Princess Diana’s 60th birthday would have been on July 1st, 2021. To mark the bittersweet occasion, the beloved figure’s closest confidantes have shared their fondest memories with the royal.
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From biographers to personal trainers, everyone who came to know Diana had something flattering to say about the princess. Whether it be the way she raised her boys, or her incredible sense of humour, the royal’s way of navigating life resonated and inspired so many people.
Diana was tragically killed on the 31st August 1997 in a car accident in Paris. Her partner at the time, Dodi Fayed, as well as the driver, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene, while their bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived the crash.
The people’s princess left behind two boys, Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as countless other family members and friends who continue to honour her life and legacy.
Now, we hear some of the best memories from Diana’s closest confidantes.
‘Motherhood meant a lot to her’
Her biographer: Andrew Morton
“Motherhood meant a lot to Diana. She felt abandoned as a child when her own mother and father divorced, Earl Spencer winning custody of the four children. For weeks after the split Diana would sit on the stone step outside Park House, her home in the country, waiting for her mother to return. She never did and Diana never really got over it.
“So her search to find love and stability was profound and it was something she desperately wanted to communicate to her boys. She wanted to give them more than a standard royal upbringing, a life that she considered distant and unemotional.
“She wanted her boys not to be buttoned-up or emotionally illiterate. Ironically, they have become more open as a result of her premature death. William and Harry have had to face up to the profound feelings of loss, a loss they couldn’t mourn properly in the immediate aftermath of her death as they were under too much public and private scrutiny.
“So on her 60th birthday as the public remember the woman they knew from magazines and on TV, William and Harry will be thinking about the woman they knew, their much-loved, adored mother.”
‘She would have been a glamour granny!’
Her dream analyst: Joan Hanger
“I met Princess Diana just after her Panorama interview with the BBC. Diana said that her whole being revolved around her boys as they grew up and she loved to be with them more than with anyone.
“Her only concern was that she and Prince Charles would now be separate parents and, of course, Diana had always wanted a perfect family – two doting parents caring only for each other and their wonderful children; to her this was her role in life.
“When Diana’s title was withdrawn after her divorce, her son William said to her ‘Don’t worry, Mummy, I will give it back to you when I’m king.’ Her thoughts for herself and her boys were always paramount. She was always planning and looking to their future.
“She wanted William to be made of ‘the right stuff’ to be able to cope with the rigours of the palace officialdom. She was ambitious for them and always wanted them to be able to reach out to their father and to the monarchy, really.
“Diana would’ve enjoyed every little second of being a grandma! I can see her surrounded by those baby royals and see her holding them and hugging them as she did when her boys were young.
“She would never have been overbearing, would’ve been there when needed but happy to let Kate and Meghan create the ground rules – she would not have overstepped the line. I probably think she would’ve been their ‘glamour granny’.”
‘She had the best sense of humour’
Her personal trainer: Jenni Rivett
“I remember when the princess and I went on a skiing trip to Vail, Colorado, in 1994. We were having a lovely day skiing with our group and just enjoying the views, when a Vail dignitary decided it was time to make a speech.
“He only managed to get through about 10 seconds of his ‘well-prepared’ speech when Diana looked over at me and had a complete fit of giggles, which she simply could not stop! She fell into the snow and continued to giggle for about two minutes.
“It summed her sense of humour up so well. And to this day I have no idea how that went down with the poor chap. Diana was so loved by the world and I think she would’ve become one of the greatest humanitarians on Earth.
“She was completely natural and fun. Her boys were her absolute pride and joy. They were often in on our training sessions at Kensington Palace and she’d tell them off if they were getting out of hand.
“I believe if she was still with us today she’d have gone to great lengths to help William and Harry sort out their rift.”
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