Yesterday was the 27th Anniversary of the death of Princess Diana

My 20 year old daughter was staying with us as she was catching Eurostar for Paris that morning. She was awake early and heard the news and came in to tell me. I was half awake and just couldn't understand what she was saying.

She said the train was packed with journalists so it was good that she had booked her seat. I can't remember why she was going to Paris. And she couldnt a while back when I asked her!
I went with my next door neighbour to see the flowers at Kensington Palace. They stretched as far as the eye could see.

While we were waiting to cross a road nearby the traffic was stopped and a car went by with outriders with the 2 princes inside.
On the day of her funeral DH and I drove down to Exeter for a weekend in a hotel there. The drive down was so strange as the roads were empty. We watched the funeral later on. Heartbreaking to see those 2 young boys walking behind. That should never have happened.
I can't believe its 27 years. So terribly sad and to be caused by not wearing a seat belt and a drunk driver.

I can still remember the first sight of the coffin, with "Mummy" on the flowers.

My mother had died suddenly 2 months previously, so I was still processing that. I heard the news, told DH and that was that as far as we were concerned, we didn't watch or listen to any other coverage, beyond what we could not miss, until the funeral which I did watch with my father.

It's one of those occasions when you remember where you were when you heard the news.

Such a sad day 😢

It was all so sad, we spent the day glued to the TV.
I was so happy that Prince Charles went to France to bring her home.
I was less than pleased that the boys were taken to Church, I wanted them to be safely snuggled up on a sofa.

My DH told that there was something happening as when he switched his usual programme on there was just sad music playing. It was announced a few moments later that Princess Diana had died. It was a shock.

I was just about to start a new job and had been up since 6am working in the study. I was still in my PJs when younger son came in ( the same age as Harry) and said, “that lady’s died”.
It was so sad for her sons.

Thank you to everyone who has shared memories so far.

I am afraid I can't remember much about that day. I was on an early shift and I had a very busy, demanding job at the time.

It was certainly a momentous event and it had far reaching effects.

I think I've had it in my memory as being a Sunday.
I guess I'm wrong,though.

Mollygo

We were in France. It actually made it into the French newspapers, along with a lot of speculation and rumours.

Us too... Didn't known much about it until we picked it up on the radio. We were out of the country until after her funeral.
Not a fan, but it was a shame.

Our daughters aged 11 and 13 had spent a week away with friends, we were meeting up mid day and I was looking forward to seeing them all. I went downstairs about 7am, put the kettle on and switched on radio 4 news. I struggled to believe what I was hearing. Ran upstairs to tell my husband and we watched the tv coverage until 11 when we set off to pick up our girls

We were in London when Charles and Diana married. I had a don’t do it Di badge and always felt she was far too young to be marrying Charles. Their life experiences so different. It was impossible though not to get caught up in the excitement and the crowds. A wonderfully English celebration. Such sadness about her death at such a young age, leaving two boys

My daughter came into my bedroom; she’d heard the news before me. We just watched it in disbelief. The following week was almost surreal; I don’t think I’ve ever know anything like it. Couldn’t believe how emotional I was feeling about someone I didn’t know and kept thinking of the time when she was in a car travelling back to the airport and we all stood at the end of our road waving flags. I’d been really impressed with her stance on land mines, something that seemed unprecedented by a member of the royal family. I wish I’d written to her and thanked her for it. I do try to make an effort to thank public figures when they do good things now.

MissAdventure

I think I've had it in my memory as being a Sunday.
I guess I'm wrong,though.

Yes, you are right it was a Sunday. I remember because I had to catch an early train and walk up the hill to work as there were no early buses on a Sunday.

Wasn’t it a bank holiday weekend?
Her death and the funeral were significant events in my lifetime. The reflections on her life continue to be at times controversial. She did much good with AIDS and land mines. She was maturing into an interesting woman with a lot to offer. Maybe that’s anither thread

Yes, I often wonder how things would have been if she had lived.

I lived alone, had breakfast, turned on radio heard of the tragedy, the tv coverage was cruel, do people really want to
watch grieving family attending church ? if so why ?

Perhaps for the same reason people watched the queens funeral.
A mark of respect, for me.

Oh, do you mean on the day Diana died?

I went into work that day, having not had the radio or television on, so I knew nothing about it. One of my colleagues was very shocked because I was being cheerful "Don't you know Diana's dead" she said. I'm afraid my first thought was "Don't say the silly girl's finally taken an overdose" The previous year a friend's son had been killed in a car crash on the same day. Not a date I'm likely to forget.

Yes MissAdventure the day she died , what respect watching a
family attend Church that day, what respect demanding the
Queen came back to London with cries of ‘your country needs you ‘ , sorry but I found it brutal

I was working on night duty ( I was a nurse now retired), had gone for my break in the ward's television room. Hoping to have a bit shut eye for a hour when one of my colleagues rushed in and switched the television on to say watch the news Diana has died in an accident.
I thought I was dreaming it until the telly blared out the news.
I still could not believe it until I got home.

I cried at her funeral watching those two young boys walking behind her coffin. For some reason I could not help just looking at Prince Harry who was about to have his 13th birthday a few days later and felt so sad for him

MissAdventure

I think I've had it in my memory as being a Sunday.
I guess I'm wrong,though.

Yes, I believe it was a Bank Holiday weekend and my Mum was staying with me. It was shocking! Unbelievable! We’d arranged a family get together with my sister and were all so very sad to learn of Diana’s death.

I was in Canada visiting my brother and sis-in-law. Brother was in his room engrossed in his hobby (electronics) with his little TV on, in the background. Sis-in-law and I were chatting away into the night. My brother suddenly rushes and gives us the terrible news. We stopped our chat, turned the main TV on and the three of us sat in front of it for hours. Meanwhile, most of the UK were still fast asleep.
I returned home on the day of her funeral, travelling on National Express. The roads were pretty empty. It was so eerie. Presumably, everyone was at home, watching the funeral. Very sad day 🥲

I think when I bought the paper, it said that Diana was seriously injured, so I didn't believe my friends husband.

The headlines changed later in the day.