How Did Princess Diana Impact Pop Culture?

There have been many iconic figures throughout history, and some of these figures belong to the British royal family, which is arguably the most popular royal family in the world. However, there is one particular person that stood out among most of the members of the said family, and this person is Diana, Princess of Wales.

Diana Frances Spencer, known by most people as Princess Diana, was a member of the British royal family. She served as the Princess of Wales and was married to Charles, Prince of Wales, who is also the heir apparent to the British throne as of 2022. Princess Diana not only became popular because of her good looks but because of her fashion sense and her advocacy. To learn more, here are details about the impact of Princess Diana on pop culture. Like Princess Diana, President Ronald Reagan also had a major impact on Pop Culture. 

Who was Princess Diana?

Who was Princess Diana?

Princess Diana was born in Park House, a country house located in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, on July 1, 1961. Diana was born within a noble family called the Spencers, who had close ties with the British royal family for several generations. The grandmothers of Princess Diana were actually the ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II.

Diana would later become engaged to Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth, while she was working as an assistant to a nursery teacher in 1981. The wedding of Diana and Charles took place at St. Paul Cathedral, and the event officially made her the Princess of Wales. As part of the royal family, Princess Diana would often have to take on royal duties on behalf of the Queen, which included attending interviews, events, and occasions where the Queen would be unable to go.

Unfortunately, Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s marriage would become quite controversial, as it was reported that their personalities didn’t actually match well, which would lead to them fighting constantly. They separated in 1992, although the divorce would only become official in 1996. Between the separation and the divorce, the marriage of the couple would become a hot topic among media outlets in England and also in other parts of the world.

The Advocacies of Princess Diana

Besides being hailed as one of the most beautiful members of the British royal family, Princess Diana also became massively popular around the world because of her advocacies, which are sometimes deemed unconventional for someone that is part of royalty.

Her advocacies during the early years of her time as the Princess of Wales were focused on children and the elderly, but during the later years, she would become known for advocating the acceptance of AIDS patients and the removal of landmines with the help of the International Red Cross. In addition, Princess Diana also raised awareness for cancer and various kinds of mental illnesses.

Princess Diana’s Death

Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997, due to a car crash that occurred in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. According to reports, the driver of Diana’s car was fleeing from the paparazzi before the accident took place. Along with Princess Diana, the people that died in the car crash were her romantic partner Dodi Fayed and her driver, Henry Paul, who also served as the acting security manager of the Hotel Ritz Paris. The only survivor of the said car crash was Trevor Rees-Jones, the bodyguard of Dodi Fayed.

The funeral of Princess Diana was then televised on September 6, 1997. The televised funeral was one of the most-watched broadcasts on British television, as it was able to get 32.10 million viewers. In addition, other countries in the world televised the funeral and received millions of views as well. There are many popular theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana, with one theory suggesting that the British royal family was involved and sabotaged the car she was in. However, there was not enough proof or evidence to turn these theories into facts.

The Pop Culture Impact of Princess Diana

During the peak of Princess Diana’s popularity, she was considered the most photographed woman in the world because of the outstanding number of photos of her that are published in newspapers and magazines every year. Despite her relatively shy personality, Princess Diana would be praised for her charisma and compassion for the people of England. 

Because of her popularity among the people of her country, she would often be called “The People’s Princess” by the press. Even after the collapse of her marriage to Prince Charles, Princess Diana continued to be popular among many people in the country.

Her popularity also reached the fashion world, and whatever she wore became trendy. Her fashion style is copied by millions of women around the world, and some of the most basic pieces of clothing that she wears on regular days would even sell out in various stores. One of the most popular clothing pieces that she wore was the Hunter Wellington boots, which she liked to wear during her courtship with Prince Charles in 1980. In that year, the sales for the brand that sold the boots skyrocketed.

Princess Diana also liked to wear loose jackets and jumpers, and because she often wears those on most days, those clothing pieces became quite trendy in the 1980s. When she became separated from Prince Charles in the 1990s, Princess Diana’s fashion sense became more daring, as she would usually wear form-fitting outfits. However, the outfits had neutral tones in order to reflect attention to the charity events she attended instead. Even after her death, Princess Diana’s fashion sense is still being celebrated by the industry.

Diana, Princess of Wales, remains one of the most celebrated members of the British royal family even in today’s era. Her impact on the history and culture of England would forever remain in the hearts and minds of many people in the country. Today, there are still a lot of documentaries and films that cover or chronicle the life of Princess Diana, and there will most likely be more forms of art that will be created in tribute to her in the future.