Princess Diana went from “shy Di” to a passionate philanthropist. Though she was married to Prince Charles, she didn’t realize her passion until after their divorce. Princess Diana had a passion for life and for giving back to her community. She had her share of boyfriends, and expressed an interest in the late George Michael. A two-hour special documenting Diana’s final 100 days aired on Dateline on Sunday night, May 7.
Diana was just a shy young woman when she met Prince Charles. She had no clue what life as a Royal would be like. A new Today series, Diana – 20 Years Later, aired on Friday, May 5. The special talks about how the world sees Princess Diana today. Long before she became the world’s princess, she was just a shy teenager with ambitions. The awkward young beauty known as “shy Di” had no clue how she would change the Royal family forever.
She was the one chosen to marry Prince Charles, who was 12 years older than her. Diana and Princes Charles were from different worlds. She met the Prince when she was just a teenager. To most, it would be creepy, but it was played out as a fairytale in the media. Diana worked as an assistant in a London kindergarten, around the same time she caught Princes Charles’ eye.
The world also noticed “shy Di.” A famous photo of the future Princess Diana holding two kids in her arms captivated the world. One of her longtime photographers, Arthur Edwards, spoke to Today about that very snapshot.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, I promise. I didn’t do it to embarrass her, but it was such a good picture you could not publish it,” he said.
Edwards continued to work for Diana, who died tragically on Aug. 31, 1997, in a Paris car crash after she was chased by paparazzi. Diana and Prince Charles married on July 29, 1981, and then divorced 15 years later.
She gradually transitioned into becoming the people’s princess. She understood that it helped improve the image of the stoic monarchy. Diana allowed herself to be photographed with sick infants. She also hugged people who suffered from AIDS and spoke to those with leprosy. She successfully transitioned from “shy Di” to a charitable princess.
Princess Diana wanted to make a difference on the world, according to NBC News. She used her name and stature to get headlines for the causes and charities that she was behind. Diana felt that these health conditions needed the most attention in the media.
Princess Diana also made sure to live a passionate life. She made sure to enjoy the single life without the constraints of being a royal. She was in a relationship with Dodi Fayed, the son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed. She also had rumored affairs with James Hewitt and British-Pakistani heart surgeon, Hasnat Khan, according to a new ABC News report.
Diana and Khan’s relationship came to light in the upcoming ABC special, The Last 100 Days of Diana, which touches upon her final months before her untimely death 20 years ago. Diana was only 36 years old when she died in a car crash.
Did you tune in to watch the Princess Diana special on ABC, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to check CDL for more royals news and updates.
Image Credit: FameFlynet, Twitter
Princess Diana used the papz fascination with her to bring light to her charitable causes & show the world what was REALLY happening pic.twitter.com/GJ2OwDMPXP
— Sire L. Lamar-Becker (@SireLeoLamar) May 6, 2017
