‘The People’s Princess’ – Commemorating Princess Diana’s eventful charitable journey

Born on July 1, 1961, in Sandringham, England, Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36. In 1975, her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer and from that moment on Diana started been called Lady Diana Spencer.

Princess Diana belonged to a family of British nobility. First home-schooled, she started her formal education in England. Later on, the princess became a preschool assistant and nursery teacher’s assistant up until her marriage in 1981.

Commemorating her 61st birth anniversary, friend Sarah Ferguson penned a beautiful Instagram post on Monday, highlighting the notable legacy the princess has left behind. “I’ll forever remember our laughter
and the kindred, kind spirit I found in you,” she mentioned.

Princess Diana’s eventful charitable journey

1. AIDS and HIV charities

Diana embarked on her prominent charitable journey in 1989 as she opened the Landmark Aids Centre in London, offering treatment for AIDS and HIV patients. Her journey helped dispel the stigma surrounding AIDS as she brought substantial awareness to the epidemic.

2. Leprosy Mission

Princess Diana brought leprosy-affected people under the spotlight. In her actions, she dispelled the misunderstanding that leprosy could be contracted by Touch. The Leprosy Mission seeks to offer those affected and their families the right support and treatment.

3. Focus on poverty and homelessness

Diana had been passionate about her mission to give homeless adolescents a future and bring an end to youth homelessness and poverty, besides raising awareness of mental health. She became a patron to Centrepoint, a charity supporting young people, in 1992.

4. Cancer trusts

Standing beside the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation as a patron and spokesperson, Princess Diana also became the hospital’s president in 1989. She represented the Royal Marsden in 1996 for a fundraising event, raising more than £1 million for cancer research.

5. Protecting people from landmines

Diana had a notable focus on landmines. Following a tour of an Angolan minefield in 1997, the royal started working closely with the Halo Trust, a prominent organisation dedicated to removing debris after conflicts, bearing a specific focus on landmines.