21 years ago killed Princess Diana on 31 August 1997, her car crashed into a wall in a tunnel in Paris, the promenade. Diana Frances Spencer was 36 years old. In 2002, lady Di took third place in the list of the 100 greatest Britons of all time by TV channel “bi-Bi-si” has put her above William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, John Lennon.
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During the life of Diana was called the “Queen of people’s hearts”, and her personal life as the cause of the accident, discussed so far. But lady Di used his popularity for the sake of another – struggled with the social challenges, debunked myths, taught to empathize and respect different people.
She has supported the cancer centres, hospitals, orphanages, centres for the homeless, the leper colony: not only money, but most importantly, personal involvement. Led more than 100 charitable organizations around the world organized a peace trip to different countries. Diana was going to be part of the planning Committee of the International red cross. Shortly before the accident, the UN Secretary General was invited to make a presentation at the fall Assembly, there were suggestions that Princess Diana will soon appoint a goodwill Ambassador.
About myself lady Di said: “I have always been, are and will figure only a humanitarian, I just want to help people, than you can, that’s all… the World is sick of the lack of humanity and compassion stronger and stronger…”
“Pravmir” tells about the main charity and peace-building initiatives of Princess Diana.
1. Took his gloves off and shook the hands of twelve AIDS patients
In the 80-ies of the growing number of AIDS patients, it was believed that this disease is transmitted through touch. People with AIDS inevitably become outcasts.
In the spring of 1987 in the UK opened the first office for such patients in Middlesexcc the hospital. Members of the Royal family were invited to speak at the ceremony, Charles refused. On hearing this, Diana rushed to the hospital, where communicated with patients and shook their hands. From that moment on she has always stood in defense of the sick, refute myths, tried to support the fight against AIDS, despite the disapproval of the Queen.
Two years later, during a trip to new York, she visited the Harlem hospital for AIDS babies. The newspaper wrote: she suddenly picked up a dying seven year old boy from Harlem.
After the death of Diana, the founder of Fund of assistance to people with HIV National AIDS Trust Gavin HART said: “In our opinion, Diane has done to help people with HIV more than anyone else, and still no one does anything like that.”
“I was interested in how this infection is transmitted. I managed to convince them that in ordinary life, sick people safe, but all of society thought otherwise. Accident, is not always to blame for the infection (such as children), all turned away, they were left to die without any help. <…> And it was not foolish bravado, I really wanted to take an innocent child on his hands. After all, if adults can be to blame for the disease themselves, the children are not guilty of anything!”
2. Embraced leprosy patients in a leper colony mother Teresa in India
In February 1992 Princess Diana went to India, where he visited a charitable institution of mother Teresa: a hospice, a shelter for abandoned children, a leper colony for leprosy patients. Diana shook hands with patients, proving that it’s not contagious.
After this trip, Diana wrote: “Finally, after so many years of searching, I found my way. When I arrived to the hospice of mother Teresa, sisters of mercy specifically for me to sing a solemn hymn. It was an unforgettable spiritual experience. I literally soared the spirit. The emotions were so strong that they could not fail to give me a huge impact. I just now realized that with all your heart, with all your soul want to do this business on a global scale.”
Soon Princess Diana became a patron of the organization The Leprosy Mission and visited hospitals in India, Nepal, Zimbabwe. It is in very close contact with mother Teresa, who died a week after the death of Diana.
“I went to Nepal, where he visited the huts of the common people, camps for lepers, the hospital… Everything is usual and very necessary. Each visit brought not only satisfaction and some relief to people, but also a lot of money in the form of charitable support. <…> The summer I went to Zimbabwe, where he met with Robert Mugabe, visited children’s centres, again and again hospitals and the distribution of humanitarian aid…”
3. Passed through the cleared field in Angola
Princess Diana supported the campaign against the production and use of landmines. a few months before she died in the mission of the red cross went to Angola, where civil war was going on and all the land was dotted with mines.
Diana was amazed around the city on crutches and wheelchairs were moving people without legs – men, women, children. She saw the girl that had mine ripped the intestines. Diana knew that Angola was the world’s largest number of people with amputated body parts. “But even knowing all this, I was not prepared for what I saw,” recalled after it.
In Angola
A few days before the arrival of the Princess in the mined city of Angola Kuito suffered another tragedy: teen killed while playing football on the field is not completely cleared.
Then lady Di wearing a bulletproof vest with the logo of the HALO TRUST and a mask from the bullets and walked through a cleared field. Through her example she wanted to show the danger of this weapon, although she later admitted that fear of her jaw cramp. In late 1997, the international movement to ban landmines received the Nobel peace prize.
On cleared field
“For this “walk through a minefield,” as he called the passage in the British Parliament, I got a lot from everyone. Someone was indignant: “Why?!” Someone argued that the Princess is nothing to win, someone accused of cheap populism… <…> So, I’m a protective vest tried to go on obviously cleared the runway and I can say that it is very scary. And what about those who have no vests, no miners, who, as the girl Helena, every time you go for water, to risk his life, to those who are just forced to live among the mine fields?!”
4. Gave equipment Tushinskaya children’s hospital in Moscow
In June 1995, Princess Diana in two days arrived in Moscow. It was her only visit to Russia. Lady Di met with the Minister for social protection Lyudmyla Bezlepkina and Deputy Yuri Spring, supervising social unit in the White house, went for a performance at the Bolshoi theatre, and the next day went to the Tushinskaya children’s hospital.
In the late 80-ies in the UK opened Fund of the hospital: to exchange of experience the doctors practiced in hospitals in both countries, Moscow, the hospital has received good equipment. Once the Foundation was headed by a mother Queen Elizabeth II, but because of their age she could not deal with them adequately, therefore, referred the case of Princess Diana.
In Tushinskaya children’s hospital, 1995
Doctors still remember the arrival of lady Di went to the casualty Department, where they had children after road and rail accidents. At the sight of the wounds accompanied the Princess collapses, and she calmly walked.
The arrival of Princess Diana opened a branch of the Foundation for children with disabilities “Waverly house” in the school № 751.
On 16 June at the British Embassy in Moscow Princess Diana received the International Leonardo prize for his contribution to the development of the humanitarian sphere.
“I wanted to hold the hands of every sick child, to caress you all laugh, at least for a moment in their eyes, instead of pain, a smile appeared!”
5. Three times a week, went to children with cancer in the hospital
Princess Diana was patron of the Royal Brompton hospital and children’s hospital “great Ormond Street hospital.” She loved children and whenever possible, talked with them. So, three times a week of lady Di went around the hospital Brompton and held there with the kids for 3-4 hours. After the interview, she said: “Some will live, some will die, but they all need to love the here and now. I try to give them that love.”
“I could not pass by a single patient. Not all of the chamber I was allowed, where it includes only doctors and nurses, but if it was possible, I went, leaving assistants to toil in the hallways. Cheered, shook hands, tried to inspire hope… I could help them, only their sympathy, and if it helped, I was ready to give it in full”.
6. Helped center for homeless and taught my sons
In 1992, Princess Diana became a Trustee of the London-based centre for homeless Centerpoint. During visits to the centre, lady Di took with him the two sons. At 23, Prince William became a Trustee of the centre.
“There in the hospital or among crippled people completely forget the previous problems seem so small, miserable. Surprisingly, among the squalid huts, the squalid life of the poor seem to be the care of our wealthy, well-fed and dezaminirovanie the world. We just can not imagine their life, as they do not believe in the possibility of our. <…>
This gap can neither jump, nor to overlook through it only to lend a helping hand. If we do not, we are not people and have no right to live on Earth.”
7. Supported theatre “English national ballet”
Almost all of the projects that was supported by Princess Diana, was social. But one was in the field of culture – theatre “English national ballet”. Princess Di along with his sons was a frequent visitor to the theatre, she organized fundraising balls and galas meetings, raising funds in support of the theater.
“Even for fun and laughter, for the lively appearance inside the fear of the minefield and an understanding that if I can change something, you have to do it. To live here is a forked tough call.”
“I found myself. Being unnecessary own husband and the Royal family, I was very necessary to thousands, and maybe millions of people all around the world. How much I smiled, shook many hands, how many just patted on the shoulder, on the cheek, how many children embraced!..
When I said I wanted to be Queen of people’s hearts. I’ll never be the Queen of great Britain, but it doesn’t matter, but the Queen of hearts can become”
After the death of Diana, Kensington Palace continued to receive public donations. So there was a Memorial Fund Princess of Wales. For 15 years (until 2012), he transferred to charity more than 112 million pounds, supporting approximately five hundred organizations.
Quotes from the book “Princess Diana. The intimate life.”