When Lady Diana Spencer married Charles, Prince of Wales in 1981, people were already used to seeing her face splashed across the covers of magazines; but no one could have guessed just what kind of impact the princess would go on to have.
As she came into her own during the following years, she captured the attention and hearts of people all over the world with her kindness, love, and compassion. Diana was willing to go places no one else would go, touch people no one else would go near. She wasn’t just performing her royal duties – she truly cared, and people could sense that.
When her life was tragically cut short on August 31, 1997, the entire world mourned her loss. But while her passing was felt deeply by millions, no one suffered more than her two young sons, Princes William and Harry.
Though the princes stayed tight-lipped about their mother’s death for years, both have spoken out recently about the enormous impact it had on each of their lives. They have had to work through years of pain, anger, and confusion, but have come out the other side stronger men for it – men Diana would be immensely proud of.
While the brothers planned to spend today – the anniversary of her death – remembering their mother privately, yesterday they made an appearance at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace where a special memorial garden has been planted for “the People’s Princess.”
Along with William’s wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, they strolled through the garden planted with white and light-colored flowers inspired by the late princess.
The princes also made their way to Diana’s public memorial at the gates of the palace to look at the touching tributes left by members of the public. It must have brought back poignant memories of when they did a similar visit almost exactly 20 years ago.
Princess Diana is gone, but her legacy has not been diminished. Her kindness and compassion carry on in the people she touched and through the work of her sons. While we miss her greatly, she will not be forgotten.
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