What the Queen Said in Tribute to Princess Diana After Her Death
The loss of Princess Diana forever changed the world and the lives of those she touched. Although Diana had a complicated relationship with the monarchy, the members of the Royal Family clearly mourned her tragic loss when she died in a car accident in 1997.
The Queen addressed the nation in tribute after Princess Diana’s death
Queen Elizabeth II addressed the nation in a televised appearance before Princess Diana’s funeral in tribute. The Queen made her speech from the first-floor balcony that overlooks the Mall at Buckingham Palace. She said the words to a crowd of people trying to come to terms with the loss of the “People’s Princess.”
“We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So what I say to you now as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from the heart,” the Queen said. “First, I want to pay tribute to Diana, myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, especially for her devotion to her two boys.”
Princess Diana will never be forgotten
As the Queen said, no one will ever forget Princess Diana, even the people who never physically met her. She was a profound individual that will always be cherished in the minds of those who knew her and those who appreciated what she stood for.
“No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her,” the Queen continued. “I for one believe that there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory.”
The Royal Family stayed secluded after Diana’s death
Everyone in the Royal Family clearly mourned the loss of Diana, not just her sons Prince William and Prince Harry. However, the monarchy was criticized with their initial reactions to Princess Diana’s death. The family spent time secluded away at Balmoral instead of grieving openly with the people.
A number of situations started to upset the public. Initially, the police wouldn’t allow bouquets to be left outside Buckingham Palace as a sign of mourning for the Princess. The Union Flag wasn’t flying at half-mast at the Palace at first either, something the public noticed and found disrespectful.
The people weren’t happy with the monarchy’s reaction
In Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words, Andrew Morton, a royal biographer, highlights the tumultuous aftermath of Diana’s death. “As the royal family spent the week in seclusion at Balmoral, they seemed a troubled clan bewildered by events, retreating from the nation rather than leading them in mourning,” Morton wrote. “While this was a wholly unfair presumption, the nation’s growing irritation with their behavior was nothing new.”
Princess Diana forever changed the world as we know it. If she had lived, she would have continued with her extraordinary efforts to better our society and change things. She was a humanitarian and advocate for the less fortunate. She felt most at home among the common people who were suffering. Diana’s legacy is still carried on through the people who knew her and her two sons who continue her work.
