It has been 24 years since Princess Diana’s funeral. Billions of people who loved the “Rose of England” watched her funeral on television, more than 2 million people lined the streets on September 6, 1997 to see the Princess of Wales off for the final stretch. The procession from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey was filled with sadness for the cruel fate of a talented and beautiful woman.
Photos from Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997
Although this funeral was followed by many people, there were a few details that not everyone noticed at that time, and people only gradually learned about them in later years.
Prince William and Harry were not allowed to cry at their mother’s funeral.
That year, Prince William was only 15 years old and Harry was only 12 years old. The two brothers walked side by side with their father, Prince Charles. No one saw the two children crying, they just walked away with their heads bowed and sad.
It is said that Prince Charles instructed his children not to cry there: “Don’t cry, just walk like that!” . Both Harry and William listened to their father, trying to stay calm during the 2-hour walk behind their mother’s coffin. Later, when they were adults, the two brothers spoke about the difficulty and pain of that day when walking in front of millions of people.
Prince William and Harry at their mother’s funeral
As confirmed on the Lady Diana Foundation website, on the day of her burial she wore a long black dress by designer Catherine Walker, which she had ordered herself three weeks before her death. Inside the coffin was a rosary, a gift from Mother Teresa to Princess Diana.
She was buried on a private family island.
The Princess of Wales was originally supposed to be buried in the Spencer Family vault, but plans were changed and she was moved to a more private location. The funeral took place at Westminster Abbey, but her coffin was later buried on an island in the middle of the Oval Pond, in the grounds of the Spencer family home of Althorp Park. It is understood that her brother Earl Spencer feared the burial site would be overwhelmed by the number of visitors.
Although visitors cannot visit Princess Diana’s grave, Althorp is open to the public at certain times of the year, where you can look out over the lake to see the white memorial. Visitors can also visit the lakeside shrine dedicated to her and leave a tribute.
Thousands of bouquets of flowers were laid in front of Kensington Palace in memory of the late Princess.
Princess Diana’s brother delivers controversial eulogy
At Princess Diana’s funeral, her brother Charles Spencer was outspoken in his criticism of the Royal Family and the British press for their treatment of his sister. He referred to “the paparazzi who were there” and said his sister had been mocked by the media, who claimed that Princess Diana was “the most hunted person of all time”.
His criticism of the Royal Family also revolved around the lives of his grandsons, Princes William and Harry, asking them to allow the two boys more freedom. “I pledge that we, their blood relatives, will do everything we can to continue to guide these two extraordinary children along the path that the Royal Family has intended for them, so that their souls are not only immersed in duty and tradition. With the heritage they have inherited from birth, we will always respect and encourage them to take responsibility for the responsibility that is placed on their shoulders, but our family also believes that they need to experience many other aspects of life,” Mr Spencer said.
Princess Diana died in a tragic car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997, while her driver was fleeing paparazzi. The crash also killed her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.