15 Things You May Not Know about Princess Diana

Twenty years ago, the world was shocked and saddened by the death of Britain’s Princess Diana. Known for her love of children and charity work around the world, as well as a life lived in the constant spotlight, Diana was fatally injured in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. To remember her life and death two decades later, here are 15 things you may not know about Princess Diana.

1. Born into one of Britain’s most distinguished families, Diana Frances Spencer was the fourth child and third daughter of John Spencer, who held the title of Earl, and Frances Roche. Her parents were married at Westminster Abbey with Queen Elizabeth II in attendance.

2. Diana is the fourth cousin two times removed to Sir Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, whose official full name is Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill.

3. Diana was homeschooled under the supervision of a governess before beginning to attend school at the age of nine.

4. Diana’s early jobs included working as a dance instructor and a kindergarten assistant.

5. Diana was 22 years old when she married Prince Charles, the oldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and the heir apparent to the throne of England.

6. The wedding of Diana and the Prince of Wales took place at St Paul's Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981, and reached a global television audience of over 750 million people.

7. During her marriage, Diana was known as Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, and Countess of Chester.

8. Diana is the mother of two sons, William and Harry. Prince William is currently known as the Duke of Cambridge and is second in the line of succession to the British throne.

9. In 1996, Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles was finalized. In the settlement, Diana received 17 million pounds and an annual amount of 400,000 pounds.

10. Because she was the mother of the heir to the throne, Buckingham Palace made a statement assuring Diana that she was still a member of the Royal Family despite the divorce.

11. At the time of her death, Diana was in a relationship with Dodi Fayed, the son of an Egyptian billionaire who owns the Ritz Paris, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

12. Viewed by approximately two billion people, Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey was one of the most watched events in television history.

13. Sung at the funeral by Sir Elton John, “Candle in the Wind” was the #1 song of 1997 and is the second highest selling single of all time behind Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” The song is a remake of the 1973 version which was written in honor of Marilyn Monroe.

14. Mother Teresa died the same week as Diana, and Diana was buried with a set of rosary beads she received from Mother Teresa.

15. Diana's grave is on an island on the property of the Althorp Estate, a 13,000-acre property in the countryside near Northampton. A path to the oval around the island is lined with 36 oak trees to represent each year of her life.