---
node: princess_diana
type: person
slug: princess_diana
title: "Diana, Princess of Wales"
lead: "Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, and mother of the future King William. One of the most famous women in the world, she died in a car crash in Paris in 1997."
published: 2026-07-11
updated: 2026-07-11
image_file: princess_diana.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diana,_Princess_of_Wales_1997_(2)_(cropped).jpg"
image_author: "John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 2.0"
---

## Who they were

Diana married Charles in 1981 and had two sons, William and Harry. Her charity work — especially on HIV/AIDS and the campaign against landmines — and her accessible manner made her hugely popular, while intense media attention followed her troubled marriage and 1996 divorce. She was killed in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris on 31 August 1997.

## What they did

The official inquiries — the French investigation and the 2008 British inquest — found she was unlawfully killed through the grossly negligent driving of her intoxicated driver, Henri Paul, and of the pursuing vehicles.

## Legacy

Her death prompted an extraordinary public outpouring of grief. Diana is remembered for her charitable work and for reshaping public expectations of the royal family.