Lot of (3) Books About Princess Diana (1961-1997). Includes "Dresses Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales" from Christie's, "Diana: The Portrait" by Rosalind Coward with a forward by Nelson Mandela, and "Eating Royally" by her private chef Darren McGrady, signed by him and dated "2 May 2010." All hardcover.
Largest Size: 1 x 12 x 17 in.
#8693 .
Diana, Princess of Wales, was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1st, 1961 in Park House, Sandringham, England. She was born into the British nobility and grew up close to the royal family, becoming shy and eager to please from a sheltered childhood. Her parents divorced when she was seven, partially due to the death of her infant brother and the lack of male heirs in the family, which had a profound impact on her worldview and her future relationships. In 1975 she became known as Lady Diana after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, moving the entire family to Althorp, the Spencer seat in Northamptonshire. In 1981, while working as a nursery teacher’s assistant, she became engaged to Charles, the eldest son of Elizabeth II. Their wedding took place at St Paul’s Cathedral in July of that year, making her the first Englishwoman to marry the first in line to the throne since Anne Hyde had married James, Duke of York and Albany, over 300 years earlier. She was also the first royal bride to have a paying job before her engagement, and her youth, gentle attitude, and experience with and among “commoners” swiftly made her one of the most beloved members of the Royal Family throughout the Commonwealth. The couple had two sons, William and Harry, who were then respectively second and third in the line of succession to the British throne. Sadly, Diana’s marriage to Charles suffered due to their age difference, mutual incompatibility, and extramarital affairs, as well as her distaste for the distanced pomp and circumstance that royal life entailed. Diana and Charles separated in 1992, soon after the breakdown of their relationship became public knowledge through Andrew Morton’s book “Diana: Her True Story.” It relied on secret interviews with Diana herself, and revealed details of her suicidal episodes as well as the inner workings of the monarchy, an unprecedented breach of protocol that raised the largest royal scandal in England in the 20th Century. Their marital difficulties were widely publicized in papers and television reports, with Diana endlessly hounded by paparazzi and public relations teams of the British government. The couple divorced in 1996, at which point Diana lost the style of “Her Royal Highness” although she was still considered a member of the royal family. Throughout these events she had undertaken many royal duties on behalf of the Queen and was celebrated in the media for her beauty, charm, style, and her charity work mainly for children and the elderly. Her most important contribution in her lifetime was her direct involvement in a campaign to help AIDS patients, photographed shaking hands with them without gloves or protective masks and helping to dispel inaccurate and malicious disinformation about the disease and those suffering from it. Her advocacy for the removal of landmines promoted through the International Red Cross drew significant support as well, and she emerged from the divorce with perhaps an even greater reputation than before. Considered by most to be extremely photogenic and the most beautiful British royal of all time, she is regarded as a fashion icon of the 1980s and 1990s. Tragically, on August 31st, 1997 Diana died in a car crash in Paris along with her companion Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul, who was blamed for the accident after trying to escape from pursuing paparazzi. Her legacy has since had a significant effect on the royal family and British society, as well as charitable organizations across the globe.
