26th anniversary of Diana’s death

[beeonmybonnett]

I had forgotten but just seen it on a Facebook post which reminded me.

It’s a shame she’s no longer here. I liked her.

I wonder if William/Harry and their families are doing anything privately to mark the anniversary and I always wonder do Charles and Camilla think of Diana on the anniversary.

In the past William's children have written to her, haven't they, or maybe it was for Mothering Sunday and not the anniversary of her death.
I expect Charles and Camilla do remember the date and think of her, but for how long, I don't know.
Do William and Harry's families do anything privately? Who knows? Maybe they do. Do you think they order flowers to be put on her grave at Althorp(sp?)? I think they easily might.

I guess William might go to her grave but I doubt harry would unless he is in the UK atm.

But the sons can arrange for flowers to be sent there, can't they, wherever they are in the world today.

I am guessing that William is up at Balmoral still. If a minister of the Church of Scotland says prayers every day in Crathie Church I guess she/he would pray for those who have died 'and remembering especially today, Diana, Princess of Wales'. If he/she didn't say something like that in the church building I would guess it would have been said by the priest at home, at the beginning of the day.

I wonder has Charles ever been to Diana’s grave in recent years

I've been thinking since last night ! When Diana died Charles and the boys were up at Balmoral. Has William always been up at Balmoral for the anniversary of his mother's death? Was Harry always there for 31st until he left?

Is there a chapel in Balmoral Castle? If not, you could set a room aside to serve as one. If I'd been arranging it for the last quarter of a century I would have had a photograph of Diana put up there for this week and on the anniversary day I would have said that any member of the household or family could go along for 15 minutes between such a time and such a time, to sit quietly or take flowers or light a candle, and that members of the family only could go from such a time and such a time. That way William could have the privacy to sit quietly with his memories and thoughts. If W and K and the children are all up there I hope all 5 lit a candle quietly for her, near to a photo of her. It took me a long time to realise, but human beings like a bit of ritual, even if they're hazy about what they believe, and they don't need to feel guilty if they then go on to spend the rest of the day in a usual way.

I'd change the photo after a few days and put HMQE's there instead, and have the same routine for her death-day, which is soon.

I think it's a bit weird if William gets the kids to do it. Both my grandmothers died before I was born and if my parents got me to sit quietly and think about her I would find that odd. One of them died in a far more brutal and shocking way than Diana and a similar age. Surely better to talk to the kids about her in a positive way but not go on about it, especially given all the conspiracy about it. It could be frightening for them. Better just to talk about her as a mum and person rather than dwelling on her death.

After the candles in chapel they could go and whack on one of Diana's favourite songs at full volume. When D went to Pavarotti in the Park it was pelting with rain and he dedicated 'Donna, non vidi mai..' to her. I might have to go and find it very soon. It's on a CD somewhere.

Looking for Balmoral in Google last evening led me to a newspaper/magazine article which was written a few days before HMQE died, when Charles was going over every morning from Birkhall, to see how she was. At the time of the article Boris was expected up there as doctors had advised it best for her not to travel. In retrospect it was an interesting read.

Are you old enough, OP, to remember where you were when you heard that Diana had died?

I don't do anything to mark my parents death day. Why would you ? That's weird

Why would he? They were divorced. How many people visit the graves of their ex- spouses? Wouldn’t cross my mind to visit ex dh’s (he’s not dead yet!)

They may do. Doubt they'll publicise it.

When I was a child, on Palm Sunday we all (my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins) used to go and tidy up my grandparents' graves - it used to be a bit of a morning out. Fresh flowers would be put on the graves on their birthdays.

I wouldn't expect my daughters to do anything like that for my parents though. Too far away for a start.

At our church members of the congregation can sponsor a lily for the Easter Sunday church flowers on behalf of dead loved ones and their names are read out during the service. That seems a nice custom to me.

I didn't suggest that anyone 'goes on about it' and I didn't suggest that the children were made to do anything. I would give a child a choice. I didn't suggest that they go on about the conspiracy theories. I didn't suggest that anyone dwells on her death.

I suggested that William could have a few private minutes to remember her.

I said that if all 5 Waleses were there I hoped they lit a candle for her but I didn't say that they should be made to. That doesn't need any tub-thumping words, and it wouldn't take more than twenty seconds. I expect there are some people who are anti-Roman Catholic and who are offended by the lighting of candles, but since my youth it seems that more of the Protestant churches embrace it. When there are accidents and murders people bring flowers and candles, don't they?

Why is it weird? I might be weird for you, but not for everybody. People deal with loss in different ways. Why would it be weird just to think about the person for a few moments - less than a minute, say? If you loved them, why wouldn't you do something to honour them? Why do people take flowers to graves, some on a very regular basis? I don't, and it was tea-time last year when I thought that it was the date of Dad's death, but I don't see it as weird for people who want to do something specific.

But thats like celebrating their death. I find that really Strange

Yes, I doubt he's ever been there, let alone in recent years. He is her children's father. That's it really. They were divorced before she died and could only be vaguely friendly after their awful marriage was ended.

Are you Catholic? I am. It seems Catholics, wherever they are from have rituals for death anniversaries. I think William was pictured laying flowers somewhere.

There was a TV drama this week (The Tower) with a storyline about a cold case involving a girl who went missing on the day of Diana's funeral. It struck me that it's now a historical date, in the way the death of JFK was for my parents generation.

@Angrycat2768

Are you Catholic?

No, but I was brought up in Wales and went to chapel and my mother's parents were fairly strict about observing the Sabbath day etc
I go to a local Anglican church now which is the one that has the sponsored lilies.

I thought that was a clever ploy of the author, Gilmorehill, as generally people involved in a cold case wouldn’t have the foggiest idea of what they were doing on a particular day more than 25 years ago…unless it was a very memorable day, like Diana’s funeral. In which case all the characters remembered the day very well!

Has William always been up at Balmoral for the anniversary of his mother's death? Was Harry always there for 31st until he left?

Not always - there was a London church service on the 10th anniversary of her death that the brothers attended. And Harry and William were in Kensington Palace for the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death - they went out to view the sunken garden there which had been designated as her memorial garden (later that rather unbeautiful statue was put up there).

It's strange because I'm not particularly a Diana/RF fan but I do remember quite clearly where I was when she died. I'd been staying with friends for the weekend and we'd had quite a late and somewhat boozy night.

I remember coming down the next morning and hearing the news and not quite being able to believe it. It did seem really shocking.

I remember the day very clearly as we were up early to move house. Hearing the dirge music on the radio I assumed the QM had died. And first thought when they said it was Diana, was that she had committed suicide! The huge drama that ensued was incredible! Those poor boys. My mother died when I was child and I like to remember her privately and quietly. Not sure why people think some big hoo-ha is required.

@Serenster you're absolutely right but it did make me feel a bit old!

Well I mean i guess it depends on how their relationship was at the time of her death. If they were on relatively good terms then he may have visited her grave from time to time.

Despite their difficult marriage and the fact they were divorced, I’m sure he still cared for her.

i don’t think it’s weird at all. I always mark wwjd anniversary of the passing of close loved ones.

It’s not about ‘celebrating ‘ their death, rather celebrating their life and remembering them and acknowledging that X amount of years have gone by since they passed away.

The *

I do.

I’d have to have extremely low levels of empathy to think that if others do not because they handle their grief differently, they’re weird.