25 Years After Diana S Death The Impact Is Shaping The Royals

Above all there was shock. That’s the word people use again and again when they remember the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris 25 years ago this week. The woman who the world watched grow from a shy teenage kindergarten teacher to a glamorous celebrity who comforted AIDS patients and campaigned for the removal of landmines couldn’t die at 36, could she? “I think we have to remind ourselves that she was probably the best-known woman in the English-speaking world, other than perhaps Queen Elizabeth II herself,” said historian Ed Owens. “And given this huge celebrity persona that he had developed, for it to fade away overnight, to die in such tragic circumstances, at such a young age, I think it was a huge shock to a lot of people.” It was this disbelief that cemented Diana’s legacy as a woman who brought lasting change to the royal family, helping to bridge the gap between centuries of tradition and a new, multicultural nation in the internet age. First, there was the outpouring of grief from the public who went to the princess’ home in Kensington Palace to mourn the loss of a woman most had never met. This alone forced the royals to recognize that Diana’s common contact had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred in the House of Windsor. Those lessons have since inspired other members of the royal family, including Diana’s sons Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable. For proof, look no further than the glitzy concert which was the centerpiece of June’s Platinum Jubilee to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. There were rock bands and opera singers and dancers and lasers that painted pictures of corgis in the sky. But the biggest round of applause was for Elizabeth herself, who appeared in a short film to share a cup of tea with British national treasure Paddington Bear. She then solved a long-standing mystery and revealed what was hidden inside her famous black bag: A jam sandwich – for emergencies only. It wasn’t obvious that Diana would be a royal rebel when she married Prince Charles. A member of the aristocratic Spencer family, Diana was known for her elaborate bows, sensible skirts and boyish blonde bob when she began dating the future king. After leaving school at 16, she spent time at a finishing school in the Swiss Alps and worked as a nanny and pre-school teacher while living in London. But she blossomed into an international style icon the moment she walked down the aisle at St Paul’s Cathedral draped in lace and followed by a 25-foot train on July 29, 1981. Prince Charles kisses Lady Diana Spencer, the new Princess of Wales, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 29, 1981. (Pool photo via AP, File)
From that moment on, journalists and photographers followed Diana wherever she went. While Diana hated the invasion, she quickly learned that the media was also a tool she could use to draw attention to a cause and change public perceptions. This impact was seen most famously when the Princess opened the UK’s first specialist ward for AIDS patients on 9 April 1987. Such ribbon-cutting ceremonies are a staple of royal duties. But Diana realized there was more at stake. She reached out and took the hands of a young patient, showing that the virus could not be transmitted by touch. The moment, captured in photographs broadcast around the world, helped combat fear, misinformation and stigma surrounding the AIDS epidemic. A decade later, Diana was even more media savvy. Seven months before she died, Diana donned a protective visor and jacket and walked a cleared path through a minefield in Angola to promote the work of The HALO Trust, a group dedicated to demining former war zones. When he realized some photographers didn’t get the shot, he turned around and did it again. The images drew international attention to the campaign to rid the world of explosives hidden underground long after the wars ended. Today, a treaty banning landmines has been signed by 164 countries. But this public platform came at a price. Her marriage fell apart, with Diana blaming Charles’s ongoing relationship with longtime mistress Camilla Parker Bowles. The princess also struggled with bulimia and admitted to suicide attempts, according to “Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words,” published in 1992 based on tapes Diana sent to author Andrew Morton. “When I started my public life, 12 years ago, I realized that the media might be interested in what I was doing,” Diana said in 1993. “But I didn’t know how overwhelming that attention would become. Nor the degree to which it would affect both my public duties and my private life in a way that was difficult to bear.” Ultimately it contributed to her death. On August 30, 1997, a group of paparazzi camped outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris hoping to take photos of Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, followed their car into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where their driver lost his check and crash. Diana died on August 31, 1997. A surprised people mourned. Bouquets of flowers, many including personal notes, covered the garden outside Diana’s home at Kensington Palace. Weeping citizens lined the streets outside Westminster Abbey during her funeral. The public reaction contrasted with that of the royal family, who were criticized for not appearing in public sooner and refusing to lower the flag over Buckingham Palace. The bereavement prompted soul-searching among members of the House of Windsor. They began to better understand why Diana’s death had caused such an overwhelming spectacle, said Sally Bedell Smith, historian and author of Diana in Search of Herself. “I think her legacy was something that the queen in her wisdom (sought) to adjust in the early years after her death,” Smith said of the focus groups and studies the monarchy used to understand Diana’s appeal. . “The Queen was more likely to interact with people and I think you see the informality magnified now, particularly with William and Kate,” he said. William and his wife Kate, for example, have made improving mental health services a top priority, going so far as to publicly discuss their own struggles. Harry is also a champion for wounded military veterans. The restoration of Charles’ reputation had to wait until the public outrage over his treatment of Diana began to die down. This is now well under way, helped by his 2005 marriage to Camilla, which softened his image. The Queen earlier this year said she hoped Camilla would become queen when Charles ascends the throne, seeking to heal old wounds. But there are lessons for the monarchy to learn as it grapples with the fallout from the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Then there’s Harry and his wife Meghan’s decision to step down from royal duties in Southern California for life. Meghan, an American former actress who grew up in Los Angeles, said she felt restricted by palace life and that a member of the royal family even asked about the possible skin color of her first child before it was born. This episode shows that members of the royal family have not fully learned Diana’s lesson, said Owens, author of “The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public 1932-1953.” “Once again, not enough space was created,” Owens said of Megan. Diana had her own struggles with the palace, airing her grievances in a 1995 BBC interview that continues to make headlines. The BBC was forced to apologize last year after an investigation found reporter Martin Bashir used “fraudulent methods” to secure the interview. Diana’s brother said this year that the interview and the way it was conducted contributed to Diana’s death by leading her to refuse continued palace protection after her divorce. But her words about how she wanted to be seen remain firmly in the memory. “I would like to be queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being queen of this country,” Diana said in the interview. “I don’t think many people will want me to be queen.”

title: “25 Years After Diana S Death The Impact Is Shaping The Royals Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “Ollie Champion”

Above all there was shock. That’s the word people use again and again when they remember the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris 25 years ago this week. The woman who the world watched grow from a shy teenage kindergarten teacher to a glamorous celebrity who comforted AIDS patients and campaigned for the removal of landmines couldn’t die at 36, could she? “I think we have to remind ourselves that she was probably the best-known woman in the English-speaking world, other than perhaps Queen Elizabeth II herself,” said historian Ed Owens. “And given this huge celebrity persona that he had developed, for it to fade away overnight, to die in such tragic circumstances, at such a young age, I think it was a huge shock to a lot of people.” It was this disbelief that cemented Diana’s legacy as a woman who brought lasting change to the royal family, helping to bridge the gap between centuries of tradition and a new, multicultural nation in the internet age. First, there was the outpouring of grief from the public who went to the princess’ home in Kensington Palace to mourn the loss of a woman most had never met. This alone forced the royals to recognize that Diana’s common contact had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred in the House of Windsor. Those lessons have since inspired other members of the royal family, including Diana’s sons Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable. For proof, look no further than the glitzy concert which was the centerpiece of June’s Platinum Jubilee to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. There were rock bands and opera singers and dancers and lasers that painted pictures of corgis in the sky. But the biggest round of applause was for Elizabeth herself, who appeared in a short film to share a cup of tea with British national treasure Paddington Bear. She then solved a long-standing mystery and revealed what was hidden inside her famous black bag: A jam sandwich – for emergencies only. It wasn’t obvious that Diana would be a royal rebel when she married Prince Charles. A member of the aristocratic Spencer family, Diana was known for her elaborate bows, sensible skirts and boyish blonde bob when she began dating the future king. After leaving school at 16, she spent time at a finishing school in the Swiss Alps and worked as a nanny and pre-school teacher while living in London. But she blossomed into an international style icon the moment she walked down the aisle at St Paul’s Cathedral draped in lace and followed by a 25-foot train on July 29, 1981. Prince Charles kisses Lady Diana Spencer, the new Princess of Wales, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 29, 1981. (Pool photo via AP, File)
From that moment on, journalists and photographers followed Diana wherever she went. While Diana hated the invasion, she quickly learned that the media was also a tool she could use to draw attention to a cause and change public perceptions. This impact was seen most famously when the Princess opened the UK’s first specialist ward for AIDS patients on 9 April 1987. Such ribbon-cutting ceremonies are a staple of royal duties. But Diana realized there was more at stake. She reached out and took the hands of a young patient, showing that the virus could not be transmitted by touch. The moment, captured in photographs broadcast around the world, helped combat fear, misinformation and stigma surrounding the AIDS epidemic. A decade later, Diana was even more media savvy. Seven months before she died, Diana donned a protective visor and jacket and walked a cleared path through a minefield in Angola to promote the work of The HALO Trust, a group dedicated to demining former war zones. When he realized some photographers didn’t get the shot, he turned around and did it again. The images drew international attention to the campaign to rid the world of explosives hidden underground long after the wars ended. Today, a treaty banning landmines has been signed by 164 countries. But this public platform came at a price. Her marriage fell apart, with Diana blaming Charles’s ongoing relationship with longtime mistress Camilla Parker Bowles. The princess also struggled with bulimia and admitted to suicide attempts, according to “Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words,” published in 1992 based on tapes Diana sent to author Andrew Morton. “When I started my public life, 12 years ago, I realized that the media might be interested in what I was doing,” Diana said in 1993. “But I didn’t know how overwhelming that attention would become. Nor the degree to which it would affect both my public duties and my private life in a way that was difficult to bear.” Ultimately it contributed to her death. On August 30, 1997, a group of paparazzi camped outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris hoping to take photos of Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, followed their car into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where their driver lost his check and crash. Diana died on August 31, 1997. A surprised people mourned. Bouquets of flowers, many including personal notes, covered the garden outside Diana’s home at Kensington Palace. Weeping citizens lined the streets outside Westminster Abbey during her funeral. The public reaction contrasted with that of the royal family, who were criticized for not appearing in public sooner and refusing to lower the flag over Buckingham Palace. The bereavement prompted soul-searching among members of the House of Windsor. They began to better understand why Diana’s death had caused such an overwhelming spectacle, said Sally Bedell Smith, historian and author of Diana in Search of Herself. “I think her legacy was something that the queen in her wisdom (sought) to adjust in the early years after her death,” Smith said of the focus groups and studies the monarchy used to understand Diana’s appeal. . “The Queen was more likely to interact with people and I think you see the informality magnified now, particularly with William and Kate,” he said. William and his wife Kate, for example, have made improving mental health services a top priority, going so far as to publicly discuss their own struggles. Harry is also a champion for wounded military veterans. The restoration of Charles’ reputation had to wait until the public outrage over his treatment of Diana began to die down. This is now well under way, helped by his 2005 marriage to Camilla, which softened his image. The Queen earlier this year said she hoped Camilla would become queen when Charles ascends the throne, seeking to heal old wounds. But there are lessons for the monarchy to learn as it grapples with the fallout from the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Then there’s Harry and his wife Meghan’s decision to step down from royal duties in Southern California for life. Meghan, an American former actress who grew up in Los Angeles, said she felt restricted by palace life and that a member of the royal family even asked about the possible skin color of her first child before it was born. This episode shows that members of the royal family have not fully learned Diana’s lesson, said Owens, author of “The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public 1932-1953.” “Once again, not enough space was created,” Owens said of Megan. Diana had her own struggles with the palace, airing her grievances in a 1995 BBC interview that continues to make headlines. The BBC was forced to apologize last year after an investigation found reporter Martin Bashir used “fraudulent methods” to secure the interview. Diana’s brother said this year that the interview and the way it was conducted contributed to Diana’s death by leading her to refuse continued palace protection after her divorce. But her words about how she wanted to be seen remain firmly in the memory. “I would like to be queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being queen of this country,” Diana said in the interview. “I don’t think many people will want me to be queen.”

title: “25 Years After Diana S Death The Impact Is Shaping The Royals Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Marlena Marrow”

Above all there was shock. That’s the word people use again and again when they remember the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris 25 years ago this week. The woman who the world watched grow from a shy teenage kindergarten teacher to a glamorous celebrity who comforted AIDS patients and campaigned for the removal of landmines couldn’t die at 36, could she? “I think we have to remind ourselves that she was probably the best-known woman in the English-speaking world, other than perhaps Queen Elizabeth II herself,” said historian Ed Owens. “And given this huge celebrity persona that he had developed, for it to fade away overnight, to die in such tragic circumstances, at such a young age, I think it was a huge shock to a lot of people.” It was this disbelief that cemented Diana’s legacy as a woman who brought lasting change to the royal family, helping to bridge the gap between centuries of tradition and a new, multicultural nation in the internet age. First, there was the outpouring of grief from the public who went to the princess’ home in Kensington Palace to mourn the loss of a woman most had never met. This alone forced the royals to recognize that Diana’s common contact had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred in the House of Windsor. Those lessons have since inspired other members of the royal family, including Diana’s sons Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable. For proof, look no further than the glitzy concert which was the centerpiece of June’s Platinum Jubilee to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. There were rock bands and opera singers and dancers and lasers that painted pictures of corgis in the sky. But the biggest round of applause was for Elizabeth herself, who appeared in a short film to share a cup of tea with British national treasure Paddington Bear. She then solved a long-standing mystery and revealed what was hidden inside her famous black bag: A jam sandwich – for emergencies only. It wasn’t obvious that Diana would be a royal rebel when she married Prince Charles. A member of the aristocratic Spencer family, Diana was known for her elaborate bows, sensible skirts and boyish blonde bob when she began dating the future king. After leaving school at 16, she spent time at a finishing school in the Swiss Alps and worked as a nanny and pre-school teacher while living in London. But she blossomed into an international style icon the moment she walked down the aisle at St Paul’s Cathedral draped in lace and followed by a 25-foot train on July 29, 1981. Prince Charles kisses Lady Diana Spencer, the new Princess of Wales, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 29, 1981. (Pool photo via AP, File)
From that moment on, journalists and photographers followed Diana wherever she went. While Diana hated the invasion, she quickly learned that the media was also a tool she could use to draw attention to a cause and change public perceptions. This impact was seen most famously when the Princess opened the UK’s first specialist ward for AIDS patients on 9 April 1987. Such ribbon-cutting ceremonies are a staple of royal duties. But Diana realized there was more at stake. She reached out and took the hands of a young patient, showing that the virus could not be transmitted by touch. The moment, captured in photographs broadcast around the world, helped combat fear, misinformation and stigma surrounding the AIDS epidemic. A decade later, Diana was even more media savvy. Seven months before she died, Diana donned a protective visor and jacket and walked a cleared path through a minefield in Angola to promote the work of The HALO Trust, a group dedicated to demining former war zones. When he realized some photographers didn’t get the shot, he turned around and did it again. The images drew international attention to the campaign to rid the world of explosives hidden underground long after the wars ended. Today, a treaty banning landmines has been signed by 164 countries. But this public platform came at a price. Her marriage fell apart, with Diana blaming Charles’s ongoing relationship with longtime mistress Camilla Parker Bowles. The princess also struggled with bulimia and admitted to suicide attempts, according to “Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words,” published in 1992 based on tapes Diana sent to author Andrew Morton. “When I started my public life, 12 years ago, I realized that the media might be interested in what I was doing,” Diana said in 1993. “But I didn’t know how overwhelming that attention would become. Nor the degree to which it would affect both my public duties and my private life in a way that was difficult to bear.” Ultimately it contributed to her death. On August 30, 1997, a group of paparazzi camped outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris hoping to take photos of Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, followed their car into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where their driver lost his check and crash. Diana died on August 31, 1997. A surprised people mourned. Bouquets of flowers, many including personal notes, covered the garden outside Diana’s home at Kensington Palace. Weeping citizens lined the streets outside Westminster Abbey during her funeral. The public reaction contrasted with that of the royal family, who were criticized for not appearing in public sooner and refusing to lower the flag over Buckingham Palace. The bereavement prompted soul-searching among members of the House of Windsor. They began to better understand why Diana’s death had caused such an overwhelming spectacle, said Sally Bedell Smith, historian and author of Diana in Search of Herself. “I think her legacy was something that the queen in her wisdom (sought) to adjust in the early years after her death,” Smith said of the focus groups and studies the monarchy used to understand Diana’s appeal. . “The Queen was more likely to interact with people and I think you see the informality magnified now, particularly with William and Kate,” he said. William and his wife Kate, for example, have made improving mental health services a top priority, going so far as to publicly discuss their own struggles. Harry is also a champion for wounded military veterans. The restoration of Charles’ reputation had to wait until the public outrage over his treatment of Diana began to die down. This is now well under way, helped by his 2005 marriage to Camilla, which softened his image. The Queen earlier this year said she hoped Camilla would become queen when Charles ascends the throne, seeking to heal old wounds. But there are lessons for the monarchy to learn as it grapples with the fallout from the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Then there’s Harry and his wife Meghan’s decision to step down from royal duties in Southern California for life. Meghan, an American former actress who grew up in Los Angeles, said she felt restricted by palace life and that a member of the royal family even asked about the possible skin color of her first child before it was born. This episode shows that members of the royal family have not fully learned Diana’s lesson, said Owens, author of “The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public 1932-1953.” “Once again, not enough space was created,” Owens said of Megan. Diana had her own struggles with the palace, airing her grievances in a 1995 BBC interview that continues to make headlines. The BBC was forced to apologize last year after an investigation found reporter Martin Bashir used “fraudulent methods” to secure the interview. Diana’s brother said this year that the interview and the way it was conducted contributed to Diana’s death by leading her to refuse continued palace protection after her divorce. But her words about how she wanted to be seen remain firmly in the memory. “I would like to be queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being queen of this country,” Diana said in the interview. “I don’t think many people will want me to be queen.”

title: “25 Years After Diana S Death The Impact Is Shaping The Royals Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-23” author: “Fran Kent”

Above all there was shock. That’s the word people use again and again when they remember the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris 25 years ago this week. The woman who the world watched grow from a shy teenage kindergarten teacher to a glamorous celebrity who comforted AIDS patients and campaigned for the removal of landmines couldn’t die at 36, could she? “I think we have to remind ourselves that she was probably the best-known woman in the English-speaking world, other than perhaps Queen Elizabeth II herself,” said historian Ed Owens. “And given this huge celebrity persona that he had developed, for it to fade away overnight, to die in such tragic circumstances, at such a young age, I think it was a huge shock to a lot of people.” It was this disbelief that cemented Diana’s legacy as a woman who brought lasting change to the royal family, helping to bridge the gap between centuries of tradition and a new, multicultural nation in the internet age. First, there was the outpouring of grief from the public who went to the princess’ home in Kensington Palace to mourn the loss of a woman most had never met. This alone forced the royals to recognize that Diana’s common contact had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred in the House of Windsor. Those lessons have since inspired other members of the royal family, including Diana’s sons Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable. For proof, look no further than the glitzy concert which was the centerpiece of June’s Platinum Jubilee to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. There were rock bands and opera singers and dancers and lasers that painted pictures of corgis in the sky. But the biggest round of applause was for Elizabeth herself, who appeared in a short film to share a cup of tea with British national treasure Paddington Bear. She then solved a long-standing mystery and revealed what was hidden inside her famous black bag: A jam sandwich – for emergencies only. It wasn’t obvious that Diana would be a royal rebel when she married Prince Charles. A member of the aristocratic Spencer family, Diana was known for her elaborate bows, sensible skirts and boyish blonde bob when she began dating the future king. After leaving school at 16, she spent time at a finishing school in the Swiss Alps and worked as a nanny and pre-school teacher while living in London. But she blossomed into an international style icon the moment she walked down the aisle at St Paul’s Cathedral draped in lace and followed by a 25-foot train on July 29, 1981. Prince Charles kisses Lady Diana Spencer, the new Princess of Wales, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 29, 1981. (Pool photo via AP, File)
From that moment on, journalists and photographers followed Diana wherever she went. While Diana hated the invasion, she quickly learned that the media was also a tool she could use to draw attention to a cause and change public perceptions. This impact was seen most famously when the Princess opened the UK’s first specialist ward for AIDS patients on 9 April 1987. Such ribbon-cutting ceremonies are a staple of royal duties. But Diana realized there was more at stake. She reached out and took the hands of a young patient, showing that the virus could not be transmitted by touch. The moment, captured in photographs broadcast around the world, helped combat fear, misinformation and stigma surrounding the AIDS epidemic. A decade later, Diana was even more media savvy. Seven months before she died, Diana donned a protective visor and jacket and walked a cleared path through a minefield in Angola to promote the work of The HALO Trust, a group dedicated to demining former war zones. When he realized some photographers didn’t get the shot, he turned around and did it again. The images drew international attention to the campaign to rid the world of explosives hidden underground long after the wars ended. Today, a treaty banning landmines has been signed by 164 countries. But this public platform came at a price. Her marriage fell apart, with Diana blaming Charles’s ongoing relationship with longtime mistress Camilla Parker Bowles. The princess also struggled with bulimia and admitted to suicide attempts, according to “Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words,” published in 1992 based on tapes Diana sent to author Andrew Morton. “When I started my public life, 12 years ago, I realized that the media might be interested in what I was doing,” Diana said in 1993. “But I didn’t know how overwhelming that attention would become. Nor the degree to which it would affect both my public duties and my private life in a way that was difficult to bear.” Ultimately it contributed to her death. On August 30, 1997, a group of paparazzi camped outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris hoping to take photos of Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, followed their car into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where their driver lost his check and crash. Diana died on August 31, 1997. A surprised people mourned. Bouquets of flowers, many including personal notes, covered the garden outside Diana’s home at Kensington Palace. Weeping citizens lined the streets outside Westminster Abbey during her funeral. The public reaction contrasted with that of the royal family, who were criticized for not appearing in public sooner and refusing to lower the flag over Buckingham Palace. The bereavement prompted soul-searching among members of the House of Windsor. They began to better understand why Diana’s death had caused such an overwhelming spectacle, said Sally Bedell Smith, historian and author of Diana in Search of Herself. “I think her legacy was something that the queen in her wisdom (sought) to adjust in the early years after her death,” Smith said of the focus groups and studies the monarchy used to understand Diana’s appeal. . “The Queen was more likely to interact with people and I think you see the informality magnified now, particularly with William and Kate,” he said. William and his wife Kate, for example, have made improving mental health services a top priority, going so far as to publicly discuss their own struggles. Harry is also a champion for wounded military veterans. The restoration of Charles’ reputation had to wait until the public outrage over his treatment of Diana began to die down. This is now well under way, helped by his 2005 marriage to Camilla, which softened his image. The Queen earlier this year said she hoped Camilla would become queen when Charles ascends the throne, seeking to heal old wounds. But there are lessons for the monarchy to learn as it grapples with the fallout from the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Then there’s Harry and his wife Meghan’s decision to step down from royal duties in Southern California for life. Meghan, an American former actress who grew up in Los Angeles, said she felt restricted by palace life and that a member of the royal family even asked about the possible skin color of her first child before it was born. This episode shows that members of the royal family have not fully learned Diana’s lesson, said Owens, author of “The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public 1932-1953.” “Once again, not enough space was created,” Owens said of Megan. Diana had her own struggles with the palace, airing her grievances in a 1995 BBC interview that continues to make headlines. The BBC was forced to apologize last year after an investigation found reporter Martin Bashir used “fraudulent methods” to secure the interview. Diana’s brother said this year that the interview and the way it was conducted contributed to Diana’s death by leading her to refuse continued palace protection after her divorce. But her words about how she wanted to be seen remain firmly in the memory. “I would like to be queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being queen of this country,” Diana said in the interview. “I don’t think many people will want me to be queen.”