Editor’s letter: from the desk of The Weekly’s Kim Doherty
Diana, Princess of Wales, was just 36 when she died after that senseless and shocking car accident we all remember so well. It devastated her family and rocked the world. Her eldest son, William, turned 35 in June; his brother, Harry, will be 33 in September, and there’s no question that if Diana were still with us she would be brimming over with pride about her sons, who are now the cornerstone of a modern monarchy with its eye on the future.
With every step, these inspiring young men follow in their mother’s footsteps, instinctively replicating her unique sense of compassion and connection with the people. William recently shared that he’s sad his own children, George and Charlotte, and wife Catherine weren’t able to know his mother, but through him and his brother they surely do.
We all know where we were when news came through of the inexplicable death of this beloved royal on August 31, 1997. The outpouring of grief was unprecedented, especially in Australia. We had our own special connection with Diana who was – and still is – an icon and a trailblazer.
As a young mother, Diana’s first official overseas tour brought her to us, with Prince William on her hip, and of course the nation fell in love. Right off the bat she was messing with royal protocol and making history as she refused to leave baby William at home. When the Queen, then a mother of two, made her inaugural 58-day visit to Australia in 1954, she left a five-year-old Prince Charles and three-year-old Princess Anne back home with their nannies. Diana was determined to protect her sons from the loneliness and stuffiness of royal life and changed the monarchy with her modern parenting.
On that first visit she was shy and inexperienced, but Diana lit up in front of the cameras and proved to be a natural meeting the public, who turned out in their droves. Diana made her final visit to our shores in 1996. By then she had evolved into an extraordinary woman. Though no longer married to her prince, she exuded confidence as the guest of honour at a fundraiser for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney (pictured here, below). Ten months later she was dead.
It’s hard to believe that was 20 years ago and in this very special issue we not only pay tribute to Diana, the “People’s Princess”, but investigate her legacy. Her best friend, journalist Tina Brown, gives a telling insight into Diana’s unhappy childhood and her lasting effect on the monarchy, and royal biographer Christopher Wilson shows how her sons are determined to honour their mother and keep her spirit alive (page 22). We also bring you some of the most beautiful portraits of Diana ever taken, from her favourite photographers Mario Testino and Patrick Demarchelier, as well as some rare childhood and behind-the-scenes photos. Also in this month’s magazine we talk to celebrities, including Lisa Wilkinson, Jessica Mauboy and Bindi Irwin, about special, life-changing moments in their lives (page 38), and take you into the Tassie home of former Greens leader Bob Brown and his partner, Paul Thomas (page 60).
And if you’re planning a children’s party, turn to page 160 for everything you need for the ultimate teddy bears’ picnic, complete with bear-shaped sandwiches and party bags with ears! Happy reading.