Most people remember where they were when they heard the news the Princess Diana had died. It is hard to believe that August 31 will mark 20 years since that day.
But as the world moves on, Diana’s two sons seem more determined than ever that her legacy should be honoured. As The Australian Women’s Weekly reveals this month, the creation of a memorial garden and Kensington Palace and the promise of a new statue for Diana prove the young Royals will not let their vivacious, compassionate mother be forgotten.
“Everyone knows the story. Everyone knows her,” Prince William has said.
As the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death approached, the two princes have been speaking about their mother with fresh candour.
William has opened up about how difficult it is for him to know his mother will never get to see his children grow up, and that they will never know her.
Speaking of the gaping hole Diana’s death left for a huge amount of people around the world, Prince Harry has revealed it is she who is the inspiration behind his own work.
“All I want to do is make my mother proud,” he has said.
Former private secretary to the princess, Patrick Jephson, said it was Diana’s combination of beauty, pluck and compassion that captivated the world.
Never were these qualities more evident than at the opening of Britain’s first HIV/AIDS ward in 1987 when she helped break down the stigma surrounding the disease by being photographed shaking the hand of an AIDS sufferer.
“HIV does not make people dangerous to know,” she said at the time. “You can shake their hands and give them a hug – heaven knows they need it.”
“I doubt any individual will have such an impact again,” Peter Waddup, Nation Director of The Leprosy Mission told The Australian Women’s Weekly, when interviewed about the transformative effect of Diana’s patronage.
“Diana had an astonishing impact,” he said.
The Princess of Wales is remembered by close friends and relatives in a special tribute in this month’s issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, on sale now.
