July 1st marked what would have been the sixtieth birthday of Diana Spencer, the late Princess of Wales. Her death in a tragic car accident almost twenty-four years ago sent shockwaves across all spheres of British life. Famously dubbed ‘The People’s Princess’ by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, her legacy as one of the most popular and endearing members of the British royal family continues to resonate with the general public.

Diana’s marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales in 1981 was the beginning of a royal career marked by personal popularity typically unexpected of an institution that has frequently been at odds with modern attitudes. Remembered for her incredible beauty, fashion sense and outspokenness on political issues, Diana was, in many ways, a modern and progressive spark in a sea of tradition.

Nowhere was this more visible than in the solidarity that she demonstrated toward AIDS patients at the height of the pandemic during the 1980s. Given the overwhelming stigma attached to this cruel disease and the individuals who suffered from it, Diana’s decision to meet and comfort AIDS patients on several occasions (perhaps most famously on a visit to a London hospital in 1987) cemented, to me, her reputation as a kind and sympathetic public figure who used her status for good. It was also brave, both on her own part and for the wider reputation of the royal family. Her decision to be pictured shaking the hand of an AIDS patient, though difficult to appreciate in retrospect, was arguably revolutionary. Government disinformation at the time had resulted in widespread ignorance of the nature of AIDS and had given birth to an unpleasant culture of bigotry in which gay and bisexual men, as well as other, less-acknowledged victims such as sex workers and drug users, were frequently perceived as ‘dirty.’ In my opinion, through this simple gesture, she effectively broke down this barrier of prejudice and helped to humanise a section of society that, up to that point, had been relentlessly vilified throughout the media. 

Far from tarnishing the royal name, this successfully raised her profile as a ‘human’ figurehead for an at-times antiquated and out-of-touch family dynasty. It is, therefore, unsurprising that Diana’s untimely death had such a colossal emotional impact on the British psyche. It is also unsurprising that her memory continues to be invoked in such positive terms. This can be observed, in particular, in internet meme culture. Within Facebook user circles, the person of Princess Diana has taken on an almost divine status and become the subject of endless memes and humorous tributes. Though often ironic and parodying the kitsch patriotism of middle-aged and baby boomer users, they serve to celebrate Diana’s legacy and uphold her as a beloved figure of infinite charm and relatability. 

Portrayals of the princess in various media over recent years, from Naomi Watts in the 2013 biographical film Diana to Emma Corrin in the hit Netflix series The Crown, have also been sympathetic. In my opinion, Corrin’s portrayal, in particular, has been widely successful in raising Diana’s profile even further, offering insight into the down-to-earth elements of her personality, as well as revealing the tensions that she experienced in both her marriage and her relationship to the rest of the royal family. 

Though I am, in principle, a republican and opposed to the monarchy in almost every aspect, I cannot help but find myself frequently enamoured of Diana and what she stood for, particularly as a gay man whose freedoms can, in part, be attributed to advances in social attitudes set in motion by figures like her. Even now, long after her death, the continued existence and toleration of Britain’s monarchy depends on the princess’s enduring legacy as a symbol of its potential for progressive change. If this institution is to survive and remain a jewel in the crown of British life, it must look to and continue to champion the values espoused by one of its most beloved and dearly-missed members.

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