Having reigned for more than 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II experienced a plethora of triumphs and tragedies during her time on the throne. But according to a royal historian, there was one particular “tragedy” that altered the way the late Queen behaved in public, pushing her into a new “era.”
In the book Queen Elizabeth II: A Concise Biography of an Exceptional Sovereign, royal historian David Cannadine revealed that the death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997 had a massive impact on the monarch. Per the author, “Such a sudden, appalling, and unexpected tragedy caught The Queen, the Royal Family, and the royal household completely unawares, as indicated by the terse statement issued following the announcement of Diana’s death: ‘The Queen and the Prince of Wales are deeply shocked and distressed at this terrible news.'”
Cannadine continued, “This was no doubt true, but it would be patently inadequate, as the very newspapers whose paparazzi had recently pursued the princess to her death concocted a narrative of indifference on the part of the monarch and victimhood on the part of the princess.”
What to Read Next
Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey after Princess Diana’s funeral service on September 6, 1997.
(Image credit: Jayne Fincher/Getty Images)
David Cannadine
‘Queen Elizabeth II: A Concise Biography of an Exceptional Sovereign’
According to historian Cannadine, Queen Elizabeth learned a lot from the general public’s angry response following Princess Diana’s tragic death.
“In the febrile days between the announcement of Diana’s death and her funeral, The Queen had been slow to grasp the intensity (and volatility?) of the public mood and failed to appreciate the need to respond to it,” the expert explained. “But the criticism of the monarchy, fanned by the newspapers, was on account of its temporary seclusion, not because of its very existence, and once The Queen became visible again, such denigration soon abated. The overwrought crowds had wanted more of the monarch, not less.”
Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey for Princess Diana’s funeral service on September 6, 1997.
(Image credit: Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II subsequently reconnected with the general public, and opened herself up to a “new ‘touchy-feely era.'” Per Cannadine, “On her visits around the United Kingdom, The Queen began to take tea with people in their own homes and even ventured into fast food outlets and out-of-town shopping centers.”
Essentially, “The Queen took a leaf out of Diana’s book and the monarchy became increasingly seen as less remote,” Cannadine explained. And it seems that Princess Diana continues to influence the Royal Family to this day.