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Those Who Knew Princess Diana Look Back

From her butler to her biographer the personal stories they shared

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. When she became a leading member of the British royal family, she chose work that highlighted the young, the sick and the vulnerable, as well as the old and infirm. I was with her when, in one swift gesture, she destroyed the “Do not touch” taboo as she shook hands with an AIDS patient in 1987 — and two years later held the stump of a leprosy patient. Her ability to empathize and connect with people from all walks of life is widely recognized. But I also saw another side to her — amusing and always with a ready wit — including about the very British Windsors, who are partly descended from German royalty. While they were married, Diana and Charles had their joint office at St. James’s Palace in London, and I remember her arriving there once in 1991 in a soft-top Mercedes SL600. “Where’s the Jaguar XJS?” I asked. “At least that was a British car.” Quick as a flash she replied, “I’ve got a German husband. Why can’t I have a German car?” Sally Bedell Smith is the author of "Diana in Search of Herself" and "Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life." Cindy Ord/Getty Images It was a sparkling day on Martha’s Vineyard in the summer of 1994, but during my only private encounter with Diana, I saw both her sunny and cloudy sides. The occasion was a beach picnic hosted by Katharine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post, and the princess was among a small group of guests. Diana looked gorgeous: bronze and lithe in her flowered bikini. When my 19-year-old son arrived late and breathless, I quickly whispered her name in his ear. He spun around, pumped her hand, stared at her chest and said, “Hey, how are ya doin’?” She clicked on her high beams, grinned and giggled at my son’s Yankee familiarity. Yet moments later, she withdrew. Throughout the afternoon, she seemed almost without affect; her sudden shift from engaging to preoccupied puzzled me. Later one of her close friends would tell me, “At times Diana could be fantastically vacant. She would just switch off.” As I began writing her biography, I realized that my impromptu encounter had given me my first glimpse of her emotional complexity. Paul Burrell was Diana’s personal butler from 1987 until her death in 1997. He is the author of "The Way We Were: Remembering Diana." WENN/Newscom Irreplaceable, unique and inspirational. I miss my friend Diana. I miss that tremendous energy, which occupied my daily life for over 10 years as her personal butler. She was my raison d’être. Wasn’t I a lucky man, and who wouldn’t have wanted to trade places with me for just one day? Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > Landon Jones was the managing editor of "People" magazine from 1989 to 1997. He is writing a history of modern celebrity culture. Landon Jones A young woman with very big problems was catnip to our readers at People magazine. Coverage of Diana eventually became a weekly event, and I think we did more than 50 covers. She had the Cinderella courtship, the eating disorder, the problem husband and in-laws, people accusing her of being crazy, the pride in her children. I remember her telling me, “Harry’s getting so tall.” She was vulnerable and easy to relate to. I finally met her when I went to London to negotiate a cancer benefit that People was going to co-host in Chicago. The event was in June 1996, not long before her divorce was finalized. I had hoped to have the first dance with her, but the palace said you had to be 6 feet tall to do that. Anyway, before the event, I had a one-on-one coffee with her, in her apartment at Kensington Palace. Her butler took me up to her sitting room, and then she came sashaying in, skirt swaying. My initial impression was how almost flirty she was, batting her eyelashes. She had a beguiling way of covering her mouth with her hand when she was giggling. I was expecting her to be more standoffish. I mean, I’m from the Midwest. I had never dealt with a royal. It was a really nice meeting. Afterward, she walked me to the door herself, then walked outside, waving goodbye. I thought that was sweet. Looking back from today’s perspective, I feel a sense of loss — and loss of potential. I think at the end of her life she was in a period of growth. Elizabeth Dole is a former U.S. senator, secretary of transportation, secretary of labor and president of the American Red Cross. Her Elizabeth Dole Foundation aids family members caring for wounded and disabled veterans. Rob Kim/Getty Images I invited Diana to join me in hosting a gala to raise funds for land mine victims and land mine removal. It was the only time I ever met her. This was 1997, just a couple of months before her death. Princess Diana walking with Elizabeth Dole in Washington, D.C., in 1997. Reuters She came to our headquarters in Washington for a meeting on the day of the gala wearing a suit the exact same shade of lavender as mine. There were something like 300 press people following her, and both of us realized that if we held our press conference in matching suits, the suits were going to be the story. It was not going to be land mine victims. So I said, “I live nearby, and if I go carefully out the back door, I can avoid the press, change and be back in 15 minutes.” Diana said, “Oh, thank goodness.” She seemed so relieved. I dashed home and slipped on a yellow suit. Later, we were dying laughing about it, even at the gala. We told my husband, “Guess what happened to us today?” She had a wonderful sense of humor, no question. I felt I had known her for ages. And it’s clear she genuinely cared about people. She didn’t have to do all the charitable work she was doing. I think people responded to her because they knew she really cared.­ AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe This is the seventh installment in a series of photos and videos remembering Princess Diana as we approach the 20th anniversary of her shocking death on Aug. 31, 1997. Please share your thoughts and memories of Diana in our . More on entertainment AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS