Princess Diana Demonstrated A Progressive Royal Outlook

Mar 23, 2020 by apost team

Lady Diana Spencer was a royal icon. From her style and beauty, to her refreshing view on life and her stand-out humanitarian work. People everywhere took inspiration from her. Her death on 31 August 1997 sent shock waves around the globe, but she left a lasting legacy of all the good she did in this world. Here are 10 things we will never forget.

When Diana and Charles married at St. Paul's Cathedral in 1981, she made a change to one of her vows. She removed the word "obey." This was the very first time a royal bride had omitted this word but it paved the way for other royal brides to do the same, reports Reader's Digest. Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle did the same thing when they wed Prince William and Prince Harry.

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The first royal tour Princess Diana went on with her husband Prince Charles was in 1983. Prince William was only a little baby at the time, but he went with them to Australia and New Zealand. Usually when royal babies are very young, they do not join the tour, so it was quite a statement for Diana to bring William along. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did not bring any of their children on royal appointments when they were babies.

The iconic nickname that she has been known by ever since, was first used during this time, reports Heart. "The People's Princess" is how she will always be remembered – and it shows her caring, human side, something that wasn't often shown from royals who attempt to keep a professional facade.

Historically, not many royals have been open about discussing their mental health issues. Diana pioneered the movement of destigmatizing conversations around mental health when she had an interview with Martin Bashir in 1995. She disclosed that she had experienced depression, self-harm, and bulimia.

Admitting this at a time where no one was really discussing mental health was revolutionary. We have come a long way since then, with people discussing their mental health publicly and on social media.

In the same 1995 interview Diana confessed that she did not want to become queen. She was in line to become the next queen, being married to the heir of the throne, Prince Charles, but she was honest about how being queen wasn't important to her, and the role had no appeal to her. She said she would much rather be the “queen of people’s hearts.”

She was also very transparent when it came to talking about the monarchy and how they felt about her becoming queen: “I don’t think many people would want me to be queen, and when I say many people, I mean the establishment that I’m married into.”

Princess Diana defied the rules when she shook hands with patients who had been diagnosed with AIDS. Although we now know that the AIDS virus cannot be transmitted through touching someone who has it, in the 1980s there was a widespread belief that this was possible.

In 1987, Diana opened the first dedicated HIV and AIDS ward at London Middlesex Hospital, reports the National AIDS Trust. She was happy to be photographed shaking hands with the patients. One image in particular caused a stir as she was not wearning any gloves. This is only part of the work Diana did to change people's perception of taboo topics.

Following on from this, Diana continued her work to help and support people who had AIDS. Even though the royal family weren't supportive of her choice of charity, she is seen as an important figure in demystifying AIDS and one of the first to have such a progressive mindset. According to the National AIDS Trust, many of the establishments and programs she set up are still in existence today.

Traditionally, the royal family has given birth at home. Diana broke hundreds of years of tradition when she decided that both Prince William and Prince Harry would be born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London. This set a new standard and since then all William and Kate's children have been born there too.

Many generations of royal children would be taught at home by a governess. According to Hello, Diana did not want this for her children, as she wanted them to have a normal upbringing. Instead she opted to send them to private school, which is what William and Kate have also done.

She made an appearance at a Vanity Fair party in this power outfit on the day that Charles admitted to his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles via a documentary about his life. The couple had had various affairs over the years, but this one was one that was most prominent in the public eye, reports Reader's Digest.

When Diana and Charles separated, things became quite bitter between the royal family and Diana. The Princess was defiant and openly commented on her treatment, making it clear to everyone that she would not disappear silently.

In an interview with the BBC, she stated, “[I] won’t go quietly, that’s the problem. I’ll fight till the end. I’m a great believer that you should always confuse the enemy,” she said. “They were undermining me out of fear, because this is a strong woman doing her bit, and where is she getting her strength from to continue?”

Princess Diana was one of the true female icons of our time. Let's not forget her spirit by sharing the great things she has done which continue to live on.