Princess Charlotte and Princess Diana’s untimely deaths shook the nation with grief. Oddly enough, there were many more similarities between the two princesses of Wales throughout their lives as well.
Of course, the most obvious similarity between the princesses is that they died very tragically and very unexpectedly. When Princess Charlotte died from what we now know to be a pulmonary embolism it sent the republic into devastating grief. There were tributes to her from people around the entire world and it deeply affected Britain, specifically. Her mother even went so far as to state, “England has lost everything in losing my ever beloved daughter”.
Similarly, when Princess Diana died in a fatal car crash in Paris, the world was completely devastated and distraught with grief. The event in 1997 was unimaginably publicized. There were more than a million flower tributes at the gates of Buckingham Palace and her funeral had more than 2 billion people watching through broadcast as well as many in actual attendance.
Aside from their deaths, the Princesses of Wales had many similarities when it came to their lives as well, starting in childhood. Both Princess Charlotte and Princess Diana were raised by parents who were unhappy in their marriage. Princess Charlotte’s parents were married out of convenience, a tradition that was fairly common in the Royal family. Her parents actually separated almost as soon as they got married and their conflicts became public, resulting in a very difficult upbringing for Princess Charlotte.
Similarly, Diana grew up in a household that was less than loving. She was the third daughter of her parents John Spencer, Viscount Althorp and Frances nee Roche. They had hoped for a boy to become their heir. Even when they had a son after Diana, the couple wound up divorcing. Diana had difficulty warming to her stepmother, resulting in a strained relationship. She explained her childhood as being “very unhappy”.
Perhaps one of the most obvious parallels between them was their impact on the public. Both were held very highly in public opinion, which is obviously not always the case when it comes to the Royals. Charlotte was seen as a welcome innocence in the wake of her mother and father’s scandals.
Diana was, of course, the people’s Princess. Despite the Royal family’s disapproval, Diana was adored among her subjects as well as around the globe. She was something of a superstar, quickly becoming the biggest talking point for all paparazzi, news stations, magazine columns, etc. She was charming and real, which was a stark difference from the formal and traditional Windsors.
Both princesses left their mark on the royal family and the world as a whole. They have gone down in history as women who really shook up the monarchy and are well-remembered. The similarities between their lives leave us wondering if history is doomed to repeat itself.
