Jordan Ellis
Princess Diana's tragic death in a car accident in Paris on 31 August 1997 shocked the world. The then-Prince Charles, her ex-husband, was reportedly devastated by the news. According to sources, he wept uncontrollably upon hearing of her passing and looked like he had been hit in the face when he first saw her body at the hospital. The public was surprised by his reaction, given the couple's well-known marital troubles. In the days following her death, Charles fought for Diana to be given a proper funeral, and he, along with their sons, Princes William and Harry, walked in the procession at her funeral.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reaction to Princess Diana's death | Devastated, "howled like a wounded animal", "shattered", "ashen and trembling", "weeping uncontrollably" |
| Relationship with Princess Diana | Ex-husband, divorced in 1996 |
| Children | Prince William and Prince Harry |
| Public opinion | Charles was blamed for Diana's death |
| Royal protocol | Charles broke protocol by going to the hospital to identify Diana's body and retrieve/return her body |
| Funeral | Diana's funeral was attended by 2,000 individuals and viewed by over 2 billion people globally |
| Royal Standard flag | The Royal Standard flag at Buckingham Palace was not initially flown at half-mast, causing public outrage |
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What You'll Learn
Charles was shattered and howled like a wounded animal
Princess Diana's tragic death in a car accident in Paris on 31 August 1997 left the world in shock. The Princess of Wales was just 36 years old when she passed away, leaving behind her two sons, Princes William and Harry. The public reaction to her death was unprecedented, and the world mourned the loss of the beloved princess.
At the time of her death, Princess Diana and King Charles had been separated for several years and their marriage had been fraught with difficulties. Despite this, it is reported that Charles was devastated by the news of her sudden passing. According to an eyewitness account, when Charles was first informed of Diana's death, he "howled like a wounded animal". He was said to be "shattered" and "looked like he'd been hit in the face".
The author of "The Day Diana Died," Christopher Andersen, described Charles's reaction in detail. He wrote that Charles was "ashen and trembling" when he received the phone call, and let out a "cry of pain that was so spontaneous and came from the heart". Palace staff recalled finding him "collapsed in an armchair, weeping uncontrollably". Charles himself had to break the devastating news to his sons, who were left with the unimaginable burden of grieving their mother in the public eye.
In the days following Diana's death, Charles fought for her to be given a ceremonial funeral, which was eventually granted. He also insisted on travelling to Paris to bring her body back to England, despite some initial resistance from the Queen. Charles's actions during this difficult time reflected his grief and respect for his former wife, despite their troubled past.
While their marriage had been tumultuous, it is reported that Charles and Diana had found some peace in the months before her death. They had put their differences aside for the sake of their sons, and their competition in public had calmed down. On the day their divorce was finalized in 1996, the former couple even shared a moment of sadness, crying together as they ended their marriage of 15 years.
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He fought for Diana's funeral
Princess Diana's death on August 31, 1997, shocked the world. The Princess of Wales died in a car accident in Paris while being chased by paparazzi. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur, Henri Paul, also perished in the crash.
Prince Charles, Diana's ex-husband, was devastated by the news of her death. He reportedly howled like a wounded animal and let out a cry of pain that was so spontaneous and came from the heart. Charles rushed to Paris to bring Diana's body back to England. He fought harder for her than he had ever done during her lifetime, ensuring that she was given the kind of funeral she deserved.
Despite their marital troubles and subsequent divorce, Charles was determined to honour Diana's memory. He contacted his writing partner, Bernie Taupin, to revise the lyrics of the song "Candle in the Wind" as a tribute to Diana. The funeral, held on September 6, 1997, was a grand affair, with 2,000 people in attendance and a global television audience of over 2 billion.
Charles walked in the procession alongside his sons, Princes William and Harry, his father, Prince Philip, and Diana's brother, Charles Spencer. The funeral cortège included eight members of the Welsh Guards, who accompanied Diana's coffin through the streets of London. The coffin, bearing a weight of 250 kg due to the traditional lead lining, was draped with the royal standard.
Charles's first public remarks following Diana's death came a few weeks later, where he expressed gratitude for the public's response and spoke of his pride in his sons' courage and dignity during that difficult time.
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He was not next of kin
Princess Diana's death in a car accident in Paris on 31 August 1997 shocked the world. The then-Prince Charles, her ex-husband, was reportedly devastated by the news. He was said to have been "shattered" and "howled like a wounded animal" when he heard of her passing. Charles and Diana's relationship had been strained, to say the least, and their marriage had ended in divorce. However, in the aftermath of her death, Charles fought for her to be given the funeral she deserved, and he even broke protocol by travelling to the hospital to identify her body and bring her back to England.
While Charles's grief was evident, it is important to note that he was not the next of kin to Diana at the time of her death. They were divorced, and he had no legal right to make decisions on her behalf. In fact, it was a surprising and brave move for him to take the royal flight to Paris to retrieve her body. This exception was likely made due to the shock and impact of her death, not just in Britain but also in France, where it occurred.
Despite their differences, it seems that Charles and Diana had managed to put their issues aside towards the end of her life. They were on better terms, and there was a natural feeling of sadness when their marriage ended. This is supported by the fact that they cried together when their divorce was finalised in 1996. It is clear that, despite their public competition and marital battles, there may have still been some love and care between them.
Charles's grief over Diana's death was very real, and he even had to battle his own mother, the Queen, to ensure that Diana received a proper funeral. He was distraught and fell apart, knowing that he would be blamed for her death. Charles's reaction was so intense that palace staff rushed to his room, where they found him collapsed in an armchair, weeping uncontrollably. He kept his sons asleep and informed them of their mother's death when they woke, showing his concern for their well-being in the midst of his own grief.
While Charles's actions after Diana's death may have been influenced by his role as the father of her sons, his emotions seemed genuine. The impact of her passing on him was significant, and he was willing to fight for her honour even when it went against royal protocol and the wishes of his own family.
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He cried when he saw her body
Princess Diana's tragic death in a car accident in Paris in 1997 shocked the world. The then-Prince Charles, her ex-husband, was "shattered" by the news. He was reportedly "ashen and trembling" when he received the phone call and "wept uncontrollably." Charles had to break the news to his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who were just 15 and 12 years old at the time.
Upon hearing of Princess Diana's passing, Prince Charles rushed to Paris to bring her body back to England. He fought to take the royal aircraft, but his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, initially refused. Eventually, she relented, and Charles flew to Paris with Diana's coffin draped in the royal standard.
When Prince Charles first saw Diana's body at the hospital, he was devastated. A nurse who was present recalled that he "looked like he'd been hit in the face." Another eyewitness described his reaction as "looking like he had been struck by an unseen force."
The grief and shock of seeing his former wife's body left Charles reeling. He had to battle the monarchy to ensure Diana received a fitting funeral, which was viewed by more than 2 billion people worldwide. Charles's grief was evident, and he shared in the public's mourning for the beloved Princess of Wales.
The death of Princess Diana was an incredibly difficult time for her family, especially her ex-husband, Prince Charles. The impact of seeing her body left an indelible mark on him, and he worked to ensure her funeral honoured her memory.
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They cried together when they divorced
Princess Diana and King Charles's marriage was a topic of public interest. The couple separated in 1992, and in 1995, Charles asked for an official divorce. Diana did not initially want a divorce, but the Queen encouraged the final move following Charles's cheating confessions and Diana's famous TV interview in which she said, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
Despite their differences, the estranged couple managed to put them aside towards the end of Diana's life. They cried together when they officially divorced in August 1996, ending their 15-year marriage. A royal expert, Ingrid Seward, editor of Royalty Magazine, revealed this private moment in the Channel 5 documentary, "The Royal Family at War". She said:
> It seems once Charles and Diana accepted that their marriage was over, they both did have a natural feeling of sadness. But there was also a lot of mutual exhaustion after fighting their relationship battle in public for so many years that might have just caused this emotional moment. It was this crazy separation, but by the time the divorce was finalized, they were on much better terms.
Indeed, in the final months of Diana's life, the divorced couple had put aside their differences for the sake of their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
When Diana died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, Charles was devastated. He reportedly howled like a wounded animal and looked like he had been hit in the face when he first heard the news. He fought harder for Diana after her death than he ever did during her lifetime, ensuring she was given the kind of funeral she deserved.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, according to an eyewitness, Charles "howled like a wounded animal" and "let out a cry of pain that was so spontaneous and came from the heart".
Charles rushed from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to Paris to bring her back to England. He also fought to give Diana the kind of funeral she deserved, and ensured that her coffin was draped with the royal standard.
Yes, Charles was "ashen and trembling" and "looked like he'd been hit in the face" when he saw Diana's body for the first time.
Yes, according to a royal expert, Charles and Diana cried together in August 1996, the day they finalized their divorce and officially ended their marriage of 15 years.
