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A Princess And The Public How Diana s Death Changed the World

Moments from the world mourning Princess Diana after her death.By by Kenneth BachorBuzzFeed News Photo Editor and by Ellie HallBuzzFeed News ReporterPosted on August 31, 2022, 3:28 pmTwitterFacebookLink Ralf-Finn Hestoft / Corbis via Getty Images Mourners left many bouquets, cards, and photographs as a tribute to Princess Diana, outside Kensington Palace in London, on Sept. 1, 1997. There are some moments that live forever in our shared human cultural history — the moments that prompt the question, “Where were you when you heard about it?” The moon landing. The terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon. Times in our collective memory where a marker is placed, as if to say, something has changed and we will not be the same. The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, on Aug. 31, 1997, is one of those touchstones. The public outpouring of grief during that week, from her death to her funeral, was something new. It wasn’t enough to know that Diana had been killed — people wanted to stand and be counted as one of her mourners. From the moment that her death was announced, there was a movement to make sure her passing would not be forgotten. Tens of thousands flocked to British palaces and embassies around the world to leave flowers, notes, posters, and any other sort of talisman as a tribute to her life. In London, people from all walks of life waited up to 12 hours to sign books of condolence at St. James’s Palace, and “quiet sobs” were heard from outside Kensington Palace, Diana’s onetime home. Even at the time, people found it hard to explain exactly why they were so determined to honor her memory. “I had to be here," one man told the Daily Mirror on the day of Diana’s funeral. "It's so difficult to put into words, but if you look at all the other people here, you will know what I mean." Her life touched something within people. And after her death, as images from this time of international mourning show, people wanted to touch back, to use their hands to show the mark she had left on their lives. Peter Turnley / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images Mourners stand outside Westminster Abbey on the day of Princess Diana's funeral, Sept. 6, 1997. It was estimated that at least 1 million people lined the streets of central London to watch the procession with Diana's coffin from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. Gerry Penny / AFP via Getty Images Crowds place flowers outside Buckingham Palace in London on Aug. 31, 1997. Thomas Coex / AFP via Getty Images A man carries his own personalized floral tribute to Princess Diana in London on Sept. 2, 1997. Dave Gaywood / AFP via Getty Images A pavement artist draws a likeness of Princess Diana on a street in Central London on Sept. 4, 1997. Jeff Overs / BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images Personalized written tributes and flowers for Princess Diana lay near Buckingham Palace on Sept. 1, 1997. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images A group of young women at Kensington Palace pay tribute to Princess Diana on Sept. 1, 1997. Reading Post / Mirrorpix / Getty Images A deserted street in Reading, England, with businesses closed out of observance for Princess Diana's funeral on Sept. 6, 1997. Peter Turnley / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images A mourner holds a red heart with a photograph of Princess Diana in London on Sept. 1, 1997. Ben Curtis / PA Images via Getty Images People line up outside St. James's Palace in London to sign the book of condolence and pay their respects to Princess Diana, on September 1, 1997. James Leynse / Corbis via Getty Images People gather and lay tributes to Princess Diana at the British Embassy in New York City, on September 2, 1997. Joel Robine / AFP via Getty Images Mourners during the tribute for Princess Diana at St. James's Palace in London, on September 5, 1997. Peter Turnley / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images Two children with bouquets of flowers for Princess Diana in London, on September 1, 1997. Peter Turnley / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images In an overwhelming outpouring of grief, an estimated 1 million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace after Princess Diana's death. Peter Turnley / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images A woman lies on the lawn at Kensington Palace and reads a book about Princess Diana, on September 4, 1997. Michael Robinson Chavez / The Boston Globe via Getty Images "The Great Garibaldi," a circus performer from London, joins hands and weeps with a fellow mourner outside Buckingham Palace, on September 1, 1997. Peter Jordan / AP In the years after Princess Diana's death, memorabilia and souvenirs bearing her image were commonly for sale, like these items in a London shop, on August 17, 1998.

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British Royal Family Kenneth BachorBuzzFeed News Photo Editor Kenneth Bachor is a Photo Editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. Contact Kenneth Bachor at [email protected]. Got a confidential tip? Submit it here Ellie HallBuzzFeed News Reporter Ellie Hall is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC. Contact Ellie Hall at [email protected].