Diana | |||||
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Princess of Wales; Duchess of Rothesay (more) | |||||
The Princess of Wales in 1992
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Born |
Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England, UK |
1 July 1961||||
Died | 31 August 1997 Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France |
(aged 36)||||
Burial | 6 September 1997 Althorp, Northamptonshire, England, UK |
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Spouse | Charles, Prince of Wales (m. 1981; div. 1996) |
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Father | John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer | ||||
Mother | Frances Shand Kydd | ||||
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Full name | |
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Diana Frances |
Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances; née Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II.
Diana was born into a family of British nobility with royal ancestry and was the fourth child and third daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and the Honourable Frances Roche. She grew up in Park House, situated on the Sandringham estate, and was educated in England and Switzerland. In 1975, after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, she became known as Lady Diana Spencer. She came to prominence in February 1981 when her engagement to Prince Charles was announced.
Her wedding to the Prince of Wales on 29 July 1981, held at St Paul's Cathedral, reached a global television audience of over 750 million people. While married, Diana bore the titles Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, and Countess of Chester. The marriage produced two sons, the princes William and Harry, who were then respectively second and third in the line of succession to the British throne. As Princess of Wales, Diana undertook royal duties on behalf of the Queen and represented her at functions overseas. She was celebrated for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She was involved with dozens of charities including London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, of which she was president from 1989.