Finally I have a moment to ‘breathe’, as it were, and can get back to writing my blog. I have had a great time getting to know more wonderful people, catching up with very dear friends I met on ‘Queen Mary 2’ and ‘Navigator of the Seas’, and seeing some amazing, memorable places.
It is really hard to believe that 28 August was the 6-month anniversary since I left home. Gone in blink of an eye . . .
In my last post I showed photos of Kensington Palace, which included a moving tribute to Diana posted with flowers on the front gate of the palace. Everywhere she is described as ‘the people's princess’, although in truth she came from one of the very wealthy, powerful families of England, not from humble origins. She earned that title because she was so human, and she cared about the ordinary people, the ill, the disconnected, the victims of conflict.
The end of August marks 20 years since her death. I think this will be a very tough time for her two sons, not so much because they still grieve for the mother they loved so much, since they are finally being open about the heartache they have suffered all these years, which will help them heal, but more because I suspect they will finally hear the truth about their father and the love that he bore which eventually broke her marriage: “There are three people in this marriage.”
I feel sorry for Charles in this too. He was basically forced to marry Diana because at that time the Royal Family would not tolerate him marrying a ‘commoner’. How his heart must have ached when he loved and wanted someone else. And Diana, who was subjected to the humiliation of being checked by doctors to ensure she was a virgin, was another victim of their strict, antiquated social expectations.
Despite all that and all her emotional ups and downs, Diana set a wonderful example of using your position to better the lives of others. As you read the cards that were placed next to the dresses I show in the following photos, you will see a woman who would make it easier for sick children to hug her, and who would take off her gloves to shake hands with a man who had Aids. Around the walls of the exhibition there were tributes from fashion designers as well, saying she started off as a very innocent and humble girl, but matured into a lovely, special, woman who was always kind and thoughtful and used her position to help promote the British fashion industry.
When they were quite young, William and Harry persuaded their mother to sell much of her wardrobe to raise money for charities. Some of the dresses on display were loaned back for this exhibition. I am sure Diana would be very proud to know that her sons have grown to be like her in any fundamental ways, including her dedication to a wide range of worthy causes.
To also mark the anniversary of her death, a beautiful sunken garden has been created at the palace, called ‘the white garden’. I include some photos of that as well.
Vale Diana.
No comments:
Post a Comment