Princess Diana Spencer’s legacy unearthed in the media, nearly 25 years after her death by a car accident. PHOTO CREDIT: purewow.com
Though the general public has always been obsessed with Princess Diana Spencer—her style, her being, conspiracy theories around her death—she’s become especially prevalent in recent media. Why, nearly 25 years after her death, are people suddenly releasing so much Princess Diana content?
Diana, Princess of Wales, was the wife of Prince Charles of Wales, the first-born son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir to the throne. Nicknamed “the people’s princess,” Diana was an icon in her day, frequently rebelling against royal stereotypes and rules and stealing the hearts of people worldwide.
In 1997, Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in France, leaving behind her sons, William and Harry, her adoring fans and her legacy.
I will say that I am a pretty big follower of the royal family. Being from America, where politics are so divided, I’ve always been intrigued by the monarchy across the pond. It’s arguable that sometimes Americans care more about the royal family than British people do.
I’d say that the main reason people care so much about Diana is because they felt pity for her. In 1996, after Charles and Camilla Shand’s affair became public, Diana and Charles officially got divorced. The greater public took Diana’s side and, to this day, don’t like Camilla, who went on to marry Charles and became the Duchess of Cornwall.
Secondly, I think that people are intrigued about the conspiracy theories surrounding her death. Many people believe that Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II had something to do with it, or that the entire thing was a plan to get Diana out of their hair so that he could finally marry Camilla.
While Diana was alive, the entire world was obsessed with her innocence, yet sexiness, and soon turned her into a sex icon similar to Marilyn Monroe. The obsession with Princess Diana started way before her death—but why is she suddenly trending in 2021?
“The Crown,” a popular Netflix show that documents the life of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced Diana in the fourth season that premiered in late 2020. This sparked a resurgence of Princess Diana-related content. People, once again, were reminded of the people’s princess and everything they once loved about her.
This, along with the decision her youngest son Harry, who in a lot of ways is similar to Diana in terms of rebelling against Royal stereotypes, made to leave the royal family at the beginning of 2020, created a new admiration for the princess.
Since then, a Broadway musical and the recently-released film “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart as Diana, have come out about her life, feeding into the entire fascination with Princess Diana. She has even influenced some of today’s fashion, with women wearing biker shorts and long, oversized t-shirts in homage to her post-divorce style.
In addition, I think that Generation Z’s obsession with “vintage” things has added to the Diana frenzy that occurred over the past few years. Young people love to take older things and make them their own, and Princess Diana is just the newest obsession that has taken over social media.
Overall, I’m not upset that Princess Diana is trending in the media 25 years after her death. Her legacy deserves to be continued, and it is carried on in the lives of her children and grandchildren every day.