On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car accident in Paris. Her death caused unprecedented public mourning and plunged the monarchy into one of the biggest spirals of The Queen’s reign.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princes William and Harry were at Balmoral Castle in Scotland when Diana was killed. The boys, aged 15 and 12 at the time, were devastated and have since spoken of how the loss of their mother at an early age impacted their mental and emotional wellbeing.
But the public tide began turning against the Royal Family and continued to grow as The Queen and her family continued to stay up at Balmoral, shielding William and Harry from the public in their time of grief. For the week following Diana’s death, it was radio silence from the palace.
Reportedly, The Queen had to be coaxed into allowing a ceremonial funeral for her former daughter-in-law. The Royal Standard did not fly at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, which is a matter of protocol, as the Royal Standard denotes the location of the sovereign, and as there is always a sovereign, it would be incorrect for it to hang in mourning (a compromise was later found when the Union Jack was hung at half-mast when The Queen departed Buckingham Palace for Diana’s funeral). Soon, an angry public and angry headlines began to dominate the coverage of Diana’s death—“show us you care,” read one headline.
The Queen agreed to a televised speech the night before Diana’s funeral, unprecedented as she rarely gave public televised addresses outside of her annual Christmas message. Speaking to a public that had castigated her for not being more visible over the week, The Queen insisted that “What I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.”
She continued: “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, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.
“I admired and respected her — for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys.
“This week at Balmoral, we have all been trying to help William and Harry come to terms with the devastating loss that they and the rest of us have suffered.
“No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her.
“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.
“This is also an opportunity for me, on behalf of my family, and especially Prince Charles and William and Harry, to thank all of you who have brought flowers, sent messages, and paid your respects in so many ways to a remarkable person.
“These acts of kindness have been a huge source of help and comfort.
“Our thoughts are also with Diana’s family and the families of those who died with her. I know that they too have drawn strength from what has happened since last weekend, as they seek to heal their sorrow and then to face the future without a loved one.“
The following day, The Queen stood outside Buckingham Palace with the rest of the Royal Family to watch as Diana’s coffin processed past on its way to Westminster Abbey. The Queen took the unprecedented step of bowing to her former daughter-in-law.
“I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana’s loss and gratitude for her all-too-short life,” The Queen said.
“It is a chance to show to the whole world the British nation united in grief and respect.
“May those who died rest in peace, and may we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy.”
