As a historian who has spent years delving into the lives of royal figures, I find myself deeply moved by the tragic tale of Princess Diana. The poignancy of her last moments, filled with love and longing, is heart-wrenchingly beautiful yet tinged with an unbearable sadness.
The strained marriage between Princess Diana and Prince Charles, culminating in a divorce that was reluctantly agreed upon but subtly pushed by Queen Elizabeth II, was not immediately apparent as leading to the sadness of its final outcome.
In hindsight, of course, the red lights were flashing and the warning sirens blaring.
In the sixth and concluding season of “The Crown,” events surrounding Princess Diana were portrayed, and the series is now set to compete in the 2024 Emmys on September 15 with a total of 18 nominations. Among these nods are Best Drama Series and a second consecutive recognition for Elizabeth Debicki in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category.
In reality, even though Diana believed her in-laws had discarded her like yesterday’s newspapers following their divorce, the world seemed to offer endless possibilities for Diana. She retained a home at Kensington Palace, the title of Princess of Wales, a sizable sum of approximately $21 million (equivalent today), and most importantly, she continued to be the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry.
At just 36 years old, her death on August 31, 1997, has made it difficult to perceive the final months of Diana’s life from any other perspective. Everything appears tinged with tragedy, even if she was joyful at the time.
However, her last days were filled with happiness and romantic sentiment, as she contemplated her upcoming plans and the world eagerly wondered about her next move and potential companions.
Diana expressed that she has gained significant insights over the past few years. Following the Christie’s auction in June 1997, which raised $5 million for charity as detailed by biographer Andrew Morton, she declared her intent to embrace self-ownership and authenticity. She no longer desires to live up to others’ expectations of who she should be; instead, she will strive to be true to herself and express her individuality.
What was Princess Diana planning to do after her divorce from Prince Charles?
In an interview with the BBC’s Panorama in November 1995, Diana stated, “For the past 15 years, I’ve been in a highly advantageous situation. I possess extensive understanding of people and effective communication skills, and I wish to apply these abilities.”
On August 28, 1996, the divorce proceedings between her and Charles, which were accelerated significantly following their scandalous BBC interview three years after their separation, were officially concluded.
In December, United Cerebral Palsy bestowed the title of Humanitarian of the Year upon Diana at a ceremony in New York. The subsequent month saw her undertaking her well-known trek across a minefield in Angola, representing the Halo Trust to highlight the destruction wreaked by landmines in conflict zones.
In May of 1997, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair welcomed a guest to their official countryside residence, Chequers, for a conversation about potential partnerships aimed at outreach initiatives.
Diana aspired to leverage her existing influence towards securing an ambassadorship, whether formal or informal. Towards the end of May, she traveled to Pakistan to raise funds for a hospital constructed by cricketing legend and future Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. Among her engagements in June were attending a performance of Swan Lake at Royal Albert Hall and meeting with Hillary Clinton, who was then serving as first lady, at the White House. This encounter took place just a few days before Diana parted with her glamorous designer wardrobe at a Christie’s auction in New York.
The magazine cover story titled “Diana Reborn,” which appeared in Vanity Fair’s July 1997 issue, was intended to symbolize a new beginning or rebirth.
“Designer Gianni Versace remarked, ‘There’s a sense of tranquility.’ Last week, I had a fitting with her for new spring suits and attire, and there’s an undeniable calmness about her. I believe it’s a stage in her life where she’s discovered who she is—how she wants to live.”
How did Princess Diana’s romance with Dodi Fayed begin?
Dodi Fayed was Diana’s romantic companion of less than two months when they died.
Initially, Diana was acquainted with Mohamed Al-Fayed, a wealthy Egyptian businessman and owner of Harrods, who would facilitate her exclusive shopping experiences at Harrods even after regular store hours had ended.
Following her attendance at a 36th birthday gathering held in her honor at London’s Tate Gallery on July 1, Diana decided to create some space for herself, as opposed to joining the 50th birthday party that Prince Charles III was organizing for his long-term partner, Camilla Parker-Bowles (now Queen Consort Camilla), at his Highgrove residence.
The princess was still rumored to be recovering from a heartbreak after her separation with cardiothoracic surgeon Hasnat Khan, who would secretly visit her at Kensington Palace by hiding in the car of her butler, but decided against making this a permanent part of his life.
Instead, Diana accepted Mohamed’s long-standing offer to welcome William, Harry, and herself at his vacation residence in Saint-Tropez.
Mohamed’s oldest son, Dodi, arrived on July 14, a few days into the princess’ visit, pulling up his boat close to his father’s yacht, named Jonikal. The 42-year-old film producer was with his model girlfriend, Kelly Fisher at that time. However, Dodi would later refute claims that they were engaged.
On July 18, Kelly departed for work, while Dodi began spending increased time with Diana and her children. He leased a nightclub for them to dance freely and took them all to an amusement park as well.
According to Morton, Diana referred to it as her “most wonderful vacation ever.” After returning her sons home, she swiftly traveled to Milan for the July 22 funeral of Versace, who was tragically killed on July 15 at his Miami Beach mansion’s front steps.
How much time did Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana actually spend together?
Following their melancholic trip, Dodi fetched Diana in London and flew her to Paris via a helicopter. Over the weekend, they stayed at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, which is yet another establishment belonging to Dodi’s father.
Despite their efforts to maintain privacy with Ritz security guarding against photographers, they set sail on a six-day Mediterranean voyage starting July 31 aboard Mohamed’s yacht. Photos of them affectionately interacting on the deck unexpectedly became popular in 1997, reminiscent of viral images from that era.
On August 13, Dodi’s former partner, Kelly, held a press conference in Beverly Hills where she declared her intent to file a lawsuit against him. She claimed that he had broken their contract by promising her a substantial amount of money to abandon her modeling career and dedicate herself entirely to their relationship.
Simultaneously, British newspapers were filled with stories suggesting that Dodi, often referred to as a carefree charmer by the author of “The Diana Chronicles,” Tina Brown, was genuinely smitten by Diana. In response, Diana appeared to be deeply in love as well.
Essentially, Diana embarked on a flight provided by Harrods to Bosnia, where she spent the days of August 9th and 10th interacting with individuals who had been affected by landminves. Notably, the Ottawa Treaty, an agreement banning landmines that Diana advocated for, was signed in December 1997.
On August 15th, with the paparazzi doggedly following, she embarked for the Greek islands alongside Tiffany & Co.’s president, Rosa Monckton, for a prearranged vacation. Meanwhile, Dodi returned to Los Angeles in an attempt to reconcile with Kelly; their lawsuit was withdrawn following his demise.
After reminiscing about Diana during her recent vacation, Rosa penned in the Daily Telegraph, “She frequently shared with me her struggles against the media intrusion, describing life under constant pursuit by photographers and battles to protect her personal moments.”
Following a short reunion in London, Dodi and Diana resumed their journey towards the South of France on August 21st.
Were Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed really engaged when they died?
As portrayed in numerous accounts and books from that era, as well as on The Crown, I find myself reflecting on Diana’s delightful moments with Dodi while simultaneously feeling her longing to reunite with William and Harry. They were spending their yearly August sojourn with the queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland during those days.
Diana and Dodi spent a week on the “Jonikal”, sailing past Portofino and Sardinia. During this time, he gave her a small silver-framed plaque with a poem he penned engraved upon it. In response, she presented him with an engraved cigar cutter that read “With love from Diana” and a pair of gold cufflinks that once belonged to her father, the late Earl John Spencer who passed away in 1992.
According to reports, Diana expressed that her father would be incredibly happy knowing they are now under such caring and unique care.
On August 22, during a clandestine visit to Monte Carlo, Dodi quietly bought a $200,000 Alberto Repossi diamond ring from the “Dis-Moi Oui!” (meaning “Tell me yes” in French) collection.
On August 30th, I made arrangements to acquire a trinket in the city of love, Paris – a seemingly casual detour that Diana hesitated to embark on (as depicted in The Crown). Truth be told, her heart yearned to return home to her boys, yet she agreed to this journey. However, I had planned to return to London the very next day, as I shared with William and Harry before that fateful moment when she left us.
“During one of our playful sessions with Willy and my cousins, I didn’t want the fun to end, Harry wrote in his memoir Spare,” Harry noted about his last conversation with his mother. “So, I was brusque with her. In my eagerness to resume playing, I hastily ended our phone call. I wish I had apologized for it then. I wish I had found the words to express my deep affection for her. It wasn’t until much later that I understood the journey of finding those words would span decades.”
As a lifestyle expert reflecting on the past, I recall the intriguing tale of Mohamed Al-Fayed, who departed us in August at 94 years old. His Repossi ring was famously showcased at Harrods as a poignant tribute to his son Dodi and Diana, symbolizing the profound love he believed they shared. However, even he admitted that there remained some uncertainty about whether his son had truly proposed to Diana before their tragic demise.
In other words, there’s uncertainty about whether Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) actually proposed to Diana. The story suggests that they were discussing the idea in a suite at the Ritz, but Diana may have stopped him before he could propose. Instead, she is imagined as gently persuading him to finally confess his feelings to his demanding father.
Which Dodi planned to do…after he’d seen Diana off the next morning.
Shortly after midnight on August 31st, they chose to descend the stairs and remained close to the back door of the Ritz for approximately seven minutes. During this time, employees were busy orchestrating a distraction outside to mislead the throng of photographers, keeping them from discovering their whereabouts.
As a lifestyle expert, I find myself recounting an unforeseen event that transpired one evening. Instead of hailing a cab or calling for a ride, we found ourselves in the backseat of a Mercedes. The driver, Henri Paul, who was later confirmed to be intoxicated, was none other than the head of security at the Ritz. His task that night was an unexpected one – driving us back to Dodi’s apartment. My trusted bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, sat in the front passenger seat.
Those photographers who saw through the trick jumped into their cars and motorbikes in pursuit of the Mercedes. Henri hurried into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, and moments later, the Mercedes collided with a support column. Trevor was the sole survivor. The driver and Dodi perished at the spot, whereas Diana was transported to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, they declared her dead at 3 a.m. (paraphrased version)
The world found out three hours later.
When the queen and Charles received a call at Balmoral during the night hours, he opted to spare William and Harry from waking up then. He planned to inform the brothers in the morning instead.
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2024-08-31 15:19