British royalty, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales (1981-96), Lady Diana Spencer (1975-81), wife of Prince Charles, heir to the British throne.

She was an influential campaigner in the effort to ban the use of landmines, and a volunteer to more than 100 charities. Charles and Diana were at the center of unprecedented worldwide media attention from the time of their "fairy-tale" wedding, to their subsequent marital woes.

Her death in an auto accident while being pursued by photographers, focused worldwide attention on overzealous paparazzi.

Full or original name at birth: Diana Frances Spencer

Date and place of birth: July 1, 1961*, Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England

Date, time, place and cause of death: August 31, 1997, at 4:00 a.m., Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France (Injuries sustained in an auto accident)

Marriage
Husband: Prince Charles (m. July 29, 1981 - 1996) (Divorced)
Wedding took place at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England.

Children
Sons: Prince William (b. June 21, 1982, at 9:03 p.m., St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, England)
Prince Harry (September 15, 1984, at 4:20 p.m., St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, England)

Parents
Father: Viscount Althorp (later, the 8th Earl Spencer)
Mother: Frances Shand Kydd (born Frances Ruth Burke Roche)

Education: Riddlesworth Hall, Diss, Norfolk, England
West Heath Girls' School, Sevenoaks, Kent, England
Institut Alpin Videmanette, Rougemont, Switzerland (a finishing school)

* Princess Diana claimed she was born at 2:15 p.m., however, her mother insisted 7:45 p.m. was Di's actual time of birth.