Princess Diana of Wales

Once there was a modern fairytale about a commoner who became a princess. The People’s Princess was young, beautiful and was a breath of fresh air to British royalty. Princess Diana was known for reinventing the role of royal Princess and reached out to the people on many levels. Diana Spencer was the youngest daughter of Viscount Althorp and his wife Frances. Diana was born on the first of July, 1961 in Norfolk, England. Her family was British nobility. When her father inherited the title of Earl she became Lady Diana Spencer. When she married Prince Charles on the twenty ninth of July, 1981 she became a princess. Princess Diana of Wales became a worldwide icon and was a hero because she did so much charity work. For example helping the homeless, advocating for people with AIDS, and raising awareness of landmines and other world issues. She was compassionate and always wanted to get close to the people. Princess Diana was also known for making her own rules because she wanted to live her life normally and give her sons a normal life. Diana’s sons Prince William and Prince Harry were extremely important to her. She was very protective over them and tried to keep them out of the spotlight. She would even took them to amusement parks and on skiing trips in an effort to live a normal life. A hero must possess selflessness and determination. Selflessness is when a hero puts others before themselves. Princess Diana always thought about putting others first. She was the first Princess to touch people with AIDS and took away the stigma of the disease so people weren't afraid anymore. Another quality heroes should possess is determination. It is the drive that keeps people going. Even though Princess Diana’s life wasn't always so glamorous she managed to make the best of it by helping others and putting on a brave face. Princess Diana of Wales was compassionate and influential because she helped the less fortunate and believed everyone had value.

Princess Diana with her sonszululandobserver.co.zaPrincess Diana with her sons (Prince William and Prince Harry)MJ-Upbeat.comCompassion, the expression of sympathy and caring for others, was one of Diana’s greatest strengths. She was named the People's Princess, Diana worked tirelessly on behalf of others: “Over the years, Diana immersed herself in numerous charitable causes. She became involved in such social issues as homelessness and drug abuse, visited leprosariums in Nigeria and Indonesia, shook hands with patients at an AIDS ward in a Middlesex Hospital, and once visited victims of an IRA (Irish Republican Army) bombing in Northern Ireland. In 1990, People noted, Diana was the patron of 44 charities, making more than 180 visits on their behalf the previous year” (“Princess Diana”). Princess Diana was kind and generous. She treated people equally and didn't let economic or social barriers stand in her way. She was compassionate and cared deeply about helping people and making lives better: “Diana worked tirelessly on behalf of charities around the world, using her fame to raise awareness of a number of important humanitarian issues” (Jones).  Even 20 years after Diana’s death her lessons of compassion are still there, and her humanism lives on. She once said that if she was going to have cameras pointed at her constantly then she may as well make it count for the good of the people.

Princess Diana a charity Harper's BazaarPrincess Diana valued everyone and felt that all people, whatever their status, had a contribution to make to society: “Diana’s fearlessness and compassion led her to work on behalf of those she described as rejected by society: victims of HIV, AIDS, leprosy” (Kelly). She continually demonstrated that she cared about people through her words and actions. She touched the hands of the sick and by doing so raised awareness that it's okay to be around people with sickness. Diana’s compassion was obvious in everything she did and every charity that she embraced. Princess Diana wanted everyone to be valued. She took action without being asked. She wanted to make a change in society. Her actions had an impact on others and she wanted everyone to give back. Princess Diana really earned the name the People’s Princess by her selfless actions and hard work. Diana used her voice for good. Diana’s status allowed her to influence the world around her in many different ways. Princess Diana impacted the royal family: “Diana had a tremendous impact on modernizing the royal family, making it more accessible and changing people’s opinions about what the royal family meant to them. Not only did she say what was on her mind, she took on causes that the royal family would not normally take on, such as homelessness in the late 1980s” (Mchugh). Diana changed the royal family by questioning many of the established rules. She did things her way and felt like the monarchy should be more in touch with the people. Diana wanted her children to know what it was like to live a normal life and to be able to identify with the people that they would one day rule over as head of the monarchy. Diana believed strongly that the monarchy was out of touch. By her efforts the royal family became more popular and more accessible to the common people. Princess Diana’s influence was felt not only in Britain but raised awareness around the world: “The Halo Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian mine clearance organization, says that Diana’s work was crucial in “drawing the world’s attention to the horrific legacy of landmines” and raising awareness of the charity’s clearance of 1.4 million landmines from war-torn countries since 1988” (Kelly). Princess Diana’s  support of the land mines issue raised awareness around the world. Likewise, any charity she supported benefited from her status and influence. She worked with over 100 charities during her life raising awareness for many different issues. From controversial issues about homelessness and AIDS, to her status as a fashion icon Diana’s influence echoed around the world. To this day her legacy remains in the charities her children support and their commitment to bettering the world. 

Princess Diana with charity kids twitter.comDiana was a compassionate and influential woman who impacted the world around her in many positive ways. Her work supporting many different charities is praised globally. Diana broke down barriers and changed people’s way of thinking. From her choice of dresses to her choice of charities she her influence was far reaching and had a long lasting positive effect. Princess Diana was very inspirational because instead of only looking out for herself and her family she decided to help others around the world who were suffering. She wanted everyone to see that there were lots of people suffering in the world and to do something about it. Princess Diana wanted everyone to be valued. She took action without being asked. She wanted to make a change in society. Her actions had an impact on others and she wanted everyone to give back. Despite Diana’s life not being the modern fairytale she thought it would be, she managed to give happy endings to many people around the world.

Works Cited

Jones, Katie. “9 Reasons Princess Diana Was So Much More Than A Style Icon.” Harper's BAZAAR, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 July 2017, www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a9639085/princess-diana-charity-work/

Kelly, Roisin. “Princess Diana's Legacy of Kindness.” Parade, Parade, 11 Aug. 2017, parade.com/593773/roisinkelly/princess-dianas-legacy-of-kindness/.

McHugh, Catherine. “Remembering Princess Diana: How the People's Princess Changed the World.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 31 Aug. 2017, www.biography.com/news/princess-diana-death-legacy.

"Princess Diana." Newsmakers, Gale, 1997. Student Resources in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618000590/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=d6f39bfe. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018.