Are You a Princess Diana Fan?

I admired her humanitarianism and her gentle way. I thought she was a good mother. I felt really sorry for her regarding her personal life, though. She never really seemed happy when it came to interpersonal relationships unless it was with her children.

Fan? No. I associate that word with entertainers.

She was a decent person who donated a lot of money to various charities.
I was never fascinated by her, or any of the other royal family. They have no bearing on my life.

I think she was a good Mom.
She had a good public image - don't know how much of it was manufactured vs how much of it was genuine.
I pretty much believe every royal puts their pants on the same way anyone else does (although they have a slew of maids/butlers to handle their wardrobes for them) - they are human with their good and bad points.

Charles played the playboy too long - he should have married Camilla when he was young - he made the mistake of joining the Navy and not asking her to wait for him (she went with her back up plan and married her rebound guy) - but I think the Queen Mum was against the match.
Later on I think he would have married her sooner than he did but couldn't till his grandmother passed away.
Considering she lived through the Edward/Wallace Simpson business, she had a thing against heirs marrying divorcees.

Charles and Diana's marriage was a disaster.
Charles was in love with someone else but duty bound to produce an heir.
Diana was breeding stock but too young/naive to realize it at first and then bitter and somewhat vindictive once she did.
As badly as things went for Charles and Diana I think it laid a foundation which made some differences/improvements in how things played out for William and Kate.
In 30 or so years (I'll be in my 80's), if I'm still alive, we'll be watching George getting married.
The royals are kind of like pet people.

I am a HUGE fan of Princess Diana. And, like you, loathe Prince Charles and Camilla. I don't even know how Prince William and Prince Harry can stand to look at either of them!

Also like you, I remember very clearly where I was and what I was doing when I heard of her accident/passing. I was on the computer and when I saw the news, I thought surely it was a mistake.

The world was a better place with her in it. I am so glad to see that her son's honor her with their acts of charity.

I did admire her and felt sorry for her that her marriage was difficult.

As far as the royal family, I'm not sure why everyone is so "taken" with them. They are basically born into their role and the whole concept seems a bit outdated. It's just a title for tradition. I guess I'm too "American" to buy into all of this.

I am not a royal follower but I always admired Diana and felt I could relate to her, especially her interest in helping the less fortunate and her taste in fashion and music.
I was very moved when we went to Paris three years ago. Our hotel was around the block from the tunnel where she was killed and we walked by it every day :-(

I like them all. I can't say I really related any more to Diana than I do to Charles and Camilla (give the couple a break, please-- the poor guy wasn't allowed to marry the woman he wanted, was pushed into an arranged marriage-- how could it have possibly ended well?). They all have their points in their favor and things that put people off them; I don't have a favorite. Hopefully the younger royals will have learned more from their parents and will chose to live their lives more authentically than generations past.

Interestingly, inasmuch as whether most of the population LIKE the monarchy or not, most of their time is spent working with charities and organizing fundraising events. PBS had a great documentary on this institution a year or so ago--- it was fascinating. It must be strange to be born into a world which is completely "other", forced to assimilate in some ways but to hold oneself separate in other regards. Charles has been doing a LOT of work in the past several years, and I think he's less 'waiting for the throne' than he is endeavoring to make England (and the world) a better place as well as ensuring that he might pass to William a solid monarchy. I can't imagine anyone wanting to oversee as much as some of them do.

Sorry-- I diverged away from Diana, there, didn't I? Bless her. I just remember her mostly from People magazine, her dresses and hats and hairstyles-- always very classically tasteful for her time.

I liked her too. Don't care one wit for Charles or Camilla. I do think that Diana's sons turned out to be wonderful young men, especially her older son who is so responsible and should be the one who becomes king when the Queen dies. NOT Charles.

I can remember the exact moment I heard she died. I can 'see' it like it was yesterday. I sat and cried. I still get emotional thinking about it. Her boys are following her footsteps. I look forward to their journeys. It's sad we have to look across the pond to have such an incredible role model that reached out beyond ALL barriers and was not scared to share her life with the world. Amazing woman!

Yes I have always been mesmerized by her too!! I set my alarm and got up to watch her and Charles get married, and I did the same when William and Kate did too!! I love how she raised her boys to be just like she is. And yes, yuck on Charles and Camilla!!

I didn't follow her so much but did admire her.

I think it was because she was normal. Raised well off compared to us but she worked in child care and made the first steps in teaching the future offspring how to live among the people and just live, you know, go to school, date, make mistakes and live it down, go in the service and enjoy what they picked to train in. She just brought being a person to the table.

She also didn't stand there and watch other do stuff when it came to her area's of service. She'd go sit a land mine kid in her lap, grab an AID's victim and hold them close. She cared about people and it made a difference.

I watched that movie about Queen Elizabeth when Princess Diana went through all that, I think Helen Mirrim played the Queen, anyway, she was so......in the dark when it came to the people's response to Diana. She didn't have a clue and was so embarrassed by her actions. She was supposed to be a royal now and wasn't acting like one.

The saddest part of Diana's life was, of course, Charles. He was in love with Camilla and had been his whole life. He met her when he was young and that was it.

The whole tragedy came full circle to that moment when he was told he had to pick a virgin wife and these were his choices. The monarchy learned a valuable lesson from this marriage, divorce, and death.

No wonder Diana turned to others for compassion, caring, love, intimacy, and more. She was starving for simple affection.

I was sitting on my couch watching TV when the wreck happened. I knew. I just knew she was gone. It was so sad.

I don't believe in all the hoop-la and privilege surrounding "royalty" but I did like Diana. She seemed to truly love her sons and as the mother of two sons myself I can relate.

Last year in Paris I saw a tribute to her at a "flame" that looks exactly like the flame on our Statue of Liberty. People still leave her notes.

oh, yes. i'll never forget the night she died. i stayed up all night watching the news reports, and cried when the word came in that she didn't make it. what shocked me was that when i woke my husband up to tell him what was going on, he stayed up glued to the news too!
i don't think charles is the villain in the story, but he was certainly a crappy husband, and camilla is singularly unappealing. i admire the boys for their seeming graciousness toward her, toward both of them. but he is their dad, and i suppose he's been a good one overall.
but they were really blessed to have such a lovely mother. she really broke the mold for royal parenting, and opened the door for future royals, including adorable george, to have more involved, hands-on parents.
but you really can't deny how much that handsome scamp harry looks like the riding master………
:) khairete
S.

Yes I am a fan of Diana.
Am sad she is gone!

Yes!! She died when I was in college. So tragic! I think she did so much good for the world AND the royal name. I love Princess Kate, too!! I think they would have gotten along so well!

P.S. I went to the traveling exhibit in KC last year. It was really cool:)

Didn't follow her too much. Didn't really care. I'm a year or two older than William.