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Post by Admin on Jul 3, 2014 0:09:11 GMT
On what would have been Princess Diana’s 53rd birthday, we remember the People’s Princess’ life and why she was adored by her subjects. An innocent Diana Spencer came into the public eye when she started dating the second in line to the British throne in 1980, even though she was born into an aristocratic English family on July 1, 1961. Charles and Diana had known each other since 1977, when he started dating her sister, Sarah. The couple officially started dating, and their engagement was announced by Buckingham Palace on February 24, 1981. Charles married 20-year-old Diana in front of thousands of British citizens, and millions of television viewers, on July 29 of the same year. Princess Diana was an unknown kindergarten teacher, and was thrust into the spotlight overnight when it was revealed one of the most eligible bachelors in the world was dating her. At the time, Prince Charles was in his early 30s and under increased pressure to marry. Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ relationship was a contentious one, and she felt the pressures of living under the microscope as a member of the British royal family. Initially, the Queen and her family viewed Di — as she was affectionately called — favorably, but as she began to assert her personality, things turned dicey. The royal couple had two children, Prince William — third in line to the throne — and Prince Harry. Princess Diana introduced her own way of bringing up her children, which clashed with the very traditional monarchy. What we see today in Prince William and his wife, Duchess Kate, is a reflection of Diana’s parenting style. As their marriage fell apart in the early 1990s, Diana became more and more popular with the people, eclipsing her dull husband during their public appearances. Both the Prince and Princess blamed each other publicly for their marital problems, and finally in December of 1992 their separation was announced. In later years, Princess Diana blamed Prince Charles’ longtime lover — and current wife — Camilla Parker-Bowles for their split, even though she believed he had other affairs. The couple’s divorce was final on August 28, 1996, after years of acrimony and blame. Following her divorce, Princess Diana took on several causes. One of the most important was the minefields in Angola — a cause Prince Harry continues to this day. Di traveled to the affected region, and photos were famously snapped of her wearing protective gear.
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Post by Admin on Jul 5, 2014 23:03:58 GMT
Valentino’s partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, has posted a rare candid photo of the late Princess Diana, which shows her soaking up the summer sun aboard their private yacht. Taken in 1990, the throwback Thursday snap was posted on Instagram by Mr Giammetti - captioned: 'Summer is here TBT princess Diana on the TMblue 1990.' In it, Diana looks as impossibly stylish as she always did; sporting a printed bikini, an over-sized purple shirt tied effortlessly in a knot above her stomach, and a pair of black sunglasses. The doe-eyed former princess was known to frequent the luxury yachts of her rich and famous friends, partly because they offered her relative freedom from the prying eyes of the paparazzi, who hounded her relentlessly for most of her adult life. Mr Giametti was with Diana seven years later, on August 31 1997 - mere hours before the car crash that ended her life - as she languished on her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed's Jonikal yacht, which was anchored next to the T.M.Blue One. 'She knew the paparazzi were there, but she didn't care,' he later told Harpers Baazar, recalling that he invited her for lunch that fateful day. Diana, dubbed 'the people's princess' in her native Britain, is remembered as one of history's most iconic royals. Mother to princes William, now 32, and Harry 29; she was revered for her compassion, style and charisma, and was the long-suffering target of intense media scrutiny. She first entered the spotlight after marrying Prince Charles in 1981, but the couple were rocked when, in 1992, Charles was exposed as having an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles - now his wife. Charles and Diana split as a result, and divorced in 1996. Diana struck up a romance with Egyptian mogul Dodi Fayed in 1997, but both their lives were tragically cut short later that year, when they were killed in the infamous Paris car crash.
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Post by Admin on Jul 19, 2014 21:41:54 GMT
A car once owned by Princess Diana can be seen for the first time in 20 years at an inaugural festival. The 1980 red Austin Mini-Metro, a gift from Prince Charles, was affectionately known as the ‘courting car’. It will form the centrepiece at the first Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional in Whittlebury to celebrate an era of ‘ordinary cars’. The Princess of Wales’ car will be among 50 on show at Whittlebury Park Golf Club for a light-hearted celebration of the most mundane British and European cars ever built. Angus Forsyth, Hagerty International’s managing director, said: “The cars on display at the event represent the engine room of British automotive design and manufacturing. “They are the much loved trinkets that have brought more joy to their owners than could possibly have been predicted.” Cars from all corners of the country will join the Mini-Metro, including a 1960s Peel P50 - the three-wheeled microcar designed as a city car for greater manoeuvrability. Tanya and Jason Field are bringing their Austin Maestro and their russet brown 1979 Mini Clubman Estate. Tanya is in fact the granddaughter of the 7th Earl of Macclesfield, the original financial backer of William Morris who found the Morris Motor Company. The festival takes place on July 26 and runs from 8.30am to 11am.
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Post by Admin on Sept 30, 2014 21:33:40 GMT
Diana, Princess of Wales almost outed George Michael to a young Prince Harry years before the singer's sexuality came to light, according to the autobiography of a former royal aide. In a comic moment Diana, speaking about the singer, told a guest during a 1992 reception "Isn't it a shame he doesn't like the ladies?" not aware that her son was close by, royal commentator Dickie Arbiter writes in his new book. Michael was a guest at the event - a Kensington Palace drinks reception for Diana's charities - and when the eight-year-old Prince asked who they were talking about the Princess replied "Shut up, Harry". Mr Arbiter said in his book On Duty With The Queen, which is published this week by Blink Publishing: The Princess was always well aware of William's destiny, and began teaching him the ways of kingship from a very early age. Part of that learning included the art of public speaking. – DICKIE ARBITER The sexuality of the singer, who was one of Diana's close friends, was not publicly known until he was caught six years later propositioning an undercover police officer in a Los Angeles public toilet, an experience he later lampooned in the video for his hit song Outside. During the same reception Diana used the occasion to give her son, the Duke of Cambridge then aged 10, the opportunity to give a public speech and he thanked the charities' staff on behalf of his mother. The royal commentator was a press secretary for the Queen for 12 years from 1998 and during that period worked for the Prince and Princess of Wales for five years.
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Post by Admin on Oct 15, 2014 21:14:59 GMT
Princes William and Harry have paid tribute to their late mother, Princess Diana, in the foreword to a new book dedicated to The Diana Award. The charity was set up in 1999, two years after Diana passed away, to tackle bullying and social exclusion and is now celebrating its 15th birthday. "We believe, when encouraged and supported, that young people have the ability to change society for the better", the two Princes write. They continued: "We know that our mother - in whose memory this award was established - felt the same and would be proud of its achievements to date." The award also provides training, mentoring and anti-bullying ambassador programmes and the awards are presented to young people, including volunteers, carers and fund-raisers. "Having met young people working with the charity in Newcastle and in London, we were struck in both cases by their deep and lasting sense of social responsibility," added the two Princes. "These young people were working hard to tackle the social issues that affected them - such as bullying or social exclusion - and the Diana Award empowered them to do more." Kyle Phillips, 18, from Cardiff, pictured with fellow award recipient Ellie Louise Harris-Beard, 13, from Kidderminster The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday at 11 Downing Street, and this year's recipients included 18-year-old Kyle Philips, who received the Diana Champion Volunteer Award. 'It’s a great honour, " he said. "It’s a real privilege to be recognised. I’m really just trying to help the youth in my community." The teenager, from Ely, was handed a Diana Champion Volunteer Award on Wednesday for his tireless efforts at home.
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