Princess Diana, beautiful, famous and wealthy, won the admiration of millions but found simple happiness elusive.
A year after her supposedly fairy-tale marriage to Prince Charles ended in divorce, 36-year-old Diana seemed finally to have found, in Dodi Fayed, a kind of uncomplicated joy. But the pressures of an insatiable press and public never abated.In an interview published last week, she told the French newspaper Le Monde she would like to move to another country, but couldn't because of her sons, who are in line for the British throne.
"Any sane person would have left long ago. But I cannot. I have my sons," 36-year-old Diana said.
She had often pleaded with the press - particularly the pack of photographers who followed her every move - to leave her alone.
A steady stream of photographs in the tabloids over the past month showed Diana and Dodi Fayed, the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, embracing, laughing and relaxing in the Mediterranean.
Lady Diana Spencer, the daughter of an earl, was 20 when she married the heir to the British throne July 29, 1981, in a ceremony watched by millions around the globe.
The birth of two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, seemed to complete the happiness that the world expected for a golden couple
But in the early 1990s, the newspapers began reporting how much time Charles and Diana spent apart. Speculation about an unhappy marriage grew intense.
Andrew Morton's "Diana, Her True Story" in June 1992 caused a sensation, saying Charles was conducting a long-term affair with a married woman - Camilla Parker Bowles - and that Diana had attempted suicide.
Finally, on Dec. 9, 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced to Parliament that the couple would separate.
Queen Elizabeth II asked them to divorce, and after more months of wrangling, they agreed. The divorce became final Aug. 28 1996.
Buckingham Palace said Diana was still part of the royal family.
"The princess is the mother of a future king and is therefore in a unique position," said a palace spokesman when the divorce was announced. She and Charles, 48, shared custody of their sons, Prince William, now 15, and Prince Harry, 12.
There was no precedent for Diana's new role. There had never been an ex-wife of a prince of Wales.
Although effectively out of a job, she worked hard and secured her place as an international figure and humanitarian.