Princess Diana's Heart-Wrenching Last Words Before She Passed Revealed By Those Who Tried To Save Her

Aug 31, 2023 by apost team

Princess Diana was adored for her kindness and humanitarian work, and she was universally loved by not only the British public but by people the world over. She was always a trailblazer, from her stunning sense of style to her activism and the kind way she interacted with everyone she met. 

Diana used her influence to enact good, spending much of her time campaigning for humanitarian causes that improved the lives of others. She sat with people who were ill, helping to break the stigma of the then-new diseases HIV and AIDS. These are the reasons she became known as the "people's princess" — she was a shining beacon of light in the royal family.

Born into the British nobility, she grew up close to the royal family and later married into it when she married King Charles III — then Prince Charles — in 1981, thus making her the Princess of Wales. The general public had a fondness for the new princess and took to her liking pretty well. Together, Diana and Charles had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, the couple’s marriage was full of problems, leading to a separation in 1992 and a divorce in 1996.

On Aug. 31, 1997, Diana died from the injuries she sustained in a car crash in a tunnel in Paris, France, which caused widespread media attention and mourning from people all over the world. She was buried on Sept. 6, 1997. Her untimely death has been the topic of conversations for many years, as people have continued to do their part to help carry on the late princess’ legacy.

For the 20th anniversary of Diana's death in 2017, many of her favorite flowers were featured in the Sunken Garden — a project started two seasons before the display was unveiled when over 12,000 bulbs were initially planted. The flowers on display included white lilies, white roses, forget-me-nots, tulips, cosmo daisies and narcissi. Royal Central reported that the palace's website said the tribute was “inspired by memories of the Princess’s life, image and style.” 

Over the years since Diana’s passing, many royal family members have shared heartfelt words about missing the late princess. Her eldest son, William, opened up about the moments his mom missed out on. “I would like to have had her advice,” he told British GQ in 2017. “I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won’t, that they will never know her.”

According to PEOPLE, William’s wife, Kate Middleton, was given Diana’s sapphire ring as her engagement ring, keeping it in the family line. After Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in September 2022, the royal family undertook new titles, resulting in William and Kate becoming the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

For their wedding in 2018, Harry and Meghan Markle hand-picked forget-me-nots, Diana's favorite flower, from the Kensington Palace garden to include in the “Suits” actress' bouquet. In 2020, the couple planted forget-me-nots while visiting a preschool in Los Angeles, California, according to CBS News.

Harry and Meghan welcomed daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in June 2021. In a statement, the parents wrote, "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

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On July 1, 2021, William and Harry came together at Kensington Palace to commemorate and unveil a statue of their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday. Her iconic wedding dress was put on display at Kensington Palace, as per BBC News. The dress was only one part of a larger exhibition featuring royal heirlooms and artifacts but had been given prominence as the exhibition's central piece.

Previously, in 2017, William and Harry commissioned two documentaries about Diana’s life, with one heartwarmingly titled “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy.” 

In the documentary, Harry described his mother as a “total kid through and through,” as per the Independent. He added, “When everybody says to me, ‘so she was fun, give us an example,’ all I can hear is her laugh in my head.” Harry also said that when she would hug him and William, “she would just engulf you and squeeze you as tight as possible.”

That same year, ABC News reported that William and Harry shared some of Diana’s personal possessions and even recreated her study at Kensington Palace in the music room at Buckingham Palace. The desk in the recreation room highlighted the place where Diana used to organize her charitable work and conduct her correspondence. Previously never-before-seen photos were also included in the memorabilia collection.

What set Diana apart from the rest was her need to help others. The Diana Award, an organization that honors young people who help to improve the lives of others, was set up to “empower young people to lead that change through a range of initiatives which unlock their potential, inspire action and create opportunities, ensuring that no young person is left out or left behind.”

According to TODAY, Harry also honored The Diana Award recipients. He shared, “My mother instilled in me, and in all of us, a drive to speak up and fight for a better world.” Harry added, “All of you have kept her voice alive by showing the world how each small action counts, how kindness is still valued and how our world can be better if we choose to make it so."

Diana worked with charities, including the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, made strides in helping to break down the stigma of HIV/AIDS, spent time with disabled and ill kids at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and advocated for the homeless.

While the world has continued to honor Diana’s important legacy, it’s hard to forget the tragic events that led to her untimely death. The princess died on Aug. 31, 1997, and her funeral was televised on Sept. 6, 1997.

Dodi Fayed had been in the tragic car accident that took Diana’s life. The pair had started dating a few weeks earlier and went on a romantic vacation together. According to the Washington Post, it was believed that Diana wanted to focus on her private life with Fayed, and he had planned to propose to her.

The Independent reported that the doctors who fought to save Diana’s life said they tried “everything possible” to revive her. One of the doctors gave Diana an external heart massage and emergency surgery to “enable her to breathe.” However, Diana had a tear in her upper left pulmonary vein. Her heart had already stopped and would not restart.

According to The Sun, Diana's last words were:

“My God, what’s happened?”

Although the late Princess of Wales is no longer with us, it’s evident that her legacy will forever live on and will never be forgotten.

What do you remember most about the late Diana, Princess of Wales? Were you inspired by her charitable ways? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones so they can honor Diana’s memory as well.