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Born
She was born at Sandringham, United Kingdom. Diana was the daughter of Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Frances Ruth Burke Roche, Viscountess Althorp. -
Baptism
Diana was baptised at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham -
Divorce
Diana was seven years old when her parents divorced. Her mother later began a relationship with Peter Shand Kydd -
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Education
When she was nine, she joined her sisters at West Heath Girls' School in Sevenoaks, Kent. She did not shine academically, failing her O-levels twice. -
First meeting
Diana first met Charles, Prince of Wales, when she was 16 years old, because he was dating her older sister, Lady Sarah -
Education 2
After attending Institut Alpin Videmanette (a finishing school in Rougemont, Switzerland) for one term in 1978, Diana returned to London, where she shared her mother's flat with two school friends. -
Life in London
In London, she took an advanced cooking course, but seldom cooked for her roommates. She took a series of low-paying jobs; she worked as a dance instructor for youth until a skiing accident caused her to miss three months of work. -
Second meeting
They were guests at a country weekend during the summer of 1980 when she watched him play polo and he took a serious interest in Diana as a potential bride. -
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London 2
Her mother bought her a flat at Coleherne Court in Earl's Court as an 18th birthday present. She lived there with three flatmates. -
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Altruism
Diana served as a strong supporter of many charities and worked to help the homeless, people living with HIV and AIDS and children in need. -
Propose
Lady Diana was well received by the Queen, the Queen Mother and the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Charles subsequently courted Diana in London. The Prince proposed on 6 February 1981, and Lady Diana accepted, but their engagement was kept secret for the next few weeks -
Wedding
The couple married on July 29, 1981, the ceremony was broadcast on television around the world, with millions of people tuning in to see what many considered to be the wedding of the century. -
First child
Diana and Charles had their first child: Prince William Arthur Philip Louis. -
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Love
She had been "deeply in love with someone who worked in this environment." Although she never used his name, it is thought she was referring to Barry Mannakee -
Second child
Her second son was the Prince Henry Charles Albert David, known widely as "Prince Harry" -
Problems 2
The couple's marital difficulties were publicly reported as early as 1985. Prince Charles resumed his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Diana later began one with Major James Hewitt. -
Problems
The marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales fell apart, which was sensationalised by the world media. The Princess and Prince both spoke to the press through friends; each blamed the other for the marriage's demise. -
True Story
These affairs were exposed in May 1992 with the publication of Andrew Morton's book, Diana: Her True Story. The book was serialised before publication in The Sunday Times. -
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Conversations
Leaked tapes of telephone conversations negatively reflected on both the royal antagonists. Tape recordings of the Princess and James Gilbey were made available by The Sun newspaper's hotline and transcripts of the intimate conversations were published by the newspaper the same month. The article's title, "Squidgygate", referenced Gilbey's affectionate nickname for Diana -
Divorce
Buckingham Palace publicly announced that the Queen had sent letters to the Prince and Princess of Wales, advising them to divorce. -
Finally divorce
The divorce was finalised on 28 August 1996. Diana received a lump sum settlement of £17 million as well as £400,000 per year. The couple signed a confidentiality agreement that prohibited them from discussing the details of the divorce or of their married life -
Death
Diana was killed in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. The accident also resulted in the deaths of her companion Dodi Fayed and the driver, Henri Paul, who was the acting security manager of the Hôtel Ritz Paris; Trevor Rees-Jones (Diana's bodyguard) survived the crash. -
Funeral
The televised funeral was watched by a British television audience that peaked at 32.10 million, which was one of the United Kingdom's highest viewing figures ever. Millions more watched the event around the world.
