Diana(1961-1997)—— Princess of Wales Diana

幽幽草

Diana, Princess (1961-1997), Princess of Wales from 1981 to 1997. Diana was born Diana Frances Spencer in Sandringham (桑德林翰), Norfolk (诺福克), England. Her father, Edward Spencer, was heir to an earldom (伯爵), and her mother was the daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy. Diana was educated (受教育) at Riddlesworth Hall, a preparatory school (预校) in Norfolk, and later at the West Heath School in Kent. She attended finishing school in Switzerland (瑞士) at Chateaux d’Oex at Montreux. From 1979 until 1981 Diana worked as a kindergarten teacher (幼稚园老师) at the exclusive (排外的) Young England school in Pimlico, London. On February 24, 1981, her engagement (婚约) to Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II and the heir (继承) to the British throne (君王), was announced (宣布).

They were married in Saint Paul’s Cathedral in an internationally televised ceremony (仪式) on July 29, 1981, with an audience (观众) numbering in the hundreds of millions. Diana was the first Englishwoman (平民) to marry an heir to the British throne in more than 300 years.

The couple had two sons: Prince William Arthur Philip Louis (born June 21, 1982) and Prince Henry Charles Albert David (popularly called Harry, born September 15, 1984).

By the late 1980s, strains (紧张) in the royal couple’s marriage had been widely publicized (宣扬), and in December 1992 a separation (分居) was announced (宣布).

By that time Diana had adopted charity work (慈善工作) as her royal duty (职责).

In 1993 she briefly withdrew from public activities in an effort to avoid the negative (负面的) publicity focused on her separation (分离) from Prince Charles. Formal divorce proceedings began in early 1996, and in August 1996 Diana and Charles were legally divorced (离婚). After the divorce it was agreed that Diana would be known as Lady Diana, Princess of Wales (威尔士王妃), and would no longer be permitted to use the title (头衔) Her Royal Highness (殿下). The couple had joint custody of their children. Diana actively supported many charities related to homeless (无家可归的) and deprived (营养不良的) children, drug abuse, breast cancer, and victims (受害者) of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In 1987 Diana sat with a man dying from AIDS and shook his hand, a gesture credited with promoting (促进) acceptance and compassion for people with the disease. She was the vice president of the British Red Cross and served as a member of the International Red Cross (国际红十字会) advisory board. In 1997 Diana visited Angola (安哥拉) and Bosnia (波斯尼亚) and Herzegovina (黑塞哥维那) in support of a Red Cross campaign to ban landmines (地雷).

On August 31, 1997, Diana was killed in an automobile accident (车祸) in Paris, France. After a two-year investigation (调查) into the causes of the crash, French judges ruled that it had been caused solely by the intoxication (酒精) of the driver, Henri Paul. The decision cleared nine photographers (who had been chasing the vehicle at the time of the crash) of wrongdoing (不道德的行为). Diana’s death sparked much public debate about the role of the British monarchy (君主政体). Many observers favorably contrasted (对比) Diana’s common touch—her personal gestures toward ordinary people—with the more formal approach of other members of the royal family. Following her death, a memorial fund (纪念基金) was established to continue to fund the charities with which Diana was most involved