Born Diana Frances Spencer married into the British Royal family in 1981 to Charles, Prince of Wales. She became known as “Princess Diana” and was continuously called so by the media and public even after her divorce in 1996. Believed to be the most famous and most photographed woman in the world during her engagement until her death; Princess Diana was known for her fashion, an image of female beauty, involvement in AIDS issues and her international campaigns against landmines. Diana, Princess of Wales, was coined the "People's Princess" due to her popularity and her humanitarian efforts across the world that continued even after her death in 1997.
Diana faced quite the range of adversities during her time as Princess. She never really disclosed much about hardships in her life before her marriage with the exception of her parents’ divorce. In a BBC interview in 1995, Diana was speaking about the birth of her first son, William, and the post-partum depression she experienced. Martin Bashir, the interviewer, asked about her sadness being out of character, to which Diana responded, “Yes, very much so. I never had a depression in my life.” Post-partum depression isn’t a part of much conversation today, but was not part of a conversation at all in the 1980’s. She had spoken about all of the changes and new roles she was filling and how stressful and difficult it was to be thrown into it at such a young age. Her depression became very intense and very public, which made every cry for help look like she was seeking attention. Her support and treatment for the post-partum depression was tricky because it was not a common experience for the people around her, but she did eventually receive proper treatment for her depression. Diana felt compelled to continue her work as Princess during this time and said in her BBC interview, “in a way by being out in public they supported me, although they weren't aware just how much healing they were giving me, and it carried me through.”
Being a Royal Princess put an insane amount of pressure on Diana. She was constantly comforting others and working and it often left her feeling empty, and it led to her bulimia that lasted for just over three years. It acted as her escape from the pressures and the hammer that came down on her for messing up from time to time. She never really spoke about her bulimia or how she coped with it and it all came back to the hate she had for herself and the embarrassment she felt. The bulimia and the post-partum depression were both very detrimental to Diana’s mental health, but she continued to work and fulfill her duties as Princess to be who others needed her to be.
The last significant adversity Princess Diana faced was the infidelity of her husband, Charles, Prince of Wales. Charles was not able to marry the woman he was involved with prior to Diana, so during their marriage he began seeing Camilla Parker-Bowles again in secret. This made the media run ramped with headlines and stories about Charles and Diana. The pressure built and her mental health declined with it. Diana was labeled unstable and sick. In 1992 a book about Diana came out and she had hopes for it to maybe help other women who were suffering on the same level. Diana was very driven and wanted women to feel empowered and strong, and many of these adversities related back to her being seen as weak and unfit. However, none of these stopped her from continuing her work as a Princess or as a member of society, she used it to propel her forward and create a list of accomplishments that have been recognized worldwide.
Princess Diana was a patron or president of over 100 charities during her time as a Royal. Most of her work was done with people; the homeless, disabled, children, and people with HIV/AIDS. After she divorced from the Royal family, she continued her work with six charities and also campaigned against the use and manufacture of landmines. She traveled the world visiting all kinds of places and helping others in any way she could. She used her platform as a stage to speak out on behalf of the people she advocated for to spread awareness, to educate, and raise money and services for the humanitarian efforts she worked tirelessly for.
Princess Diana had changed the “public opinion” of the victims of AIDS with her campaigns. As said in her Biography page, she was the “first high-profile celebrity to be photographed knowingly touching a person infected with the HIV virus.” This moment changed everything for the AIDS epidemic and proved that it could not be contracted by physical contact. She destroyed the stigmas and stereotypes of those affected by AIDS with the work she did and was considered an “ambassador” for them. Diana was passionate about helping people with AIDS and did it out of compassion for other human beings, not for a positive media image of herself and the royal family. She often made visits to AIDS patients and made sure that the visits were kept secret from the public. In 1987 Diana opened the United Kingdom’s first HIV/AIDS unit at London Middlesex Hospital that was exclusively for people with the virus. She was very involved with the National AIDS Trust which spreads awareness of AIDS and prevents the spreading of the HIV virus. Diana’s speeches, campaigns, and charity work for AIDS awareness, treatment, and prevention have carried on, even after her passing. She created new opportunities, advocated, and brought awareness to those affected. Her son Harry has carried on her legacy and continued her work with HIV/AIDS.
One of Diana’s biggest humanitarian efforts was her campaign against landmines. She visited many places and spoke with many people about banning landmines internationally. The most famous photo of Diana and her work with landmines was from when she visited Angola months before her death. She walked through a minefield with a bomb-proof breastplate and a protective visor, while wearing “The Halo Trust” on her vest. An international treaty “prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of landmines” has been signed by 122 countries and Diana is to credit for much of these treaties. She worked with the Halo Trust, which is a mine removal charity, to clear landmines. Her son, Prince Harry, has also continued her work with this charity alongside the AIDS work he’s continued. The founder of Mines Advisory Group (MAG) said that the support from Princess Diana was a “turning point” for the issue of landmines (BBC News.) She worked closely with MAG and was a speaker at events on the ban of landmines. With her support, the British government joined the effort. From then on, countries began signing the Ottawa Treaty to ban production and use of landmines. She received a lot of backlash from politicians about getting involved in the political issue, but many argued that it was a humanitarian issue. Her work with landmines prevailed internationally and she is still regularly recognized for her efforts.
Diana, Princess of Wales, was coined the "People's Princess" due to her popularity and her humanitarian efforts across the world that continued even after her death in 1997. Diana deserved the title of the “People’s Princess” for all that she did for people across the globe. She used her constant publicity to bring awareness to social issues and she took them international. Her humanitarian work was inspiring for many and helped millions of people all over the world with the work she did as a Princess and after the divorce. She did everything hands-on, she traveled to see the issues first hand and met those affected by what she was campaigning for and it made it more special. She advocated for the people, and left no one behind in her humanitarian efforts. Diana did not want to sit idle, she wanted to be a part of every step in the process of her charities. She reached out to others with open arms and changed the way the Royals did things. She took on charities that were not usually covered by Royals, she teamed up with unlikely groups, and she made a difference that rippled across the world and through time. Everything Diana did was with purpose, poise, and compassion.