WORLD REPORT EDITION    COVER STORY

  September 12, 1997

The People´s Princess

Britain bids farewell to a favorite royal princess, Diana of Wales

The heavenly scent of 10 million blossoms filled the air in London, England, last week. But the British were too sad to savor the perfume. They gathered by the thousands to mourn a terrible loss: Diana, the beautiful and beloved Princess of Wales, had died.

Diana had been married to Prince Charles, Britain's future King, in a fairy-tale wedding in 1981. The spectacle, broadcast around the world, was one of the most watched events of this century. The royal couple went on to have two sons. As Charles' wife, Diana would have become Queen of England, but the royal fairy tale began to unravel. She and the prince divorced in 1996.

Though no longer a future queen, Diana remained hugely popular. No one was ready for her death at age 36 after an August 31 car accident in Paris, France. Her new boyfriend, Emad Fayed (known as "Dodi"), and the car's driver were also killed.

The whole world poured out its grief. President Clinton and other leaders sent letters of sympathy to the royal family. Mrs. Clinton was among the dignitaries who went to England for the September 6 funeral.

"She was the people's princess," said Britain's top official, Prime Minister Tony Blair, after hearing of her death, "and that is how she will stay in our hearts and memories forever."

In London, the mourners laid mountains of flowers along with handwritten notes and flickering candles near the gates of the royal palace. They waited in long lines to write their thoughts in memorial books. Some began waiting along the streets two days in advance for Diana's funeral procession. Others staked out spots in Hyde Park, where the funeral was broadcast on giant TV screens from London's grandest church, Westminster Abbey.

Michael Price, 11, and his brother Christopher, 12, waited overnight to sign a condolence book. "I just wanted to be here," Michael said. Kristie Couzens, 6, was also standing in line. "We didn't go to sleep last night, but I'm not tired," said Kristie, who traveled 120 miles with her family from Bristol, England. "I just want to write, 'Dear Diana - with love.'"

A Struggle With Fame

Long before her death, Diana had learned that it is tough for even the most popular princess to live happily ever after in the modern world. She was the most famous, most photographed woman on the planet, followed day and night by photographers. They sold pictures of her famous face to newspapers for hundreds of thousands of dollars and continued to hound her even after her divorce from Prince Charles. She became especially furious when photographers trailed her sons: William, 15, who is in line to become king after Charles, and Harry, 12.

On the night of the deadly crash, photographers on motorbikes were chasing Diana's car through the streets of Paris. Several photographers were arrested. Some may be charged with crimes related to the accident after French police finish their investigation.

French police revealed that the driver of Diana's car had been drinking a lot of alcohol and driving too fast. The only person to survive the crash was a security guard who was also the only passenger wearing a seat belt. He may remember more details about the accident and help police figure out what went wrong. The guard was still recovering in a Paris hospital last week.

Her Royal Helping Hands

Diana will be remembered best for reinventing the job of princess. A former nanny and kindergarten-teacher's aide, she loved to help needy children. She also worked to ban explosive weapons called land mines, to fight diseases such as aids and cancer, and to help the homeless.

She visited hospitals, women's shelters and impoverished countries. She held sick, poor and hopeless people with her own soothing hands and spoke to them in her caring voice. The royal family did not usually reach out to people this way, but Diana changed all that.

"I'd like to be a queen in people's hearts," Diana once told a TV interviewer, "but I don't see myself being Queen of this country."

Last week, as her admirers' hearts filled with sadness, it was clear that the Princess's wish had come true. Among the bouquets mourners left in her memory, a few playing cards were scattered. Each one was a queen of hearts.

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