• Princess Diana was a teacher before marrying Prince Charles.
  • After divorcing Charles, Diana became a world famous advocate for different causes, like better treatment for AIDS and HIV patients.
  • Her sons Prince William and Prince Harry remember her as a loving and “informal” mother.
  • Visit Business Insider’s home page for more stories.

Princess Diana tragically died at the age of 36 over 20 years ago, in 1997.

She was first propelled into the national spotlight at the age of 20, when she wedded Great Britain’s Prince Charles at the age of 20.

Their troubled marriage ultimately imploded, turning the couple in tabloid fodder.

However, Diana went on to become an international icon in her own right. Her sophisticated style dictated fashion trends. Her dedication to charitable causes won her admiration and accolades.

And, in the wake of her death in Paris, then-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair famously referred to her as "the people's princess." The mass, global outpouring of grief that her death sparked proved it an apt observation.

Here's a look at the life of Diana, Princess of Wales:


Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961 to a British noble family. Her brother, the Earl Spencer, reminisced that she was 'incredibly brave,' even as a young girl.

Foto: sourceAP

Source: Royal.uk, USA Today


In school, the future princess failed all her O-levels — twice. However, Diana had a sense that she was destined for something important. "I knew that something profound was coming my way," she said in the documentary "Diana: In Her Own Words." "I was just treading water, waiting for it."

Foto: sourceHulton Archive / Stringer / Getty Images

Source: The Independent, Diana: In Her Own Words


Before her marriage, Diana reportedly shared a flat with three roommates and worked as a part-time kindergarten teacher in London’s Pimlico district.

Foto: sourceAP Photo

Source: People


She first met Prince Charles in 1977 when she was 16. The prince was dating her older sister at the time. Their romance didn't begin until three years later when Diana watched Charles play polo at Balmoral Castle.

Foto: sourceRon Bell/AP

Source: PopSugar, British Royals


Reports indicate that the 32-year-old Charles was under pressure to marry at the time. The prince proposed to Diana in February 1981, after only a few dates. She accepted straight away. In total, Charles and Diana only met 13 times before they were married.

Foto: sourceAssociated Press

Source: British Royals, PopSugar


Their lavish, fairytale wedding ceremony received plenty of attention from the press and the public — 750 million people around the world tuned in to watch. CBS reported that the total cost of the wedding was close to $70 million in today's dollars.

Foto: sourceAP

Source: CBS, People, PopSugar


However, Diana would later describe her wedding day as "the worst day of my life," according to Brides.com.

Foto: sourceAP

Source: Brides.com, CBS


The subsequent honeymoon on Royal Yacht Britannia provided Diana with a chance to "catch up on sleep," according to Vanity Fair. Upon returning home, the newlyweds moved into London's Kensington Palace and Tetbury's Highgrove House.

Foto: sourceDave Caulkin/AP

Source: Vanity Fair


The following summer, Diana gave birth to the couple's first son, William Arthur Philip Louis.

Foto: sourceDavid Caulkin/AP

Source: The Guardian


A second son — Henry Charles Albert David, or "Harry" — followed on September 5, 1984.

Foto: sourceAssociated Press

Source: Toronto Sun


Prince William and Prince Harry have described their mother's parenting style as informal, loving, and mischievous. "She understood that there was a real life outside of Palace walls," William said.

Foto: sourceAssociated Press

Source: Express


Diana grew used to accompanying Charles on official visits around the world, although she reportedly expressed hope privately that "we won't have to do any more traveling this year" in 1983. However, she quickly became a popular international figure. On her 1985 trip to the US, she turned heads by dancing with John Travolta in the White House.

Foto: sourceAP

Source: Youtube, Vanity Fair


But all was not well in the royal marriage, which had been on the rocks from the start. The prince and princess both reportedly engaged in extra-marital affairs.

Foto: sourcePA/AP

Source: Daily Mail


Charles is said to have continued seeing his current wife Camille Parker-Bowles, who he had been in a relationship with before his marriage to Diana. Diana would later quip, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

Foto: sourceExpress Newspapers/Getty Images

Source: Daily Mail, The Telegraph


The couple formally separated in 1992. Diana ultimately went public about the breakdown of their relationship, speaking candidly about her husband's alleged infidelity and her own struggles with bulimia, depression, and self-harm. Their divorce was finalized in 1996.

Foto: sourceMax Nash/AP Images

Source: Business Insider


In the wake of her much-scrutinized separation from Charles, Diana hid from the spotlight. However, by 1994, she chose to resume her public life.

Foto: sourcePA/AP

Source: The Los Angeles Times, People


During and after her marriage, Diana was one of the most photographed women in the world. She also traveled the globe, meeting with many luminaries...

Foto: sourceAP

Source: Telegraph


... like Mother Teresa...

Foto: sourceBebeto Matthew/AP

... Nelson Mandela ...

Foto: sourceSasa Kralj/AP

... Pope John Paul II ...

Foto: sourceRon Bell/AP

... and Elton John, who became a personal friend.

Foto: sourceLuca Bruno/AP

Source: Telegraph


During her marriage to Charles, Diana attempted to support a huge number of charities. Upon becoming single, she resigned from about 100, in order to better focus on a few projects.

Foto: sourceEduardo Di Baia/AP

Source: Independent


She famously became a major advocate for AIDS patients. She was photographed shaking patients' hands without gloves. The Princess of Wales is credited with helping to change mainstream stigmas about interacting with AIDS and HIV patients.

Foto: sourceJohn Redman/AP

Source: Rare Historical Photos, BBC


Diana also advocated for the removal of dangerous land mines. In 1997, she even walked through an active minefield in Angola and hosted a television special on the topic.

Foto: sourceGiovanni Diffidenti/AP

Source: Newsweek, PRI


On that same trip, she visited an orthopedic workshop where she met 13-year-old Sandra Thijika, who lost her leg to a mine.

Foto: sourceTim Graham/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Town and Country Magazine


Diana also sat on the board of the Royal Marsden Hospital, which specializes in cancer treatment.

Foto: sourceSue Ogrocki/AP

Source: Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund


In her personal life, Diana found love again with Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan in 1995. However, the couple broke up in 1997. That year, Diana began dating Dodi Fayed, the son of an Egyptian billionaire.

Foto: sourcePatrick Bar/AP

Source: Vanity Fair


While fleeing the ever-present paparazzi, Diana, along with Fayed and driver Henri Paul, was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

Foto: sourceAlastair Grant/AP

Source: The New York Times


Her sudden death swept the UK up in a massive display of collective grief and mourning.

Foto: sourceRick Bowmer/AP

Source: The Guardian


Today, Diana is still remembered for her drive to help others. She once recommended that people should "carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."

Foto: sourceRick Rycroft/AP

Source: The Huffington Post