. After the iconic shoot, the Peruvian became one of the favorite photographers of the royal family. Prince William chose him to immortalize his engagement to Kate Middleton in 2010 and hired him again for the christening of his second daughter, Princess Charlotte, in 2015. He also portrayed Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, at the Duchess's 70th birthday. However, in early 2018, the family severed ties with him after allegations of sexual abuse against the photographer became public.Reuters

The gala at the Tate Gallery in London, in July 1997, was one of the last public events that Diana attended (in this case, in a black dress by the Moroccan couturier Jacques Azagury). Just a month later, on August 31, 1997, Lady Di lost her life in a tragic car accident in Paris.Tim Graham (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)