From the time she married Prince Charles in 1981, Princess Diana was a beloved figure in Britain, but few could have imagined the outpouring of grief that followed her death at age 36. As news spread of the accident that took her life on August 31, 1997, mourners flocked to Kensington and Buckingham Palaces to leave flowers, gifts, and cards. In a country famed for its stiff upper lip, people wept openly in the streets, keening the loss of a beautiful young mother—and venting their anger at the monarchy they believed had treated her cruelly. Her funeral, like her wedding, was viewed around the world. And people wept again as they watched two boys, Prince William and Prince Harry, say goodbye to their mother.
As The Crown season six recreates this moment, we're taking a look back at the tragic day.
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Prince Harry and Prince William walk behind their mother's casket in the funeral procession.
They were flanked by their father, Prince Charles, their grandfather, Prince Philip, and their uncle, Earl Spencer. Harry has since revealed that walking behind his mother's coffin that day was torturous. "My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television," Harry said during an interview with Newsweek. "I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circ*mstances. I don’t think it would happen today."
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Prince William alongside his uncle, Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer.
Earl Spencer's eulogy during the service angered members of the royal family, a rift that has only begun to heal in recent years. Read his full funeral speech, here.
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