Why Princess Diana is Still So Relevant

Why Princess Diana is Still So Relevant

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be looking at Why Princess Diana Is Still So Relevant.

For this essay, we’ll be looking at the People’s Princess’ ongoing legacy and why she’s still such a significant figure today.

What do you think is Diana’s biggest legacy? Let us know in the comments.

Diana, Princess of Wales never failed to touch those whose paths she crossed. Although she certainly had her own struggles, she was often one of the loudest voices advocating for the most vulnerable in society.

Some of the causes closest to her heart included banning the use of landmines, tackling youth poverty and homelessness, Leprosy, mental health, and destigmatizing AIDS and HIV. Indeed, during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, Diana showed the world that those suffering from this disease needed kindness, compassion, and understanding - rather than fear and condemnation. In 1987 she opened the UK’s first HIV/AIDs ward at London Middlesex Hospital. She was photographed shaking hands with a man who was sick with the disease, without wearing gloves. In 1989, she visited a hospital in Harlem where she famously hugged a sick child who, due to the stigma, couldn’t get adopted.

To paraphrase those who knew Diana, she led with her heart rather than her head. And sometimes that clashed with royal protocol - but her heart always won. We could easily list out all the ways she stood out from the royal crowd. However, some of her most impactful ways involved her treatment of the general public. She defied royal rules about wearing gloves in order to feel more connected to the people she was meeting. She also respectfully ensured that she spoke to everyone at eye level. Her decision to break away from tradition created a new path for future generations of British royals.

As well as her actions, Diana changed the game in fashion, too. She became a style icon not just for her numerous beautiful outfits, but also for dressing outside of royal boundaries. For Diana, fashion was a form of self-expression. Especially after her divorce from Prince Charles, she loved cuts that showed off her shoulders, which was a major faux-pas previously. She wasn’t afraid of low cuts and she didn’t stick to the nude nail polish rules either. She also wore black just because, whereas royal rules dictated that black only be worn at funerals. She sure knew how to make a statement through her outfits alone.

It wasn’t just her public image that challenged the rules either. For Diana, nothing was more important than family. She was an affectionate, hands-on mom who made sure that her kids got a well-rounded upbringing. She was the first royal to deliver a future monarch in a hospital, chose her sons’ names herself, and sent the boys to public school. She also took her kids on royal tours, which was unheard of before now. The young princes were exposed to non-royal life, from waiting in line like everyone else at amusement parks to making sure they understood just how privileged they were.

It was also her openness about her own struggles that made this royal seem so approachable. Her candidness about mental health, at a time when it was still so taboo, had a major impact on those who loved her. Supposedly, there was even a rise in women seeking treatment after Diana shared her own battles with mental disorders. Andrew Morton’s tell-all book, “Diana: Her True Story” created quite a scandal for detailing her personal problems until it came to light that the princess herself was his source. Diana wasn’t interested in a picture-perfect life, instead, she shared her own vulnerabilities to help others feel less alone.

It was also no secret that many of Diana’s struggles stemmed from her unhappy marriage. From the outside, we saw a fairytale but the reality was far more grim. Charles was still in love with Camilla Parker Bowles, Diana was struggling to fit in with the royal family and neither were reportedly faithful. In the early 90s, Diana went public with their marital problems, and after separating in 1992, they divorced in 1996. We’re not saying that correlation equals causation, but there was a sharp rise in UK divorces in the mid-90s. Perhaps Diana’s honesty cracked another stigma and helped people see that it was okay to leave troubled relationships.

The late princess also had a tricky relationship with the media. She was one of the most hounded and photographed public figures of her time. But she also acknowledged that it was a necessary evil and a part of public life that wouldn’t just disappear. So instead, she decided to take control and use the media’s relentlessness to highlight the causes that mattered to her. Supposedly, she’d also invite tabloid editors to Kensington Palace and won them over with her charm. But ultimately it wasn’t enough. Sadly, Diana’s story ended in tragedy, and for a brief moment, we thought the media had learned its lesson.

Following Diana’s death, The U.K’s Press Complaint Commission, since replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organization, added a clause to its policies forbidding “intimidation, harassment, or persistent pursuit”. Meanwhile in 1998, as a direct response, California passed a law prohibiting paparazzi from trespassing. Later additional laws were passed to prevent reckless driving in pursuit of photos. Even so, celebrities continue to fight for their right to privacy to this day. Prince Harry has even said that what he observed to be similar treatment of his wife, Meghan Markle, was a contributing factor to their leaving royal life behind.

But Diana’s death did a lot more than change media-related laws and policies. The world was shaken when the news broke and people across the world came together in mourning. The Royal family’s stiff upper lip approach changed the way the public viewed them. They clearly hadn’t anticipated just how many people she’d reached or just how loved she was. However, the crowds gathering around Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens carrying bouquets of flowers, spoke volumes. The Ottawa Treaty, banning the use of anti-personnel landmines was drafted and signed shortly after her death, too. There was barely a soul whose life she hadn’t touched in some way.

Ever since, Princes William and Harry have made it their mission to continue their mother’s legacy. They’ve fronted concerts, unveiled tributes, and made sure that their kids know about their grandmother. However, what she would perhaps be proudest of is that they inherited her passion for giving back. As well as getting heavily involved in causes that meant so much to her, together and separately, they’ve also created their own foundations advocating for mental health, wildlife conservations, supporting first responders, and the rehabilitation of serving and veteran service personnel. Both are clearly dedicated to carrying on their mom’s desire to make the world a better place.

Wherever Diana went and whatever she did, she left an everlasting impact. And that’s why we continue to remember her and everything she did to this day.