The humanitarian activity made Princess Diana an unforgettable international symbol

The princess's charitable activities and her physical presence in the field made her loved and appreciated around the world, especially in light of the fact that these were not acceptable activities at that time for members of the royal family: "She is an inspiration to this day. The humanitarian work, the hospital visits - she did a good job."

Tali Goldstein

03/09/2022

Saturday, September 03, 2022, 06:00 Updated: 06:02

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Dr. Frédéric Méliès was driving home from a party along the Canal des Champs-Élysées in Paris on August 31, 1997, when he noticed smoke coming from a Mercedes Benz. “I approached the wrecked Mercedes.

I opened the door and looked inside.

I saw four people, two of them looked dead.

The other two on the right side were in serious condition.

The front seat passenger screamed.

And the passenger, the young woman, was on her knees on the floor of the vehicle, her head was tilted down.

She had difficulty breathing and needed quick assistance," he told the Associated Press.

"She was unconscious.

Thanks to my ventilator she recovered a little, but was unable to speak.

It may come as a surprise, but I didn't recognize Princess Diana.

I noticed that the injured woman was very beautiful, but my attention was focused on saving her life, I didn't have time to think."

Shortly afterwards, Princess Diana, her partner Dodi Fayed and the driver of the Mercedes, Henri Paul, were taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

The traditional kiss on the palace balcony (Photo: GettyImages)

She was photographed wherever she was (Photo: Michael Dwyer / Alamy Stock Photo)

The shock in the general public was enormous: Princess Diana, who after years managed to free herself from a loveless marriage, found her death in a horrific and fatal car accident next to the love of her heart.

Britain was then plunged into deep mourning, which seems to have continued to this day, 25 years after her death.

People around the world still remember not only where they were when they heard the news of the death of the beloved princess, but also what they did on July 29, 1981, when a shy and innocent 19-year-old was married in a magnificent ceremony in the best British royal tradition, to the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, who was older than her by more than a decade.

At a time when not all households had televisions, 2.5 billion people from all over the world watched the exciting event.

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A young mother (Photo: GettyImages)

They remember the excited young bride who looked like she was taken from a modern Cinderella story.

They also remember the fashion icon and the young, full-of-life mother who showered love on her two young sons.

The British people also saw Diana as a young woman wronged by her older husband when he refused to give up his mistress, even when he was already married.

But the Princess of Wales (affectionately called by the citizens "Lady Day", "Prinance Day", "The People's Princess" and "Queen of Hearts") was admired not only for the fact that she found herself a fifth wheel in her own married life, but also Due to being a compassionate woman who worked for many charitable causes.

Even in the depths of despair, Diana refused to conform to the mold of the royal family.

She was looking for new ways to deal with the enormous wealth, world fame and high expectations.

She chose to go out, to the people, and broke norms, sometimes while risking her life.

In a children's hospital (Photo: GettyImages)

Many felt they could sympathize with the princess as she publicly revealed her struggle with bulimia and her loneliness and disappointment with married life and the royal family.

While members of the royal family were seen as cold, settled and unapproachable, Diana was seen as attainable, a woman of flesh and blood who was not afraid to get dirty and expose herself.

"She is an inspiration to this day. The impact of her humanitarian work, the visits to hospitals and homeless shelters. She did a good job," Chloe Dyson, an elementary school teacher, told the AP.

Princess Diana's charitable activities made her loved and appreciated all over the world, especially in light of the fact that these were not acceptable activities at that time for a royal daughter.

The scope of her charitable activities and her willingness to mingle with people in need were above and beyond what was expected of members of the royal family.

In 1995, she even told the BBC: "I would like a monarchy that has a closer relationship with its subjects - and I don't mean cycling or the like, but a deeper understanding."

Princess Diana visits an AIDS patient and shakes his hand (Photo: GettyImages)

While life at home was far from perfect, the princess managed to channel compassion and human love into charity - a legacy that continues today thanks to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Foundation.

Her encounter with AIDS patients at a time when the disease was considered taboo and a source of shame and fear, helped break the stigma around AIDS patients.

She became a patron of the International AIDS Fund of Great Britain and in 1987, when the panic about the disease was at its peak - and patients found themselves alone and isolated - she helped to establish the AIDS/HIV department at the London Middlesex Hospital.

Princess Diana broke ground and became an international humanitarian icon when she shook hands with an AIDS patient, at a time when people feared that shaking hands could transmit the virus from person to person.

"Diana believed it was not true," wrote National Geographic.

"The people who loved her then, loved her even more afterwards because she was such a famous and popular figure, who wanted to show the world that AIDS patients also need attention and care."

Even in light of the criticism that her behavior is unbecoming of a royal princess, Princess Diana ignored it and continued to treat AIDS patients as worthy of respect.

Princess Diana in the minefield in Angola (Photo: GettyImages)

In January 1997, the princess visited Angola, determined to raise global awareness of mines and the danger they pose to civilians.

In Huambo province, the princess first encountered the HALO Foundation, whose goal has been clearing mines in Angola since 1994, against the background of the country's civil war that lasted more than 25 years and ended in 2002.

She met with children who were injured by landmines and, despite the danger, walked through a cleared minefield, wearing protective gear and a helmet (her children were only 14 and 12 at the time).

The photos of the visit to the minefield and the suffering African country were circulated in the international media and provided a very impressive portrait of the princess - in a humanitarian context.

"Diana's visit is an event that people in Huambo still talk about to this day," said Ralph Legg, program director at HALO in Angola.

"For the people who lived here at the time, in the midst of a long and bloody conflict, the visit contributed to the feeling that they are not invisible and that their suffering is being recognized in the world. The people who met Diana on that visit noted how nice, kind, considerate and genuine she was."

After the visit to Angola, Princess Diana wrote a letter to the British Red Cross: "If my visit contributed in any way to highlighting this terrible issue, then my deepest wish has been fulfilled."

Holding a mine (Photo: Kent Gavin)

Angola was not the only country with a landmine problem that the princess visited: in August 1997, she visited victims of landmines in Bosnia.

Zoran Jezic, 46 years old, remembers the visit well.

He was hit by a mine in 1994, and currently works for the UDAS organization that supports mine survivors.

"It was a very brave decision on her part to come here, only two years after the war," he said.

"The situation was so unstable, and I felt that Diana decided to use her popularity to help people in my situation. Her contribution at the international level was enormous."

According to Paul Hannon, executive director of Mines Action Canada, the Canadian arm of the International Campaign to Ban Mines (ICBL) which won the Nobel Prize in 1997, "At the time, she was probably the most recognizable person in the world, so the fact that she met with mine survivors was really amazing

She showed basic humanity towards people who don't usually get this treatment,

Princess Diana with Mother Teresa (Photo: GettyImages)

With the family (Photo: GettyImages)

At the time of the visit in early 1997, negotiations were underway to establish the anti-mine treaty.

Diana called for an international ban on the use of landmines during her visit to Angola.

However, her call was met with criticism from British lawmakers who argued that it was not predictable and did not follow government policy.

Despite the criticism, the princess had a significant influence on the political process that led to the treaty.

The exposure that the visit gave to Princess Diana, and her tragic untimely death later in the year, provided an incentive for the formation of the convention.

According to a "Time" report in September 1997, "President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary were moved by the Princess of Wales' visits to young victims of landmines in Bosnia and Angola. After her death, the anti-landmine treaty took on symbolic significance as a memorial to Diana and the cause she promoted."

"We planned for the signing of the treaty to be in Ottawa, Canada, and we would be happy if she participated," said Hanon, who was at the event.

"She was involved in the campaign for only a few months,

In the past 25 years, several countries have made significant progress in clearing minefields.

In 2015, the Mozambican government declared it free of landmines after two decades of clearance efforts.

The HALO Foundation alone cleared about 100,000 mines in Angola, and 297 minefields in Huambo province.

The area that used to be the minefield visited by Princess Diana is now home to civic communities, schools and businesses.

"The place has completely changed from when the princess visited in 1997," HALO said.

Princess Diana with Nelson Mandela (Photo: GettyImages)

Mourning the death of the princess (Photo: GettyImages)

Princess Diana's obituary in The New York Times states that in a 1995 interview, she said she would like to "make herself the 'Queen of Hearts' of the people.... This seems to have been her motivation in the last year of her life, when she focused on humanitarian causes which were close to her heart - AIDS, leprosy, the homeless, cancer and care for sick children, alongside the English National Ballet."

"Diana's death will always be a great loss, but those close to her, and in particular Princes William and Harry, are working hard to ensure that her charitable activities were not in vain. They continue her humanitarian work by supporting the same causes she loved, such as the fight against landmines, the fight against AIDS and the elimination of the stigma that accompanies the world of mental health. Her memory lives on in the memory of millions - and perhaps more importantly, in their hearts."

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