INTERNATIONAL NEWS NEW VISION, Friday, September 1, 2017 37

UNITED KINGDOM London

Fans and friends of , princess of Wales celebrated the 20th anniversary of her death yesterday as well-wishers lit candles and paid their respects at the sombre scene of her fatal car crash. Her children, Princes William and Harry on Wednesday, greeted the steady stream of well-wishers bringing fl oral tributes to the gates of London’s Kensington Palace, where they grew up with the princess. And just after midnight in yesterday, a few braved the rain to be at the Pont de l’Alma tunnel where, precisely two decades earlier, her car smashed into a pillar, taking the life of the most famous woman in the world. One man lit several candles around the monument, which stands above the underpass and has become a shrine to the princess. Diana was “revolutionary”, Sian Croston, a 17-year-old student from London said. “She changed the royal family forever. “She will always be the people’s princess,” she said, using the epithet coined by prime minister Tony Blair in the hours after her death. A photo taken on August 19, 1995 showing Prince Charles (right), Princess Diana (left) and their children William (second-right) and Harry The crash happened at around watching a march past . AFP photo 12:23am on August 31, 1997. Diana was killed along with , her wealthy “I can imagine Egyptian fi lm producer boyfriend of two months and for a lot of you it his drink-impaired, speeding Diana mourned on 20th driver Henri Paul, who was trying to evade paparazzi was like, ‘right, photographers. Twenty years on, a few here we go, now dozen bouquets of fl owers and pictures of the princess anniversary of her death have been laid at the Flame of we’ve got her, Liberty by sympathetic visitors. “I was a child when she died we’ve got the but I studied her biography,” Diana, Princess of Wales a German journalist Marie 1961-1997 thirst, we’ve got Hermann, 25, from Frankfurt said. “l loved Diana and her the attention’. July ,  Born into aristocratic family A human touch commitment to charities,” she told AFP.  Leaves school with no quali cations Visits AIDS and Then suddenly Linda Bigelbach, 61, from leprosy suerers,  Marries Prince Charles, mine elds, orphans, Saint Paul in Minnesota, said: “I 32-year-old heir to British throne, refugees. remember her wedding day and aged 20 she’s snapped I remember the day she died.” ,  Birth of sons William and Harry Quotes away; if I can All of us lost somebody  British premier John Major tells There were 3 of us in this In London, William and Harry, parliament in December that marriage, so it was a bit crowded the royal couple will separate “ put it (this way), who were 15 and 12 respectively Diana, 1995 when she died, paid tribute to  Confessional BBC interview, in which I’d like to be a queen their late mother on Wednesday Diana talks of her marriage, struggle “ of people's hearts but I don't see all of us lost and spent Thursday privately. with depression and bulimia myself being queen of this country The princes inspected the Diana, 1995 Harry  Divorce. Stripped of her royal title somebody.” dozens of bouquets left in front She was the people’s princess of Kensington Palace.  Relationship with Egyptian Dodi Al-Fayed, “ British PM Tony Blair, 1997 Earlier they braved torrential son of Mohamed Al-Fayed, then owner of captivates millions across the rain to visit the White Garden the luxury department store Our mother was a total kid... globe. “ She was one of the naughtiest Diana wed Prince Charles, the at the palace, created this year parents. to evoke the princess’s sense of Aug  ,  Dies with Dodi in Paris car crash, aged 36, heir to the throne, in 1981, but prompting a global outpouring of grief Prince Harry, 2017 style and colour choices. Photo: AFP / John Stillwell, Douglas Curran their marriage collapsed under They met with representatives the strains of public duty and from the charities she their incompatibility. supported, including those “Then suddenly she’s snapped courage” and “our country was AFP: “I come down every The institution will hold a She was cast out of the royal helping AIDS sufferers and away; if I can put it (this way), so very lucky to have you”. year because I’ve always liked remembrance service and past family in the 1996 divorce children in need. all of us lost somebody.” “I was so sad,” recalled a Diana. I’ve never met, her but if members of staff will share their she had inadvertently made Harry told one group of They then emerged at the tearful Lena Pettersson, a I do not come down I feel very memories of Diana, as well as inevitable with an explosive campaigners that his mother’s palace gates to look at the cleaner from Sweden who had sad. Everyone loved her.” dancer Wayne Sleep who tell-all television interview. death was a tragedy for them heartfelt messages, pictures and travelled to London for the famously performed with the However, the monarchy’s too. fl owers left in remembrance of commemorations. Global icon princess in 1985. shining star was undimmed, her “I can imagine for a lot of you their mother, thanking well- “She cared about people, she The princess was due to be Her untimely death at the age reputation sealed as a fashion it was like, ‘right, here we go, wishers for coming and placing was very special. Her sons are remembered yesterday at the of 36 shocked the world. icon, charity campaigner, now we’ve got her, we’ve got the bouquets given to them. continuing her work, they are Mildmay Mission AIDS hospital The complex life of Diana — humanitarian and a self-styled thirst, we’ve got the attention, Handwritten notes on bunches just like her.” in London, visited regularly by a shy, teenage aristocrat who “queen of hearts”. now let’s do something,’” the of fl owers read: “Diana, a brave Helen Zacharia, 62, who tied Diana when it was a hospice suddenly became a global 32-year-old said. princess, your sons have your a bouquet to the gates, told caring for HIV patients. icon — and her tragic death still AFP