Princess Diana Through the Years: From Loving Mother to Passionate Activist
Princess Diana left a grand legacy in her wake following her death in 1997.
Diana married into England’s royal family in July 1981, when she and King Charles III (then Prince Charles) exchanged vows. The couple soon welcomed heirs to the throne, with Diana giving birth to Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry two years later. Charles and Diana famously dealt with their fair share of strife throughout the 15-year marriage — including infidelity — resulting in their December 1992 separation.
Diana and Charles’ divorce was finalized in August 1996 and Diana moved on with Dodi Fayed. The then-Princess of Wales died in August 1997 after a car crash in Paris that occurred while photographers were chasing her. Fayed and the driver of the vehicle, Henri Paul, were also killed. William and Harry were 15 and 12, respectively, at the time of their mother’s death, and they have since kept her legacy alive.
Both princes have named their daughters after their late mom. William and Princess Kate Middleton included “Diana” as one of their daughter Princess Charlotte’s middle names, along with “Elizabeth” in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana, is also named after her late grandmother and great-grandmother.
Scroll through to see Princess Diana through the years:
