Princess Diana

About

Who was Princess Diana?

Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961
She grew up with three siblings: Sarah, Jane, and Charles
She wasn't very proficient in school, but was always kind and generous.
Lady Diana married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, in a globally televised ceremony.

Education

Diana was homeschooled by her governess before she began formal education
She started at Silfield Private School in King's Lynn, Norfolk, and moved to Riddlesworth Hall School, an all-girls boarding school, when she was nine.
She joined her sisters at West Heath Girls' School in Sevenoaks, Kent, in 1973 but did not perform well.
She was a talented pianist and excelled in swimming, diving, ballet and tap dance.
Diana returned to London after a year in Switzerland, where she shared a flat with two school friends.
She took on a series of low-paying jobs and worked as a kindergarten teacher until she met Charles

Charity

The Princess's charity work increased her affection with the public. She played an important role in publicising the plight of people with AIDS, and she was deemed the "People's Princess" because of her caring nature.

Issue	Date	Service
HIV/AID	1987	Princess Diana opened the UK's first purpose built HIV/Aids unit, and in front of the world's media, shook the hand of a man suffering with the illness. She did so without gloves, publicly challenging the notion that HIV/Aids was passed from person to person by touch. She showed in a single gesture that this was a condition needing compassion and understanding, not fear and ignorance.
Landmines	1997	The landmine issue shot to international prominence when Princess Diana walked through one of HALO's minefields in Angola. Shortly after her visit, the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty was signed, calling for all countries to unite to rid the world of landmines.
Homelessness	1992	She became a patron of Centrepoint, which is a charity that provides housing and support for young people across the UK. She did this because of her passion to help homeless adolescents and future to bring an end to youth homelessness and poverty.

Family

Diana and Charles were childhood friends, and their frienship grew in 1980.
On February 24, 1981, their engagement was announced, and the couple married 5 months later in St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981
They had two boys, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, born on June 21, 1982, and Prince Henry (“Harry”) Charles Albert David, born on September 15, 1984.
Diana struggled with severe postnatal depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and the stresses of being a royal.
All the while Prince Charles was having an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, which ended up in Diana and Charles divorce on August 28, 1996

Fashion

Lady Diana was a global fashion icon, not only because of her royal status, but because she truly loved fashion
When she first became a princess she steered toward British fashion designers, including Murray Arbeid, Belville Sassoon, and Gini Fratini, but their style was more formal and mature.
Diana wanted to add a youthful tone to her style, and Catherine Walker helped her achieve that.
Walker helped Diana create a streamlined modern version of clothes for her public life as the Princess of Wales, and helped Diana curate a more individual style after her divorce.
She remained loyal to British designers, who encouraged her to wear dresses cut low and skirts shorter, but she also loved French couture houses like Dior and Chanel.
Her look became more international with a sophisticated and simple silhouette, and her style defined the fashion and set many trends of the 80's and 90's.

Iconic Looks

1981: The Wedding Dress

Lady Diana Spencer's wedding dress was an ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with a 25-foot train and a 153 yards tulle veil, valued then at £9,000. It was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel in 1981.

1985: At the White House

Princess Diana wore a dark velvet gown by Victor Edelstein, and a pearl and sapphire necklace to the White House. Here she is dancing with actor John Travolta who said dancing with her was one of the highlights of his life.

1986: Bringing Back Color

The gingham-patterned pants and vibrant-pink sweater took the casual look to new heights as the Princess brought back trends from the '50s.

1989: The Pearl Dress

In the photo on the right, Diana was wearing a Catherine Walker gown made 20,000 pearls. It was also named the "Elvis dress" because of the high collar.

1994: The Revenge Dress

On the night the controversial Prince Charles documentary aired (where he admitted to his affair) Diana wore a black dress with a plunging neckline to a party. This silk, off-the-shoulder minidress by Christina Stambolian was a look no other royal had worn. It has iconically been named the "Revenge Dress".