The unique, complex, extraordinary, irreplaceable Diana
By Jacqui Iwu (jackie@sunnewsonline.com)
Saturday September 8, 2007

She was young, charming, royal and beautiful in and out. The death of Princess Diana, ex wife of Prince Charles of the British Royal family on the 31st of August 1997, in Paris shocked the world. Yesterday, 31st of August marked 11th year anniversary of her painful controversial death. In 1981 when she married the world’s most eligible bachelor then, the world watched and waited with keen interest how the naïve virgin beauty was going to cope with the most archaic of institutions – the British Royal family.

As a teenager, married to a man 12 years older than her, she wanted so much to please and stand by her husband, to conform exactly to the royal family script. She was a good wife, caring and loving mother and the future queen of England. Unfortunately, during the mid 80s after the birth of her first son – Williams, Diana became clinically depressed and suffered from eating disorders – bulimia nervosa because, the fairy tale marriage started developing cracks.

This was the fact that her husband Prince Charles not long after wedding continued his serious love affair with (present wife) then Camilla Parker Bowles. Diana complained to the royals, but nothing happened. Charles himself was aloof. During his bachelorhood and search for a suitable wife, he was seriously romancing Camilla but for the royal family and their rules, she was totally unqualified for the prince.

Diana was perfect for the prince but the prince was in love with someone else and for the sake of pleasing and playing the script of the royals, he had to marry Diana not because he truly loved her but because she was the woman the family wanted. Not because it happened with princess Diana and Prince Charles, any marriage that the two couples fail to love each other naturally, hardly stand the test of time. Convenient marriage or contract marriage! That was the beginning of the late Princess “dark ages’, the beginning of her evolution to be the most hunted and paparazzied which later turned her into the most glamorous woman of her time.

The press could not get enough of her but she did not like the publicity. Princess Diana in her short life was loved by all even after death because, she reached out to all kinds of people making her to go contrary to the royal family rigid style. “I see myself as a princess for the world, not the Princes of Wales”, she once said. She was never arrogant but a woman that extended her love and care to all races all over the world. In the public the royals love to address people in large groups but Diana went headlong, interacting with different kinds of people in one on one conversation.

She physically touched and hugged people with leprosy and full blown Aids. Diana re-created the role of a princess with her down-to-earth style and changed forever, Britain’s perception of what royalty could and should be.
With her open door policy of being a princess, she won the heart of millions of men, women and children all over the world who still cry for her death till today.
She had a gift of empathy and charity.

One of her last assignments was her trip to Angola campaigning for the ban on landmines. She mingled with land mines victims. She also gave hope to the people of Karanga tribe in Zimbabwe, and was a good friend of the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta India. I am very sure if she were still alive today, she would have loved to visit Nigeria too. Diana’s smiles, hugs, and kisses to the sick and less privileged gave them so much hope and made some of them who died of AIDS, went to their graves with happiness.

Tell me why we should not still remember this rare gem who loved all? All her humanitarian works she did while being abandoned by her husband, till she finally got her divorce. After her divorce, she started dating Egyptian billionaire Emad (Dodi) Fayed and was happy with him.
There were rumours of her getting married to him which was not fun to the royals because Dodi was a Muslim. And I keep asking - after her sorrows in her last marriage, why does it matter whom she falls in love with? If Dodi was a Muslim, so what about it? The hunt continued till the eve of her death when a squad of paparazzi on motorcycles pursued the car she was in with Dodi and the car crashed in the bid to avoid them. Dodi died instantly! Doctors battled to save Diana’s life but she was critically battered, unconscious with massive loss of blood. She died shortly after.

They say, “men do not cry”, but during her burial, men who are men could not hold back their tears. For women and children who lined the streets of London, and those who watched on the television all over the world it was raw grief! Diana was a heroine, an icon and an exceptional gifted human being. Though she is gone, her sweet memories will forever remain fresh in the minds and hearts of those of us that loved and cherish her. Keep resting our princess!! We surely do miss you!
FITNESS WATCH: Very fresh yogurt with less or no sugar is filling and healthy. Indulge!
BEAUTY SPLASH: Allow your skin one week break when switching to a new product.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Those who genuinely loved, will always be loved back both in life and death.