Honouring Diana’s legacy
Princes William and Harry vow to continue charity work that captivated the princess
LONDON— On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, Princes William and Harry paid tribute to their mother, visiting a memorial garden at Kensington Palace and honouring the charities she once worked with.
The engagement Wednesday at the Sunken Garden allowed the young royals, including William’s wife, Kate, to honour Diana’s legacy. The garden has been planted in white and dedicated to the princess at her former home, where she would stroll by and ask the gardeners about their ever-changing displays.
In the pouring rain, the royals huddled under umbrellas to meet with representatives from charities that the princess supported. Diana’s children have promised to carry on her charity work and chatted animatedly with their visitors.
The weeks before the anniversary of Diana’s death have been full of reflection in Britain, as the public remembers “the people’s princess” and considers her contributions to the country and the monarchy. Fans of Diana have been leaving photo- graphs, flowers and flags at the palace gates to remember her.
The 36-year-old Diana died on Aug. 31, 1997, after her Mercedes, pursued by paparazzi, crashed into a concrete pillar in the Alma Tunnel in Paris. Her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and driver, Henri Paul, were also killed. Diana’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was injured but survived.
Diana’s death left people the world over devastated. In Toronto, the Princess of Wales Theatre became an impromptu shrine; Casey House, an AIDS hospice that Diana visited, saw people line up for days to sign a book of condolences; and St. James Cathedral rang out half-muffled bells to mark her passing. In Ottawa and Vancouver, people left flowers outside the British High Commission, Rideau Hall and the British Consulate.
Skye Morrison, a founding member of the Textile Museum of Canada in Toronto, met Diana for just half an hour during her visit to Canada in 1991 — when she signed the famous Canadian AIDS quilt on display — but recalls that she carried herself as though she was having a private conversation with friends.
“She was quite relaxed … not flashy,” Morrison says. “She was quiet, reserved and thoughtful.”
Among some 45 people present at the museum that day were family members and friends who had lost a loved one to AIDS. When stopping to ask questions, Diana listened to their stories with purpose, Morrison says.
“(Diana) was gracious and engaged,” she said.
“She looks you in the eye.”