People’s princess
even though they know her only as a historic figure. Diana’s legacy is one of empathy and compassion. Underpinning everything she did was putting herself in someone else’s shoes and feeling their pain. If you think about landmines and HIV, Diana got involved in causes that weren’t regarded as popular or fashionable. On HIV she helped change the whole landscape. That’s also Diana’s legacy.”
There’s no doubt that in a life that was tragically curtailed Diana left her unique stamp on the world. However her most enduring achievement is her two sons who were aged 15 and 12 when she died.
It all seems rather medieval now but during her marriage Diana’s primary function was to produce an heir. She was perfect breeding stock – a young girl plucked from the aristocracy to marry a much older prince and, in the eyes of her supporters, cruelly cast aside when she had delivered. These days, in the context of a more modern Royal Family, such a marriage is almost unimaginable. Looking back it’s little wonder that Diana, unloved and isolated, went off the rails.
During her lifetime the Royal Family was never more unpopular, partly due to public distaste over her treatment.
It is to Diana’s eternal credit that she passed on many of her best qualities to William and Harry, including her warmth and ease with people. Their father has good qualities of his own but he could appear awkward in front of the same crowds upon which Diana’s people skills were working their magic.
Both William and Harry are determined to keep their mother’s memory alive by championing the type of causes that were dear to her heart and standing up for the most vulnerable.
In their choice of charities they often speak of “following in our mother’s footsteps”. That was never more clear than when Harry publicly took an HIV test.
The two Princes have also played a role in transforming the Royal Family, by being more open and approachable.
William’s marriage to Kate, who wears his mother’s engagement ring, is much more a relationship of equals. And like Diana he is determined his children have as normal an upbringing as possible. When William and Harry were young she took them to McDonald’s, where they stood in the queue for burgers, cinemas and theme parks. Before Diana it’s inconceivable that royal princes would have been taken to a shelter for the homeless, without any fanfare, as she did with her sons. Future generations of royal children will also owe a huge debt to Diana for fighting the system to give them greater freedom. Diana wasn’t perfect but no one can question her skills as a mother. “The Princes have both shown incredible empathy, just like her, on issues that aren’t popular such as mental health,” says Tessy. “It’s no coincidence that William and Harry are choosing to go down the same route as their mother. “Her sons are Diana’s greatest legacy, without doubt.” Daily Express Thursday August 31 2017