Interesting facts
The Selectness (the Black Venus, the Black Saturn)
One of the admirers of young lady Spencer writes: "She was as attractive as hell and my feelings for her were not platonic. However, our relationship did not go beyond friendship. I had to keep the distance and I always had a feeling that I would never know the most important thing about her". (Rory Scott). Carolyn Bartholomew, one of the closest Diana’s friends echoes him: "I cannot boast of special insight, but I always had a feeling that she knew what she did and she was aware of it... She had a special aura, which protected her from the claims of men. Whether they liked it or not, they always had to keep the distance. She was surrounded by a golden halo of selectness".
The darling of all hearts (The Black Venus)
Having become the wife of Prince Charles, Lady Diana became a model of style and taste: tall, slim, always with a beaming smile and a great hairdo, great dancer and the owner of a perfect sense of style. She was one of the most popular women in the world of her time and she was repeatedly called "the most photographed woman in the world". People just adored her. Prince Charles began to realize that he appears in the background against his will and he even tried to gently joke about the situation. Nevertheless, wherever this couple appeared, the same thing was repeated: Diana has always been a "drawing card".
The Intuition (The White Moon, The Black Mars)
During her public appearances Diana, whenever it was possible, stopped to talk to people and listen to them. She could speak quite freely with the representatives of different social backgrounds, political parties, religious orientations, ages, interests. By a gesture, a smile, an intonation she could guess about the state of mind of a person. With an unerring instinct she always noticed precisely those who needed her attention most. Diana used this gift in her charitable activities. This aspect of her life gradually became her true calling.
Lady Diana’s Mission (The White Moon, The White Sun, The Black Jupiter)
Surrounding people began to notice a deep and rare in our time capacity for empathy and compassion in Diana since her earliest years. She took care of younger pupils, helping them with the homework. Kids of the preparatory groups waited for Diana to enter the class and to go for a walk with them or to paint, sitting on the floor of the school studio, huddling her feet up. She was simply loved at school and she did not feel so lonely there as it was at home (Diana’s parents were divorcing). It was a lot for her bright soul.
The Princess went further and further in the search of spiritual meaning of life and charity work over the years. She founded hundreds of funds for children and sick people, homeless and lepers in the country and around the world. Diana chose a spiritual mentor - Mother Teresa and she walked beside her, following her philosophy of help: "Do not let even a single person to stay unhappy after meeting you!" Hundreds of children called her their guardian angel. She supported and founded projects aiming at opening oncology centers for the terminally ill in all countries of the world, visited homes for the homeless, often, even at night, took care of the sick in hospitals, attended a heart transplant surgery in the nurse's clothes, conducted the company of animals protection... She was often accused of self-promotion, but she was thinking about herself least when she went to the lepers, took care of children in the hospital, was encouraging and comforting the dying. Her last mission was making the world to get rid of the landmines. Diana traveled to many countries from Angola to Bosnia to see with her own eyes the most villainous consequences of these terrible weapons. She was the one the world needed.
The Many-sided personality (The Black Jupiter)
Diana grew up in a castle with a gallery of rarest paintings and most exquisite library which could honor any collector. Perhaps, these things created the backgrounds of the brilliant Lady D’s taste, her love to reading and the ability to communicate with people. Although the studies in a privileged school were beyond Diana’s depth (she was never able to complete the education), the teachers noted her undoubted talent for music and dance, as well as the advances in the field of the fine arts, history and literature. She said modestly about herself during a memorable evening at her school, “Whatever my form mistress might think, I did learn a few things here!”
She talked about the philosophy of Van der Post with Prince Charles, about yesterday's sermon on the poverty of spirit with the bishop of Canterbury, about the monuments and art with sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, about the music which touched her deeply with Mstislav Rostropovich and Yuri Bashmet, about a picture which was made by his healthy hand with the paralyzed boy. How can we speak about the booklessness? Her favorite composers were Verdi and Faure, her favorite books - the Bible and the life of Francis of Assisi, Byron, Bronte sisters and Jane Austen’s novels.
The Duty (The White Mercury)
Even though Diana could rarely afford herself minor liberties in particular personal things, what concerned serious issues, she always followed the rules, starting from her childhood.
After her parents divorced, Diana lost her mother and a new life begun for the girl. She took her place and became the mistress of a small light house with a magnificent park, because the family was in need of woman care at that time, it was her duty. Diana recalls later: "It was unbearable! Sometimes I did not want to get out of the bed, I forced myself to do it. And I remember this bitterness as clearly as if it was yesterday".
Diana did not change her principles for a single moment in adult life too. She knew that there were things she had to do, it was her duty. When the reporters found out about the relationship of Charles and Diana, they tried to find out the juicy details now and then. Despite the endless deluge of questions, she did not reveal a single detail of what was happening between her and the Prince of Wales, as the royal family had not made any official statements yet. That is why not a single punch or provocative question hit her. She bared them with a true royal dignity.
Later, when the marriage of Charles and Diana was braking up, she was still committed to her obligations and acted as it was needed. She strongly believed that their union will not collapse. Diana tried as best as she could, making absolutely incredible steps at times: participated in the royal deer hunting and personally shot one, having passed the rite of initiation for green hunters for Prince Charles’s delight and pride. She invariably was present at all polo matches which her husband loved, though she was not very fond of it. She wrote to her friend: "I believe that I have to try and everything will be good then, that's why I'm going to watch the game second day in a row. Of course, I would love to stay at home and have some sleep, but it seems that my presence pleases Charles. I'm sure he just wants to boast!"
Diana was an embodiment of genuine, warm, aspiring spark of love, perfection, humanity, and true beauty of the spirit for many people. She understood and appreciated it. That is why she tried not to destroy people's faith in her, she just could not fall short of anyone's expectations and let anyone down.
