Early life

Diana was born near Sandringham in Norfolk and grew up in the Spencer family. She became Lady Diana Spencer in 1975, when her father inherited the earldom. Before her marriage, she worked with young children in London.

Marriage and family

Diana married the then Prince Charles at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981. Their sons, William and Harry, were born in 1982 and 1984. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced on August 28, 1996. After the divorce, she retained the title Diana, Princess of Wales, without the style “Her Royal Highness.”

William and Harry are her children, while George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet are her grandchildren. Diana died before any of them were born.

Public work

During her marriage, Diana carried out official royal engagements and was president or patron of more than 100 charities. Her work brought attention to people experiencing homelessness, children, disabled people and people living with HIV/AIDS. After her divorce, she continued to support a smaller group of organizations, including Centrepoint and the National AIDS Trust.

Landmines and later years

In 1997, Diana advocated for a ban on anti-personnel landmines. She visited Angola in January and landmine projects in Bosnia in August, drawing attention to civilians harmed long after fighting had ended. She died following a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

Her legacy

Diana’s charitable work, public presence and influence on fashion remain part of her story. This profile distinguishes that work from the family relationships shown in our tree, and from the constitutional role held by today’s monarch.

Sources

Biographical dates, family details, title and public work were checked against the Royal Household’s biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. Reviewed September 29, 2026.