Diana: The Last Princess of Wales

In 1981, something extraordinary happened.

Wales got its very own princess.

Across the country,

people were glued to their TV sets

as Lady Diana Spencer married Charles, the Prince of Wales,

in the fairy-tale wedding of the century.

In the years that followed,

Diana touched the hearts of millions around the world,

but none more so than the people of Wales.

Now, in this film, we'll tell her life story

through some of the Welsh people whose lives she touched.

We'll meet the insiders who got to know her well.

She came up to me, threw her arms around me and gave me a big kiss.

And that was the first time she'd ever given me a kiss.

It had always been a formal handshake and a bow.

And, er...just overwhelming, really.

I mean, she was so warm.

We'll hear from devoted fans,

who followed the ups and downs of her remarkable life.

She was, really, the bird in the gilded cage.

She appeared to have it all,

and yet she had nothing.

Like every human being, she just wanted to be loved.

We'll reveal how Diana's ability to reach out to those in need

touched the lives of many,

including those with AIDS.

Diana helped Kevin in many ways,

for a long time, you know...

he couldn't stop talking about her.

You just...saw a difference in him.

He was on cloud nine.

And we'll find out the effect her tragic death had

on the people who loved her most.

It was very difficult to sleep that week, it really was.

-VOICE BREAKING:

-I'm sorry.

This is the extraordinary story of Princess Diana's unique relationship

with the people of Wales.

This is Ruthin in North Wales,

home to one of Princess Diana's greatest fans.

His name is Colin Edwards.

I am a monarchist, I've always supported the monarchy,

and Diana made an incredible contribution to the monarchy.

Like many older Welsh royalists,

Colin grew up at a time when allegiance

to the English Royal Family was something to be proud of.

For 20 years probably now,

I've collected royal commemorative china.

I've got a vast collection of interesting Diana china -

plates, mugs, cups and saucers, figurines.

I mean, it's part of my hobby, as a royalist.

This collection has filled my... filled my life and filled my lounge!

But collecting Diana memorabilia

is only a small part of Colin's obsession

with the Royal Family.

His main passion is photographing them,

and a royal walkabout has always meant the chance

for a few snaps, and hopefully a quick chat.

Good afternoon, Your Majesty. How lovely to see you here again.

Lots of familiar faces along the barriers.

-VOICEOVER:

-I'd always been a keen photographer on holidays,

and I thought, "Oh, why not start taking photographs of the Royals?"

Bore da. Familiar face.

-A Welsh cap, especially for you, Sir.

-Oh, you are kind.

A little gift for you.

I had a cheap little camera in those days, of course.

See, we're in a bad spot for this.

This photographer is in the way now.

That's better. Move back, man.

Oh, that's a nice one of the Queen Mum, isn't it?

Over the last 40 years,

Colin has travelled the length and breadth of Britain

to meet and photograph the Royal Family,

and has collected over 1,000 candid images of them.

Pleased with that.

But none are more precious to him

than those he took of the Princess of Wales.

The rare photos he's agreed to share with us

will help give an insight into the unique relationship

the people of Wales had with their princess.

FANFARE

The story of Princess Diana's relationship with the Welsh people

began on her eighth birthday - the 1st of July 1969 -

but the fanfare wasn't for her.

Instead, the trumpets sounded for her future husband, Charles,

who was invested

as the Prince of Wales

on exactly the same day.

I, Charles, Prince of Wales,

do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship,

and faith and truth I will bear unto thee,

to live and die against all manner of folks.

Charles's title meant that his future bride

would become the Princess of Wales.

For the young prince, marrying well was a king-sized responsibility.

You've got to remember that when you marry, in my position,

you're going to marry somebody who, perhaps one day,

is going to become Queen,

and you've got to choose somebody

very carefully, I think, who could

fulfil this particular role,

because people like you, perhaps,

would expect quite a lot

from somebody like that.

It's got to be somebody

pretty special.

By the summer of 1980, there were rumours that Prince Charles

had found that somebody special

after he was spotted with a mystery woman.

She was revealed to be 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer,

whose family had historic ties to the Windsors.

She was working in a nursery school in London

when the press tracked her down.

Among the many thousands of Welsh people

who took an immediate interest in Lady Diana

was ex-air hostess and self-confessed royal fanatic

Anne Daley from Penarth.

I've always been passionate about Diana, the Princess of Wales,

I suppose because she's had the title "Princess of Wales"

and I'm a Taffy from Wales,

and also I've always been passionate to follow

her approach to things.

Back in the 1980s, Anne followed events closer than most,

because she lived round the corner from Diana's flat in Knightsbridge.

In the run-up to the engagement, she handled it very well.

She was a bit of a Sloane Ranger

and she had a little red Metro, I believe.

I used to see her in that.

She had a habit of keeping her head down to the floor,

so nobody could actually catch what she was saying,

because everything was in the press, you know, if she said anything.

Is there any possibility of any announcement of your marriage

in the near future, can you tell me?

PEOPLE SHOUT

Can you tell me if there's any possibility?

I'm not going to say anything, I'm afraid.

Prince Charles did give us a hint himself.

-He said we wouldn't have to wait too long.

-Careful!

Then, after months of speculation,

came the news everyone had been waiting for.

So Prince Charles has chosen his bride, the future Queen,

and her name is no surprise.

The Prince proposed to Lady Diana Spencer

three weeks ago. She accepted, she says, without hesitation.

Across Wales, millions of people tuned in to the television

to see their future princess unveiled.

Among them was Joy King from Neath.

She was very young, when you think of it.

19 years of age. Very young.

She was so shy.

And she had her arm crooked with his.

I think she was hanging on for dear life.

It would have been the first public interview, I would imagine,

that I can remember she gave.

Has it been a strain, trying to carry out a courtship

without anyone knowing?

What do you think?

Yes, it has, but I think anyone in the position we've been in

would feel pressure and everything.

But it's been worthwhile,

every bit of it.

It was all going well, until the moment that got everyone talking.

Can you find the words to sum up how you feel today,

both of you?

-Difficult to find that sort of word, isn't it, really?

-Hmm.

Just delighted and happy.

I'm amazed that she's been brave enough to take me on.

And, I suppose, in love.

Of course!

Whatever "in love" means. Put your own interpretation on it.

Obviously means two very happy people.

-Yes, absolutely.

-As you can see.

-Well, from us, congratulations.

Thank you very much. That's very kind.

It wasn't, really, a very good start.

At work the next day, it was the subject of conversation

around the tea table,

"Fancy him saying that!"

"Isn't that awful?" People were saying, "Isn't that terrible?

"If he don't know what love means by now, at this age,

"he's never going to. Oh, she should call it off."

Oh, it was a subject in the canteen, you know.

It might have been gossip in the canteen,

but it was later revealed that both Charles and Diana

had concerns about their forthcoming marriage.

Diana had to adjust quickly to a new life in the spotlight

and to her new royal role.

Anne Daley had had a small glimpse into the demands of royal life

because her father had served in the Guards.

This is the world she's now in -

formality, etiquette, protocol.

She's no longer allowed to go running around Knightsbridge

in her little Metro.

Every move will be monitored.

Restriction, restriction, straitjacket, that's it.

There was consternation at the palace

when Diana wore this revealing dress on her first public engagement.

But it wouldn't be the last time she rocked the royal boat.

Despite the demands,

early interviews reveal that Diana was looking forward

to the challenges her new title would bring.

After the marriage, how do you see your role, Lady Diana,

developing as Princess of Wales?

Well, I very much look forward to going to Wales

and meeting everybody.

Going to Wales, but you don't plan to learn Welsh?

Oh, yes, I'm sure I shall pick up a few words.

JAUNTY BRASS BAND MUSIC

The day of the wedding arrived, July the 29th 1981.

A million well-wishers lined the streets of London

to watch the royal procession as it made its way to St Paul's Cathedral.

Among them was photographer Colin Edwards,

who'd arrived the day before, and camped out on the street,

determined to get the best spot for a few photos.

I didn't have a wink of sleep, it was so exciting, you know,

people singing, there was noise all night.

Everyone was on a high.

It really was wonderful,

and the people had taken, by then, Diana to their hearts.

And here we come. Round the corner she comes, the bride herself,

Lady Diana Spencer. And her dress of ivory, pure silk taffeta,

lovely cream, old cream colour, made of old lace.

-CHEERING DROWNS OUT SPEECH

-Listen to the cheers!

And she really does look like a fairy-tale princess,

an absolute fairy-tale.

Meanwhile, in Wales, whole communities took to the streets

in celebration.

In Cardiff alone, there were over 300 street parties,

including this one in Janet Street, Splott,

recorded for posterity by local news cameras.

Maddy Williams was one of the organisers.

I don't know how the camera crew ended up at our street,

but they seemed to stay with us for a long time,

and the music started to play.

I think somebody must have just said,

"Come on, let's have a bit of a dance,"

and we started dancing because that was the atmosphere on the day.

Nothing was silly, everything was fun.

Much of the footage shot by the news crew went unseen.

Maddy and her husband, Gary, are watching it for the first time.

Look at all the kids!

This must have been what the cameramen were doing all day, then.

-Yeah, wandering up and down filming.

-Yeah, yeah.

This is fantastic.

Absolutely brilliant.

I'm gobsmacked.

Back in London, Lady Diana had arrived at St Paul's Cathedral.

It was time to reveal the much-anticipated dress,

created by Welsh designer David Emanuel

and his wife Elizabeth.

Everybody was anticipating something quite wonderful,

but when it unfurled out of the glass coach,

it had the longest train in the world, you know,

it was just to die for.

Just a fairy-tale romantic Emanuel dress.

We'd never seen anything like it.

She looked so beautiful with the Spencer tiara and the veil.

It was very poignant that her father,

who had been very ill, he'd had this very bad stroke,

and he was determined to walk his daughter down the aisle.

It is a wonderful thing, surely, to have your daughter marry

the future King of England.

What father wouldn't have been proud of that?

In Splott, Maddy Williams had invited her neighbours

and the TV crew to watch the wedding at her house,

but there was a problem -

getting the TV to work.

In those days, we rented a television,

and it was 50 pence in the meter.

And one of the crew gave me 50p to put in the television!

And there was a big cheer on that,

because then we could watch the television.

CHEERING

In front of an estimated television audience

of 750 million people worldwide,

Lady Diana Spencer became the Princess of Wales.

Maddy Williams will never forget it.

For me, that day was special, in terms of the community in itself.

It was those two people's day... became our day

cos we celebrated with them.

As the royal couple set off,

photographer Colin Edwards was ready with his camera.

I was, as always, in the right place at the right time,

behind a barrier,

and I spontaneously called out, "Good luck, Diana,"

and I don't think she quite knew who had called,

but she looked over, lovely smile, and waved.

This grainy image was Colin's first photograph

of the Princess of Wales -

there'd be many better ones to come.

In the autumn of 1981,

Prince Charles and his new bride set off on a whirlwind tour of Wales.

Unbeknown to the public,

Diana was pregnant, and suffering from both morning sickness

and the eating disorder bulimia.

But this was her first official visit to the country,

and she was determined to make a good impression.

The public response was remarkable, and from Caernarfon to Cardiff,

thousands took to the streets to welcome their new princess.

There was hysteria in the streets, I remember.

People were queuing for hours to see her.

I think Prince Charles was a little bit jealous,

because everybody was shouting, "Di! Di! Over here!"

-CROWD CHANTS:

-We want Diana! We want Diana!

I just thought it was amazing, I couldn't believe it.

And she looked so beautiful.

For those following the tour on nightly news bulletins,

Diana seemed unlike any royal visitor they'd seen before.

I think royalty was still something distant

that happened in London.

We didn't often have royalty in Wales,

and if they did, they didn't have conversation, really, with people.

It was always, "Have you come far?" and all the rest of it.

But she would go up to people and she would talk to them,

and this was completely new, it was unheard of.

And you know, you go to work the next day,

"Did you see what she was wearing?

"Oh, didn't she look lovely?!

"She's a doll and she's beautiful."

It's an old cliche, but she was a breath of fresh air.

Joy's husband Robert had never been a fan of the Royals.

I'm a Welsh nationalist.

I have no sucker with the monarchy, and I'm a Republican as well.

But, nevertheless, one watches the television,

and suddenly this young lady - looking demure, naive, shy -

was thrust into the limelight.

And she made a mark on people because of a common touch.

You could warm to such a person,

even a hard-headed person like myself,

who had no truck with such things.

For some, the royal visit led to a personal meeting.

In Splott, Maddy Williams met Diana in the Star Community Centre,

but it was all too much for her young son, Christopher.

She went to put her arm around him and, bless him,

he started to cry and he was trying to move away from her,

which isn't the reaction most children would give to Diana!

But Diana was lovely and she was able to reassure him,

she just spoke softly to him.

And we have it in the photograph, forever.

On the last day of the tour,

Charles and Diana travelled to Cardiff City Hall,

where the Princess was given the Freedom of the City.

Your Royal Highness, please accept the inscribed testament...

Thank you very much.

APPLAUSE

She marked the occasion with a speech that took many by surprise.

I'm extremely grateful to you,

Lord Mayor, and the City Council,

and the city of Cardiff, for

granting me the Freedom of the City.

I realise it is a very great honour,

and I am most grateful.

I would like to try to express

my thanks to you in Welsh also.

Mae'n bleser cael dod i Gymru.

hoffwn ddod eto yn fuan.

Diolch yn fawr.

APPLAUSE

For many, it was the icing on the cake

of what had been an incredibly successful first tour,

sparking a love affair between the Princess and the people of Wales

that would last a lifetime.

Among the guests at City Hall that night was

Captain Sir Norman Lloyd Edwards.

He'd later become Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan,

responsible for looking after royal visitors to the capital.

He'd also become a confidante of the Princess.

Oh, yes, I thought she was wonderful.

I mean, I was delighted to see

that she was making such an impact on people.

It was important for the popularity of the Royal Family, you know.

Over the years, we got to know each other very well

because she came so often.

I think she decided that she would take

the title "Princess of Wales" seriously.

It wasn't until the 5th of November

that the official announcement was made

that the Princess was expecting a baby.

Seven months later, on the 21st of June 1982, Prince William was born.

How do you feel?

I'm obviously relieved and delighted. It's marvellous.

It's rather a grown-up thing, I've found.

It's rather a shock to my system.

-What's the baby like?

-He's in marvellous form.

-Does the baby have any hair?

-Marvellous.

-Yes. Fair.

-Fair hair.

-Sort of blondish.

Who does he look like?

It'll probably go something else later on.

Who does he look like, Sir, you or his mother?

Can't tell yet! I've no idea.

Is he the prettiest baby in the world?

Well, he's not bad. Not bad.

They have been singing, "Well done, Charlie,

"let's have another one." Is that on the programme of events?

Bloody hell, give us a chance!

If you asked my wife, I don't think she'd be too pleased just yet!

The following day, the proud parents left hospital with a new prince.

It was terribly exciting, and Diana came out the next day,

and she looked radiant.

She had a maternity dress on,

she was absolutely radiant, she was so beautifully pink and gorgeous -

Prince Charles looked over the moon, he looked so...so happy.

By March 1983, however, there was growing press speculation

that all was not well in the royal marriage,

as the Prince and Princess of Wales

set off on a six-week tour of Australia and New Zealand,

accompanied by Prince William.

This was Diana's first official overseas tour,

and the welcome she received was extraordinary.

Just like in Wales,

Prince Charles had to resign himself to the fact

that the Princess was now the star of the show.

I haven't yet worked out a method of splitting my wife in half

so she can do both sides.

It was rumoured that Diana had taken as many as 200 outfits on the tour,

and she was fast becoming a fashion icon back home.

Women, um, they aspired to be like her,

and every time she brought a new fashion out,

it was copied on the high street and we'd all rush out and buy it.

I had the necklace, the earrings -

anything she brought out, we would all have.

On the 15th of September 1984, Prince Harry was born.

The following year, the Prince and Princess agreed to be filmed at home

in a rare joint interview.

It was an opportunity to respond

to more tabloid rumours about their marriage.

What do you say, Ma'am, when you read in the papers

that you are a determined, domineering woman?

I don't always read that - I'm...

People are very willing to tell me that,

but I don't think I am - I'm a perfectionist with myself,

but not necessarily with everybody else.

But there is a natural and continuing interest in you.

For example, have you actually tried to change Prince Charles

in any way since you got married?

Not at all. I mean, obviously,

there are one or two things, like

maybe the odd tie or something, but nothing...

-Shoes?

-Shoes - we won't go any further, but...

but nothing dramatic.

Rumours about their relationship would persist

but, in the meantime,

further high-profile tours perpetuated the fairy tale.

From the glitz and glamour of dinner with the Reagans at the White House

to an extraordinary visit to Japan,

Diana-mania had reached fever pitch.

The Princess of Wales may have taken the world by storm,

but the effects of her popularity were felt closer to home, too.

The great thing was, of course, her title was Princess of Wales,

and as a result, of course, she was publicising Wales,

which most people abroad had no idea where we were,

they thought we were part of England,

which never went down terribly well with Welsh people -

and so she made certain that Wales got very much onto the world map.

At home, Diana was developing a new, more serious role for herself,

and was often in Wales doing charitable work.

Most of her efforts went towards helping children, the elderly

and the infirm - and in Bridgend,

this new hospital was named after her...

But there was one issue that the Princess became involved in

that had more impact than any other.

The Princess of Wales has opened Britain's first

purpose-built AIDS ward,

and met the 12 patients who are being treated there.

It was April 1987

when Princess Diana first helped change the public perception

of HIV and AIDS.

Back then, many believed incorrectly

that the disease could be spread by touch,

so her decision to shake the hand of an AIDS patient

without wearing gloves was considered ground-breaking -

and while the first AIDS wards were based in London,

Diana's care and compassion would soon reach the people of Wales.

Frances Elliston from Cardiff

was among those touched by Diana's work with HIV and AIDS.

In 1990, she travelled to London

after finding out that her son Kevin was seriously ill in hospital there.

The nurse said, "The doctor will be down to see you now."

Funnily enough, this doctor - Dr Mills, his name was -

he was from Swansea...

and he said, "Oh, well, my dear," he said,

"I have to break the news to you that your son has AIDS."

He said, "I'd give him a year to 18 months,"

so, of course, I started crying then,

and he's explaining more to my daughter...

not that I heard much of it,

and went back in and sat with Kevin...

..and he looked terrible.

I prayed for the good Lord to take him,

but I didn't think... Oh, it was terrible.

30-year-old Kevin was an artist,

and his paintings still fill Frances's flat,

alongside mementos of the woman who was about to enter both their lives.

In 1991, Frances was with Kevin at the Mildmay Hospital in London,

when his ward had a visit from the Princess of Wales.

Their meeting was captured on camera.

He said, "I'm Kevin," she said, "I'm Diana."

And Kevin was sat at a table...

..with his paintings in front of him...

..and Diana sat right next to him

and she's saying, "Oh, they're lovely watercolours."

He said, "Would you like them?"

She said, "What about your family?"

He said, "Oh, they've got all they want."

"Oh," she said, "Charles is quite partial to watercolours."

Diana left the Mildmay with four of Kevin's paintings -

and he later heard she'd hung them on the walls at home.

Her visit had a tremendous effect on him.

For a long time, you know, he couldn't stop talking about her,

and you just... saw the difference in him.

He was on cloud nine.

Kevin died in 1994.

Inspired by Diana,

Frances volunteered for AIDS charity the Terrence Higgins Trust,

determined to help mothers whose children had the disease.

She gave me that sense of mission,

because she was making a difference.

She was making a difference to the outside world.

Throughout the '80s and early '90s, Diana's popularity in Wales soared.

On public engagements, she was always happy to stop for a chat -

much to the delight of waiting photographers...

..but no-one took photos of Princess Diana

like Welsh superfan Colin Edwards.

After photographing her on her wedding day,

Colin toured Britain to meet and take pictures of her

whenever he could.

I have wonderful memories of my meetings with Diana.

She was so photogenic, and she flirted with the camera, actually.

Colin's candid photos provide a unique visual record

of Diana's public life,

and the stories behind them give a rare insight

into the warmth and generosity of spirit

that so endeared her to the Welsh people.

This was May 1984, in Chester,

and I had met her the previous December at Christmas,

and she looked at me and she said,

"We met a few months ago, didn't we, in Manchester?"

I said, "Yes, we did,

"you've got a very good memory, Your Royal Highness,"

and she said "Oh, yes, I remember you."

It made me feel quite special.

Another walkabout in Hanley in Staffordshire in 1986,

and she said, "Hello, Colin. Nice to see you again,"

and I said, "Oh, you know my name, Your Royal Highness!"

I was calling her "Your Royal Highness" in those days, then,

and I said, "May I call you Diana, please?"

"Of course you can," she said,

and then from then on it was always Diana and Colin.

It was the beginning of an unlikely relationship

that, for Colin, would result in more remarkable photographs

and treasured memories.

I started to feel so relaxed with her.

She was so easy to talk to, she was fun,

she had this infectious laugh...

And I'm glad now that, back in 1981,

I decided to try and see her as often as I could.

One of Diana's most-enduring passions as Princess of Wales

was watching the rugby.

And when Wales played at home,

she was looked after by Lord Lieutenant Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards.

She was determined to support the Welsh team,

and she was a regular attender at the international rugby matches,

and later on she brought the boys,

which was a great thrill for everybody.

Of all the matches Sir Norman attended with the Princess,

the one of which he has the happiest memories is this one -

Wales versus France in February 1992...

..and it's all thanks to a precious photograph.

Princess Diana came with the two boys,

and you see us standing in the front row

singing the Welsh national anthem, Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau,

as strongly as we could, to encourage the team -

so I'm afraid you'll see, with me, making rather a large mouth...

to ensure that the voice is heard,

and the two boys doing their best, also,

and Princess Diana on the end.

And the Princess was very kind enough to send it to me

with the inscription at the bottom,

"To the best singer in the front row!"

and it's signed, "Diana, William and Harry."

So, this is a very treasured possession, as you can well imagine.

A week after the rugby match,

the Princess of Wales accompanied Prince Charles on a trip to India.

But the visit only led to more speculation

about the state of the royal marriage,

when the Princess was photographed alone at the Taj Mahal.

That picture told a thousand words.

You thought, "Well, this is one of the world's most beautiful women

"sitting outside this wonderful palace

"on her own."

She was, really, the bird in the gilded cage -

she appeared to have it all,

and yet she had nothing.

Like every human being, she just wanted to be loved.

Just a month after the trip to India,

the Princess's father, Earl Spencer, died.

Prince Charles arrived at the funeral

just minutes before the service,

and the couple left separately afterwards -

another sign that all was not well between them.

Then, in June 1992, a book was published that revealed all -

Diana's feelings about the marriage, bulimia

and even suicide attempts.

It became a bestseller.

I read it, and I think everybody was in disbelief -

you know, that she...she had been through this suffering,

you know, behind closed doors.

It was later revealed

that the book was based on tape-recorded interviews

given by the Princess.

I felt shock, disbelief,

and quite angry that she'd had to suffer in silence.

During a visit to a hospice in Southport

in the week after the book was published,

Diana was overwhelmed by the public support she received.

In the crowd outside, wearing the Union Jack cap,

was Welsh superfan Colin Edwards.

We'd been there quite a while, a couple of friends and I,

and she came out, and she looked rather emotional, I thought,

and I was waiting with a box

containing some red silk roses for her...

..and she came up to me, and for the first time

I could see she didn't want to talk or say much at all,

which was unusual,

and I gave these silk flowers to her

and she just said, "Thank you, Colin,"

and walked quietly away,

and she was looking at it, of course.

And then, just a minute, couple of minutes later,

she broke down in tears

and had to discontinue the walkabout, which was so sad.

I mean, I like the photograph very much,

but she was very, very sad that day.

More revelations followed.

Details of secret phone calls leaked to the press,

amid rumours that both Prince Charles and the Princess

had had affairs.

This unhappy trip to South Korea in November 1992

proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

It is announced from Buckingham Palace that, with regret,

the Prince and Princess of Wales have decided to separate.

Their Royal Highnesses have no plans to divorce

and their constitutional positions are unaffected.

There was little friends in Wales could do to help.

I did try to suggest that they stayed under one roof,

even if they left at different times and led different lives,

but I was told it was too late.

In the months that followed,

the press became more interested in Diana than ever before,

and, as a result, she announced

she was reducing her public engagements...

Over the next few months, I will be seeking a more suitable way

of combining a meaningful public role

with, hopefully, a more private life.

But it wasn't long before the Princess got involved

in one of her most important fundraising events,

for a new children's hospice in South Wales.

It all began after she heard what happened

to three-year-old Daniel Incledon from Cardiff.

When he was 18 months old,

Daniel was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder

that attacked his nervous system.

His condition became so debilitating,

it left him unable to move or swallow,

and he could only communicate with his eyes.

Looking after him was a full-time job for his mum, Angela.

I gave him the best care that I could...

but I was finding it very difficult to keep him at home...

..but when he was in hospital

I always felt like I was out of control.

You know, I knew there were people around,

but I felt that, myself, if I wasn't there,

he might feel that he was abandoned, you know?

I know it might be odd, to some people, to think that, but...

..anybody who's lost a child through an illness will understand.

What would have helped the family was a children's hospice,

where they could have stayed with Daniel

while he received specialist support -

but the nearest was 100 miles away, in Oxford.

This was where Princess Diana would get involved,

because, at the same time,

a new charity called Ty Hafan was raising funds

to build the first Welsh children's hospice near Penarth.

They contacted Angela and asked her

if they could publish Daniel's story in the local paper

to raise awareness of their campaign, and she agreed.

I didn't mind - if he's going to help other children...

Maybe it wouldn't help him,

but to get a hospice that would help future children

and be there for years to come,

then I didn't mind - so, we went in -

this is dated 7th of July 1994.

Daniel passed away just two months later,

but Ty Hafan had already sent his story to the Princess of Wales.

She was so moved by it that, in March 1995,

she agreed to become their patron.

Within weeks, she'd persuaded opera legend Luciano Pavarotti

to perform in Cardiff to help raise money for the charity.

Angela was among those invited,

and, before the concert, she met the Princess.

She came down the line and we were more or less right at the very end

when she came down to us.

She did ask us about Daniel,

and she just asked us how we were coping,

and, you know, were we OK,

obviously, because she knew that Daniel had passed.

But she was just... she was just a lovely woman.

With the Princess helping to raise extra funds,

building work would soon begin on the new hospice.

Diana's relationship with the people of Wales had never been better.

May 1995 saw one of the final public appearances

of the Prince and Princess of Wales together,

filmed with Prince William and Prince Harry

at the VJ Day celebrations in London.

Later that year, the Princess's life would take another turn,

after she agreed to give a television interview to the BBC.

In the programme, the Princess talked openly

about her life in the Royal Family,

her relationship with Army officer James Hewitt,

and her feelings about the Prince's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.

She even raised doubts about whether Charles would ever be King.

Shortly afterwards, the Queen intervened,

and the consequences were dramatic.

The Princess of Wales took Buckingham Palace, Downing Street

and even her closest advisors by surprise tonight

by formally agreeing to a royal divorce -

she was asked to do so by the Queen last December,

but her lawyers are still negotiating

the terms of the agreement.

The Princess is said to be calling it the saddest day of her life.

Under the terms of the agreement,

it was announced that the Princess

would be stripped of the title "Her Royal Highness",

and instead would be known simply as Diana, Princess of Wales.

The fairy-tale romance was officially over.

One is always upset when you hear of a divorce,

and if it's someone you know, it's even more upsetting -

and I just was terribly sorry that a way hadn't been found

to patch it all up.

By then, Diana had dispensed with her royal protection officers,

leaving her at the mercy of the paparazzi,

and their pursuit was relentless.

I don't think there was anywhere in the world she could have gone

where she could live a normal life,

and you see her being mobbed in certain places she went.

There was no Palace protection now -

and you did, you thought, "Oh, is that right?" you know?

Out, out.

The bird has fled the gilded cage - but, mmm, now what?

Out. O-U-T, out.

Have a nice trip, Ma'am.

Fortunately, not all of Diana's interaction with royal photographers

was quite so extreme.

In October 1996, Welsh superfan Colin Edwards

was filmed waiting to meet and photograph Diana in London.

What's the atmosphere like here this morning?

Fantastic. The usual sort of atmosphere for Diana -

probably outnumbered by the media,

but the regular supporters are all here.

Well, Diana, of course, was haunted by the paparazzi.

They caused her a lot of anxiety and distress,

but she knew that ordinary people like myself,

who were taking photographs for our own personal pleasure,

and it was a hobby with most of us, she didn't mind at all.

-APPLAUSE

-Diana!

-Princess Diana!

-Diana!

-Diana!

-Diana!

-She's coming!

Officer, can you move?

Officer?

And I think, as the years passed,

and we all knew how unhappy she'd been in her marriage,

I think the support from ordinary people like myself,

members of the public, meant a great deal to her.

They're all very well.

-Hello, Diana.

-Hi.

-Lovely to see you again.

-Hello, Colin.

-I have for you - I've just been on holiday to Slovenia...

-What's this?

..and I have a rather crumpled bar of chocolate

where I've been holding it - it's still edible.

It's been under your armpit...

-VOICEOVER:

-I think she must have gone home, when she was on her own,

feeling buoyed up and encouraged, actually,

by the support she was getting.

-Have you got enough cameras, Colin(?)

-Two, yes. Fully loaded.

Plenty of exposure.

Meeting ordinary people, I think, it was a sort of escapism.

Three cheers for Diana! Hip, hip, hooray!

Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

She, I think, really enjoyed the interaction with ordinary people.

That was wonderful!

By the summer of 1997,

Diana, Princess of Wales was again the subject of press scrutiny,

as she holidayed in the south of France with new love Dodi Fayed.

It seemed at last that the Princess had found happiness.

At the same time, in a department store in London,

Anne Daley had a chance encounter

with a woman she thought she recognised.

I said, "Gosh, are you the Princess of Wales's mother?"

She said, "Yes, I am." I said, "Oh, my God."

I said, "Everybody's nuts about your daughter in Wales,

"we're crazy about her," you know,

"we're hysterical about her," and she said, "Gosh, really?"

and I said, "Yes!"

She said, "Well, why don't you write to her and tell her, then?"

she said, "because she doesn't get much praise, you know."

And I said, "Do you know what, Mrs Shand Kydd?

"I'll write it this afternoon."

And then, one week later - one week -

Diana was no more.

Diana, Princess of Wales has died after a car crash in Paris.

She was taken to hospital in the early hours of this morning.

Surgeons tried to save her life for two hours,

but she died at four o'clock.

Diana and Dodi Fayed died on the 3lst of August 1997,

after the car they were being driven in crashed in this tunnel in Paris.

They were being chased by the paparazzi.

Across Wales, people woke to the news that their Princess was dead.

When it came over the radio

that that had happened, when it had struck,

"No, can't be right. Can't be right."

But the commentator repeated it and repeated it,

and the story began to unfold, even on the radio,

and I immediately - we were on our way to Market Rasen in Lincolnshire

with the horse, my daughter rides it -

and we pulled off the motorway.

"Where are you going?" said Margaret.

"I've got to tell Joy," I said.

"Get the mobile phone and ring her for me."

And she rung the number and I stopped

and I said, "Princess Diana is dead, Joy."

And one word over the phone, "What?!"

You just could not believe it.

You can't believe somebody of 36,

who is so beautiful, who is so famous,

who has the world at her feet -

how can she possibly not be here any more?

It didn't make sense.

I had not experienced a shock like that before...

and people were asking me, you know, what did I know,

and I said, "I know no more than what you've heard on the news."

Um...

People were stunned, you know - well, we were all stunned.

The public outpouring of grief that followed was unprecedented.

From here at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff

to Buckingham Palace in London,

thousands laid floral tributes

in a mark of respect to the People's Princess.

When books of condolence were opened in St James's Palace,

people queued for hours to pay their respects.

Welsh royalist Anne Daley was proud to be the very first to sign one.

You couldn't believe that you were writing...

you were writing about a person who was alive a few days ago,

when you'd met her mother,

and she was pictured in all the papers in all the world,

looking wonderful - perhaps on the point of a new life.

It was just disbelief

that you're suddenly sitting in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace,

writing a condolence message in a condolence book.

It didn't seem real - but it was.

The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales

took place on the 6th of September 1997.

Echoing the royal wedding, more than a million people

lined the streets of London -

but this time, the emotions were very different.

Among those there was photographer Colin Edwards.

It did affect me, emotionally, very much.

It was very difficult to sleep that week, it really was.

-VOICE BREAKING:

-I'm sorry.

Joining other invited guests at Westminster Abbey

was Captain Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards.

Tradition called for a black tie, but he decided otherwise.

I thought, "I'm going to wear something

"which meant a lot to me and Diana,"

and that was her gift to me of this tie,

which she gave me when she came down on one occasion with the boys,

which has always had a special significance for me.

It seems silly, doesn't it, that a tie could mean so much?

But it does.

Escorting Diana's coffin on the four-mile journey

from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey

were the Welsh Guards.

Phil Bartlett was one of them.

This is the first time the public are actually seeing the coffin.

This is the first time we're actually seeing the public -

and as we were coming out, the emotion, straightaway,

was just...phenomenal.

WOMAN CRIES OUT

That scream, it cut through you like a knife to butter, it did,

it really, really brought things home.

That... The enormity of what this means to people.

Anne Daley was in the crowd.

The gun carriage came by with the Royal Standard,

and it was deathly silence.

All you could hear were the Welsh Guards' boots,

the marching of the boots...

..and it came past and we all crossed ourselves,

and people were very tearful and crying, you know,

and shouting "Diana" and things,

and then it just went past us, and it was just terrible.

We love you, Diana!

After passing the Queen and other members of the Royal Family,

the cortege was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles,

Earl Spencer and the two princes.

It was too much for some watching at home.

I've never experienced anything like it,

and I don't think I want to again.

It was heart-wrenching...

..to see those children walking behind her coffin.

It was terrible.

They must have thought "Well, when is this going to end?"

The strength they must have had to be able to do that,

it's phenomenal, it is.

It shows the character of these two princes.

You have respect for people like that.

Among those who'd received a special invitation to the funeral

were representatives from the charities supported by the Princess.

Angela Incledon was among them.

The loss of her son Daniel had helped inspire Diana's involvement

with children's hospice Ty Hafan.

I was thinking about Daniel a lot that day,

and it did bring back emotion, and it was still very raw.

It was an honour to be there,

but I can't say I was glad to be there,

cos I really wasn't.

It would have been nicer if she was still around.

In the crowd,

photographer Colin Edwards saw Diana's coffin approaching.

I mean, I was very emotional -

I was crying, and I was very undecided up to that point

as to whether I should use my camera.

Everyone around me had cameras, and we discussed this,

and we all agreed that it was a public occasion,

and a historic occasion,

even though a very sad one.

After taking over 300 photographs of the Princess

over a period of 16 years, Colin took this.

It would be his last.

It's a very sad memory but, um, it was history,

and I'm glad now - I'm glad I did.

After the ceremony,

Diana's coffin was taken to the Spencer family home,

Althorp in Northamptonshire,

where she was laid to rest.

The special relationship between the people of Wales

and their Princess was over -

but today, 20 years after her death,

her memory lives on as strongly as ever before.

Back in Ruthin, North Wales,

Colin Edwards is putting on an exhibition

of his personal portraits of the Princess.

Sorting out my photographs,

I think that's brought back all these memories,

and it's been quite an emotional process for me,

sorting out the best ones.

I shan't do it again, because this a very special anniversary.

I'll always remember her,

after 20 years, and for the rest of my life,

with love and affection.

She really brightened up everyone's lives, you know?

Everyone returned home after meeting her on cloud nine.

I was lucky that I was able to meet her as often as I did.

I made a determined effort, you know, to go as often as I could,

and I'm so pleased I did.

In the 16 years that Diana was Princess of Wales,

her contribution to the country won her a legion of admirers -

and they came from all walks of life.

Welsh people took enormous pride in the fact

that she was their princess,

and she was the one going around the world doing good,

and so that enhanced their respect, their admiration,

and their pride in her.

And, as a Welshman myself, I could only echo their thoughts.

Such was the affection felt for Diana,

she even won the hearts of some staunch nationalists.

Some people never die,

and Princess Diana is one of those people.

She's in our consciousness all the time -

and that's coming from someone who really wouldn't go out the front

if the Queen came past,

but I think, for her, I might.

It may be 20 years since Diana's death,

but there's no doubt that here in Wales,

and throughout the rest of Britain, too,

she'll never be forgotten.

There's a saying in the Bible,

"By your light so shall you be known,"

and by Diana's light, she will always be known,

and I think that light is an eternal flame,

and still shines in the hearts of many, many people.

I think long after we've left this earthly plane,

history will still tell the story of Diana,

who, indeed, was the People's Princess,

and she was Diana, Princess of Wales.