Princess Diana, the ‘People’s Princess’, stole hearts across the globe as soon as she became a member of the Royal Family. Even after her tragic death in 1997, people still adore her and consider her an inspirational icon.
Here, we take a look at six facts about Princess Diana that you may not know.
Wedding Dress
Diana’s wedding dress, created by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, was an incredible gown made with silk, sequins, antique lace and 10,000 pearls. But, what made it historical is that it featured a 25 foot-long train; the longest wedding dress in royal history! Before the big day, Diana had to practice walking in the dress multiple times.
Wedding Vows
Diana was accustomed to breaking royal traditions. During her wedding, she chose to abandon the traditional royal wedding vow of saying she would ‘obey’ Prince Charles. Prince William and Kate Middleton later followed suit and changed their wedding vows by removing the word ‘obey’ when they married in April 2011.
Hospital Births
Royal wedding vows weren’t the only tradition that Diana broke. Usually, members of the royal family would give birth at the palace. However, Diana gave birth to both of her sons at the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in London. Kate Middleton again followed suit and gave birth to her children at the same hospital. Meghan Markle’s children were also born in hospitals in London and California.
Dress Auction
Diana was renowned for her incredible charity work, she even changed the stigma surrounding AIDS. Her son, Prince William suggested that she sell some of her dresses to raise money for charity: so she did just that. She auctioned off 79 dresses and raised a total of $5.76 million, which was given to AIDS and breast cancer charities. The auction was held just two months before her death.
Landmine Fields
Diana famously walked across a field of landmines in Huambo, Angola in January 1997. She was photographed wearing a bomb vest and face shield to promote the charity work of The HALO Trust. After her visit, the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty had been signed, which called for countries to unite in the fight to put an end to landmines globally.
Island Burial
Diana is buried on an island situated in the middle of the Oval Lake, on the grounds of Althorp Park, her family home. The original plan was for her to be buried in the Spencer family vault, however, this plan was changed so that she could be buried in a more private location which allows visitors to go and pay their respects.
We have a series of sovereigns available that honour Diana and her remarkable life. You can browse them HERE.