Prince William and family to commemorate 24th anniversary of Diana’s death ‘privately’
Fans and well-wishers remember the Princess of Wales more than two decades after her shock death
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children will be “privately” commemorating the 24th death anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales, it has been reported.
According to the PA news agency, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are understood to be marking the anniversary quietly as devoted fans of the princess make the annual pilgrimage to Kensington Palace to leave flowers and messages at the Golden Gates.
Well-wishing members of the public are also able to view a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace on Tuesday through special arrangements made for the anniversary.
The statue, commissioned by William and Harry and unveiled last month, can be viewed via the Cradle Walk around the Sunken Garden between 3pm to 5pm.
The area is only usually accessible to the public from Wednesdays to Sundays due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Diana was killed on 31 August 1997 at the age of 36 in a car crash in Paris. The princess and her lover Dodi Fayed both died when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel as they were being pursued by the paparazzi.
She was dubbed ‘the People’s Princess’ for her caring and open approach to the public and humanitarian charity work.
This year, the BBC wrote to the royal family to apologise for the circumstances surrounding Diana’s famous Panorama interview in 1995, after an inquiry found that the BBC covered up “deceitful behaviour” by journalist Martin Bashir to in the process of securing the exclusive interview.
In the programme, Diana said there were “three of us” in her marriage to Prince Charles and questioned his suitability as king, prompting the Queen to urge the couple to divorce.
William and Harry both condemned the BBC in separate statements. William said the interview fuelled his mother’s “fear, paranoia and isolation” in the final years of her life, and Harry added: “The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.”
Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, said he “draws a line” between the bombshell television appearance and her death, which took place two years later.
The Independent has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments