Intellectuals often pay tribute to those who shape the way we live, heroes of the modern world and exceptional human beings from whose life we can draw valuable lessons.
In A Personal Perspective (2008), Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi acknowledges the heroic deeds of Fijians such as Savenaca Siwatibau, Ayesha Shameem, Tui Nayau, Ro Litia C. K. L Tuisawau Mara, Justice Ghananand Mishra and Pauline Manueli.
Satendra Nandan, in his book Dispatches from Distant Shores (2017), remembers Partick White, M.K Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru whereas Epeli Hau’ofa in We are the Ocean (2008) appreciates the life of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.
It therefore becomes rather prudent that before the conclusion of this year an article about the life of one of the most influential figures of the late 20th century should be written.
Brief biography
This year the world marked the 20th death anniversary of the “People’s Princess” better known as Princess of Wales, Lady Diana. Her life is like the universe, one struggles to find where to begin and where to conclude writing.
The legacy of her life needs to be acknowledged so that we can become better beings by contributing to society unconditionally. She was born as Diana Spencer on July 1, 1961 and became Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975.
On July 29, 1981, at the age of 19, she married the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, who was 13 years her senior. Their wedding attracted global TV audience of more than 750 million and was labelled as “the wedding of the century”. The couple had two sons, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis and Prince Henry Charles Albert David. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last long. Their separation was announced by the British Prime Minister in 1992 and they divorced in 1996. Regrettably, Diana met with a tragic death on August 31, 1997, from injuries she sustained in a car crash in Paris, France.
Controversies surrounding her death
In the eyes of the pubic, Princess Diana died from a car crash but her death has attracted innumerable media attention over two decades. Recent reports suggest that one year before the crash, she wrote a letter to her butler, Paul Burrell, stating that she feared the Royal Palace was planning her murder which would mostly probably be due to a car accident.
Vanityfair.com (2004) reported that in a letter written in October 1996, Diana stated Prince Charles was “planning an ‘accident’ in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry”.
Princess Diana was having a relationship with Dodi Fayed, who was also killed in the car crash; their relationship was at the centre of public knowledge which defamed the British Empire.
According to Sun.co.uk (2017) “Dodi’s father Mohamed Al-Fayed, who used to own Harrods in London, began claiming in the press the crash was not an accident. He claimed Princess Diana and his son Dodi were killed by MI6 on the instructions of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip”.
Revelations were made that the car that was supposed to pick Diana and Dodi on the night the accident happened was changed minutes before they left the hotel.
Also, it was noted that the ambulance arrived late at the scene. This delay caused the injuries sustained by the Princess to become fatal. Nevertheless, these controversies have remained inconclusive over the years.
Admirable Qualities of Princess of Wales
There are characteristics of Lady Diana that each one of us can follow. In the speech following the death of Princess Diana, The Queen used powerful words of admiration stating, “I admired and respected her — for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys. 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. 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 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” (royal.uk, 1997).
The Princess of Wales did not distinguish between status or class; evident in February 1989, when she was spending a few days in New York and made a visit to Harlem Hospital Center.
She made a profound impact on the public by spontaneously hugging a seven-year-old child with AIDS. She was the first British royal figure to make physical contact with an AIDS patient.
Telegraph.uk (1997) quoted Diana “HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it. What’s more, you can share their homes, their workplaces, and their playgrounds and toys”. Her compassionate nature empowers individuals not to give up hope of overcoming a problem in life.
After her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996, she lost the title of Her Royal Highness and was only styled with Diana, Princess of Wales.
In Tina Brown’s (2007) book The Diana Chronicles, she reveals that almost a year before, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip had warned the Princess of Wales, “If you don’t behave, my girl, we’ll take your title away.”
She is said to have replied, “My title is a lot older than yours, Philip.” Despite the removal of the title of Her Royal Highness and her divorce from the Prince of Wales, she continued to reign in the hearts of millions because of her humanitarian efforts.
Today, our society seeks ways to manipulate, corrupt and practice nepotism in the hunger for power, status and positions.
These individuals exist in organisations, with their minds occupied in thoughts of devious ways to push guileless colleagues into orchestrated traps to deliberately exploit their weakness.
Princess Diana, on the other hand, did not abuse her status and power but instead used it to improve the welfare of the sickly, helpless and those in needs of aid.
The Unforgotten
Today, the Princess of Wales, Lady Diana lies on an island within the grounds of Althorp Park, the Spencer family home for centuries. Public offerings of flowers, candles, cards, and personal messages were left outside her home, Kensington Palace for many months.
On September 6, 1997, her televised funeral was watched by more than 32 million British audience and millions more worldwide. According to the BBC, the media crowned her “The Most Beautiful Woman and the Most Photographed Woman in the World”. The legacy of her service to humanity continues with the establishment of The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in September 1997.
Her spirit lives on forever and she can never be forgotten but a question to ask is, will there be another Diana in this world?
* Prashneel R. Goundar is an academic and writer. Views expressed are his and not of this newspaper or the employer. For comments or suggestions please email prgoundar@gmail.com.
