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Remembering Diana: A Life in Photographs

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Commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, this exquisite book, with a foreword by best-selling author Tina Brown, celebrates the life of one of the most iconic women in the world.

For the millions who adored the People's Princess, this lavish book celebrates Diana Spencer's life in pictures. Page after page of inside photos from the legendary National Geographic archives document the royal's most memorable moments in the spotlight; a luminous, personal remembrance by Diana friend and biographer Tina Brown adds context and nuance to a poignant life twenty years after her tragic death. Float down memory lane through more than 100 remarkable images of Diana, from her days as a schoolgirl to her engagement to Prince Charles, the birth of Princes William and Harry, and her life in the media as an outspoken advocate for the poor, the sick, and the downtrodden. This elegant book features reflections from those who knew her best, recollections from dignitaries and celebrities like Nelson Mandela and Elton John, and personal insight through the princess's own words. This richly illustrated book is a beautiful ode to one of the world's most beloved women.

199 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2017

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About the author

National Geographic Society

4,228 books1,130 followers
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Jim Dooley.
933 reviews69 followers
September 8, 2021
I was quite the American Anglophile growing up. The television shows especially fascinated me, being a devoted fan of “The Avengers,” “The Prisoner,” “Dr. Who” (with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker), “No, Honestly,” “The Good Neighbors” … and in later years, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and “Dave Allen At Large.” I also frequently watched the “Masterpiece Theatre” imports from the BBC. And, of course, I loved the Hammer Films.

So, it is hardly shocking that I was one of those Americans who woke up early to see the televised wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. I won’t say that it held the “fairy tale”aspect for me, but it was something that I needed to see. I was riveted.

I also vividly recall standing in my driveway on a Sunday morning, shocked beyond measure at the newspaper headline of Diana’s death. It felt a bit like losing someone I knew personally.

Diana, the Princess of Wales, held an incredible fascination for me. She seemed so approachable and fun despite the news stories of her personal turmoil. The things that immediately pop into my mind when I think of her is her dance with John Travolta (look, I’m an American … what do you expect?), her close contact with AIDS patients, and her walking through an active minefield. Astonishing.

REMEMBERING DIANA: A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS by National Geographic doesn’t blaze any new ground. I also can’t say that I learned even one thing new about her. What it does is literally illustrate the concept of a picture being worth a thousand words. The photographs contained within it are stunning, and are often bordered by quotes or short commentaries. If she seemed accessible to me before, this book cemented that image in my mind. I had strong emotional reactions frequently.

Also included is a Forward by Tina Brown. In this passage, she talks about Diana’s formative years at a Boarding School, and how her sense of caring for others was in place even then:

“The senior classes at West Heath made annual volunteer visits to a nearby hospital for the mentally ill at Dartford. Most dreaded the visits to the bleak Victorian Gothic building, where patients awaited the girls in a gloomy, high-ceilinged hall for an afternoon of dancing. But not Diana. The hospital manager, Muriel Stevens, noted how Diana, unlike her classmates, was never frightened by the grim, therapeutic scene. She brought a relaxed gaiety to the visits that enchanted the patients. And she devised a resourceful way of enhancing their pleasure on the dance floor. Many patients were in wheelchairs. Rather than push them from behind, the future princess faced the wheelchair and danced backwards on her long legs, gliding in a circuit with the chair so that she could maintain eye contact and human connection.”

I’ve often heard critics dismiss her humanitarian efforts as being essentially self-serving. Honestly, I wouldn’t care if that had been the case (which I don’t believe). Anyone who can bring a sparkle of pleasure amongst the many dark events is doing a great service.

Because it is so lavishly illustrated, REMEMBERING DIANA: A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS is a remarkably quick read. I began it and finished it the same day, despite lingering over many of the images. This one was a real treat for me.
Profile Image for Amy.
1,328 reviews8 followers
January 1, 2018
Beautiful book with some photos I've never seen. I loved seeing all of the photographs of Princess Diana. Highly recommend to all Diana fans and Royal Family fans.
2,358 reviews106 followers
June 13, 2018
This book is a tribute to Princess Diana in photographs. I loved this book because she was a woman of privledge and she showed the world the importance of humanity. This book contains 100 photographs, some of which I have never seen. I remember Aug 1997 I was at work and the manager's mother called and told us she heard on the news Princess Diana had passed away. We all felt sadness and loss for someone we had never met. I did not know that the Spencer family went 5oo years. What I have always felt bad about is that she had no idea her marriage to Prince Charles was a charade, she really thought they were in love. The Royal Family all knew this but did not tell her that she was an arranged marriage. They were so annoyed by her popularity and her upstaging the boorish Charles they did not give her any guidance of how to act like a royal. However the whole country loved her except Charles. in 1996 they divorced. It is such a shame she could not see her boys grow up and see them marry and have their own children. She wanted to help vulnerable people everywhere and she supported many wonderful charities. I really like her attitude of carrying out a random act of kindness. Both of her sons have continued their mother's legacy of charitable giving, and she would be very proud of them.
Profile Image for Becky.
574 reviews4 followers
Read
October 29, 2023
No rating.
I do not rate biographical/autobiographical works as I am not rating the subject's life or judging how it was intended to be perceived.
This is a beautiful book to commemorate 20 years since Diana has passed away. Some of the pictures I have never seen before which was really nice! Very informative to the next generation of Diana-lovers!!
Profile Image for Marie.
376 reviews4 followers
December 7, 2022
Just finished watching season 5 of The Crown and needed more Lady Di. She could have shared much more goodness and love with world had she lived.
Profile Image for monica ♪.
506 reviews79 followers
January 17, 2021
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge thay one day someone might do the same for you." — Princess Diana

Reading this makes me wonder and think even harder on Why do bad things happen to good people?

Reading about Princess Diana's story always fascinates me.
Because I was still so young when Princess Diana passed away, I barely remember about the tragic death. And I wish I was older to understand about it back then.

Princess Diana was really famous as The People's Princess because of her kindness.

"In April 1987—a time when AIDS was still considered a pariah disease—she attended the opening of the first AIDS ward in the U.K. at Middlesex Hospital. Her decision to shake hands, without gloves, with 12 male AIDS patients was critical in dispelling prejudice towards the ailment. And she never missed a chance to renew her outreach. Two years later, at a hospital in Harlem, New York, she spontaneously hugged an HIV-positive seven-year-old boy."

I wonder why the closest people around her were really cruel. The royal family themselves didn't really like her because they were jealous of the fame she got.

Maybe many people, including myself, thought that Diana and Charles' wedding was like a fairytale wedding that will end with happily ever after.
But in reality it was far from that...

"Diana did not know until it was too late that the wedding of the century at St. Paul's Cathedral, watched by a global TV audience of 750 million people in 1981, was a charade."


The marriage wasn't beautiful at all. Charles always lied to Diana and never left Camilla, well even until now.
The deep sense of being unloved and unsupported led Princess Diana to bulimia 💔

I so fucking HATE Camilla. And Charles for that matter.
Those bastards should have been dead instead!!

"It is another of the great ironies of Diana's life that everyone was in love with her except her husband"

Princess Diana really was the most beautiful human being, inside and out.
Even when she was suffering herself, she still cared about other people, especially the homeless, the orphans, the AIDS patients and the disabled.
And I really love her ability to communicate with children. She never afraid to crouches down so that she could see them at eye level.
This what made her 'famous'.
I really, really adored her 🤍

"She sublimated her lovelessness into acts of humanitarian leadership, boosting the efforts of the Red Cross, advocating for others with eating disorders, and ministering to the homeless, to orphans, to AIDS patients, and to disabled."

She really was The People's Princess.
Although she was gone too soon, her kindness will never be forgotten.
Thank you for inspiring so many people, Lady Di.
I really wish you were still here watching your sons and grandchildren grow up..

I'm so glad that I bought this book.
Profile Image for Danielle.
265 reviews30 followers
August 10, 2017
I've been a royal watcher for a long time, so I can easily recall when I was on the verge of being 14 and hearing that Diana was involved in a car crash in Paris. My fascination with Diana and the other members of the House of Windsor has only grown in these past twenty years, so I eagerly read this book commemorating 20 years since Diana's untimely death.

This coffee style book is quite lovely. The cover photo of Diana is really captivating and makes you want to pick the book immediately. "Remembering Diana" features a biography that is not very in-depth but still informative. Fans of Diana will know these facts but it's still a great starter place for those who were not around when Diana was alive. The book is full of gorgeous photos of Diana from all stages of her life. Some photos are quite familiar, like the wedding photos and the land mine photos, but there were a few pictures of the princess that I had never seen before and that are not published as much. So there are things that new and old Diana fans will appreciate.

If you are an Anglophile and avid royal watcher, this book is a must for you.

*Book received through the Amazon Vine program*
Profile Image for Jill Tool.
179 reviews11 followers
January 13, 2018
This was such a wonderful book to commemorate 20 years since Diana has passed away. The pictures were beautiful, some of them I had never seen published before. It showed pictures of her in her younger days, leading up to the Royal wedding, her life as Princess Di, being a mother, traveling for her charities, as well as her royal duties, and the pictures of her funeral.

There are descriptions of the photos along with a short facts about her. This would be a good book to have around for younger generations that weren't able to see or hear about the Princess while she was alive or to know about her untimely death. Diana wasn't just a Princess in the Royal family, she wanted to be a Princess of peoples hearts, and that's what she became a Princess to the heart of people. She not only did good in this world, but she made the Royal family popular.
Profile Image for Anna Stewart McCall.
352 reviews47 followers
July 30, 2022
I've kind of gone down the rabbit hole with the royal family lately, and none more fascinating than Princess Diana. I very much enjoyed the photos that were here and the story that went with them (even the long-winded forward by Tina Brown). However, I was disappointed in the pictures that WEREN'T in the book. Diana was such a fashion icon, and it doesn't seem like there were just an over-abundance of photos for that. It was still interesting reading and looking, I just would have liked to see more photos.
Profile Image for Sandy.
1,210 reviews
May 10, 2019
20 years after her death and she still mesmerizes me. It could be that we were born the same year, married the same year, had our children a year apart almost. Her life is amazing what she accomplished in so short a times and yet so tragic for all that she has missed because she didn't wear a seatbelt.
Profile Image for Jen.
594 reviews
September 25, 2017
The photos in this book are a great collection of Diana at her best.
Profile Image for Nancy.
799 reviews16 followers
September 29, 2017
Great pictures and heartwarming story of an exceptional woman.
Profile Image for Bethany Owens.
225 reviews23 followers
October 25, 2017
This book has incredible pictures and stories of Princess Diana. I aspire to one day be as compassionate and loving as she was her whole life.
Profile Image for Shilpi Bishnoi.
11 reviews
January 26, 2018
Anyone who wants to see how princess diana had lived her short life should read this book. It has pictures taken during her course of life. It's a short and wonderful read.
Profile Image for Lara.
1,272 reviews4 followers
September 3, 2018
Beautiful photos!

"Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other, and, in the process, care for ourselves." - Princess Diana
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,139 reviews16 followers
September 9, 2019
It's Lady Di.
I follow her anywhere.
Great photos.
Profile Image for Annabelle Bradford.
27 reviews
February 13, 2021
Such a beautiful book! I really enjoyed it. I’m fascinated by Princess Diana and enjoyed learning more about her life. The photographs are stunning, such a lovely coffee table book.
Profile Image for SM Zalokar.
224 reviews3 followers
March 27, 2021
Diana was 🎯 From a life of privilege she centered her message on service to the people. I remember admiring her so much when she inched away from the patriarchal monarchy.
103 reviews
July 9, 2021
Wonderful book. I have always admired Diana and enjoyed this immensely.
Profile Image for Lisa Welch.
1,863 reviews14 followers
December 23, 2022
A well done compilation of photographs to document Diana's life and death.
Profile Image for Kelli.
480 reviews2 followers
May 6, 2023
Watching the coronation of King Charles III today made me reflect on and miss Princess Diana. Read this at the library with Lainey on a rainy day.
Profile Image for Gianna.
3 reviews
April 15, 2021
Beautifully composed. I haven’t really read any books about the peoples princess herself, but this gave me some good background and the photos just added to the experience of getting to know princess Diana.
Profile Image for Amanda McFall.
294 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2017
Absolutely wonderful tribute to an icon that will live on forever in peoples’ hearts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews