"We danced, and the floor cleared...it was kind of like a fairy tale."
--John Travolta
On August 30th, at midnight Paris time, Princess Diana,
her companion Dodi Fayed, her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, and her driver
were travelling near the Eiffel Tower when they were involved
in an accident. The driver, who was intoxicated at the time,
ran them head-on into a pillar, smashing the front end of the
car.
A fleet of motorcycle-bound papparazzi (tabloid photographers)
were pursuing the Princess's car at the time of the accident, and
possibly contributed to the accident. They apparently did not
bother to help the Princess and her fellow victims, instead
getting out their cameras and snapping hundreds of pictures in the time before authorities and ambulances arrived.
The injured were taken to a Paris hospital immediately.
Dodi Fayed and the driver were not. They were killed on impact.
Doctors and surgeons worked endlessly, trying to repair the
severe damage to the Princess's body. She had suffered a
concussion, an arm injury, chest injuries, and massive
thigh injuries.
Despite their efforts, Diana died eventually, leaving behind
only Trevor Rees-Jones, who still lies recovering in hospital.
Today Diana's family, her ex-husband Prince Charles and her two
sons William and Harry, await her funeral on Saturday, September 6th. In the
meantime, masses of flowers are being laid down at Diana sites
all over the world. Makeshift shrines are being made out of these
places--the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto ONT, and the Princes
of Wales Own Regiment in Kingston ONT where she was Colonel In-Cheif, not to mention Kensington
Palace and St. James Palace where her body now rests. Mourners
wait in six hour lines to sign books of condolances.
Clearly, the world has finally decided whether they like her
or not.
Below are some of the comments that have been made over the past
few days by officials, politicians, actors, and ordinary people
who seemed to feel a special bond with Diana.
To them, she will always be the People's Princess, and the Queen
of their Hearts.
"A light has been extinguished today."
--Margaret Thatcher
"The death of the Princess fills us with deep...shock...and
deep grief..."
--British Politician
"When Diana, Princess of Wales died, a little bit of Royalty
died with her."
--Anna Maria Tremonte, CBC News reporter
"I always believed the press would kill her in the end..."
--Charles Spencer, Diana's brother
"She was very worried William would learn to hate the press,
and unfortunately now,
he may..."
--Elizabeth Tilbaris, Editor In Chief: Harper's Bazaar magazine,
and close friend of Diana's.
"The ones who must be grieving more than anyone,
are those two boys..."
--Barbara Walters
"William, a future King, is not being lead gently to his throne."
--Reporter
Papparzzi: Italian for "Buzzing Pest". "An understatement.."
says Tom Cruise.
"It's you..the press..that killed her! You're the scum!
You're here to pick the bones...!
--Man outside Kensington Palace, spoken to camera operator
"She was the best thing that ever happened to this country."
--Mourner
"She must have known such fear..."
--Elizabeth Taylor, on the
experience of being pursued by papparazzi
"She was like a very bright star in the sky that's no longer
there."
--Canadian Mourner
"A light has gone out, and I'll miss the light..."
--Man at accident scene
"She had this huge ability to take [her] celebrity and do
good for mankind."
--John Travolta
"I think she was driven by her heart."
--Catherine Graham of the Washington Post
"She made a little Cambodian girl feel like a princess."
--Land mine victim who met Diana in Bosnia recently
"She was so real...and so human."
--Bonnie Higgins, Mourner
"[Dodi] was a gentle person...extremely generous..."
--Pat Kingsly, Dodi Fayed's North American Publicist.
"God has so many angels in heaven, why did he have to take one of
the few here on earth?"
--Note left outside St. James Palace
"I've lost a friend...she was warm and huggable and...I grieve."
--Barbara Walters
"Goodnight Sweet Princess, we'll never forget you..."
--Cover Headline of "The Sun"
