0:00:02 > 0:00:06Today I'm in this specially created garden here at Kensington Palace,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08former home of Diana, Princess of Wales,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11to celebrate how she broke down barriers
0:00:11 > 0:00:13with her remarkable charity work.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Welcome to Songs Of Praise.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41On the programme this week, Pam Rhodes meets a mum
0:00:41 > 0:00:43who remembers the day Diana met her son
0:00:43 > 0:00:45who was dying of AIDS.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49She oozed love and compassion.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54We hear from the man who accompanied the Princess of Wales
0:00:54 > 0:00:58on her inspirational land-mine trip to Angola.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02I think she had a stronger faith than people gave her credit for.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06And in Kathmandu, Sally Magnusson discovers the impact Diana made
0:01:06 > 0:01:09by shaking hands with leprosy patients.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12She showed a real love of God to the people
0:01:12 > 0:01:15by touching them and comforting them.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Kensington Palace was Princess Diana's home for many, many years.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Now, I remember coming here as a little boy
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and singing privately for the Princess
0:01:30 > 0:01:31in her own living room,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33an experience I'll never, ever forget.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37She was such a warm, witty and compassionate lady.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Well, to celebrate Diana's legacy,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42our music today comes from All Saints' Church in Northamptonshire,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45not far from the family's ancestral home in Althorp.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49And we begin with a hymn which was very much one of Diana's favourites.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53It was sung at both her wedding and her funeral.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00# I vow to thee, my country... #
0:04:15 > 0:04:18In 1997, the national outpouring of grief
0:04:18 > 0:04:21for Diana's untimely death was unprecedented,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24with the golden gates of Kensington Palace
0:04:24 > 0:04:26becoming a focus of remembrance.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31There was the famous sea of flowers here at Kensington Palace.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35There were candles lit, poems written, books of condolences.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41- Diana was seen as very much a force for good, wasn't she?- Very much so.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43She was, of course, a great humanitarian.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Very compassionate towards vulnerable members of society,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50and incredibly caring, really wanted to help people.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53And, of course, that absolutely reflects very Christian values too.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58What's she feeding this young man on? He weighs a tonne!
0:04:58 > 0:05:01One man who was often at her side during her charitable work
0:05:01 > 0:05:05with the HALO Trust and the Red Cross was Mike Whitlam.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08How does it feel coming back here to Kensington Palace?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It feels very strange coming back,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12because I haven't been here for a long time.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- You used to come all the time. - All the time.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I would come here in the evening
0:05:16 > 0:05:18for a drink, a cup of tea,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22just to sit and chat in the peace and quiet of her apartment.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I feel honoured to have been a friend of hers,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and I think she felt I was a friend.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31And we both wanted to change the world.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- And she did.- She did. Absolutely.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35One of the most iconic photos
0:05:35 > 0:05:40I suppose I remember of her time was in Angola with that vest.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- Amazing.- It was.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45And she wasn't frightened of going to see the land mines,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47of walking across a minefield.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50But she was determined, and knew the impact that would have.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- And it had an impact all over the world.- Yes, it did.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Without question. It was in every newspaper
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and every news bulletin across the world.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03She wanted to make a huge difference to those people
0:06:03 > 0:06:07who didn't have food,
0:06:07 > 0:06:08who were unwell,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and she was prepared to do almost anything to make that happen.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16You must have had quite a few correspondence with Diana.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Yes, she was very good at writing and exchanging letters.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21In fact, I think I've got one with me.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It's not typed by her press secretary or anything.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I recognise her writing, yeah.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30"Dear Mike, I was so touched to receive your lovely letter.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32"Thank you for writing.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33"And I just wanted you to know
0:06:33 > 0:06:36"how deeply I appreciated your kindness.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38"With my best wishes, yours sincerely, Diana."
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Yeah.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Mike, you must have had quite a few requests to talk to you
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- 20 years after Diana passed away.- I did.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49I've had lots of phone calls, but I didn't want to do them this time.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54But this particular programme interested me because
0:06:54 > 0:06:57I think she had a stronger faith than people gave her credit for.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- Right.- We never discussed it at length, but the fact,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02just before she died,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05that she'd made a special trip from Washington to New York
0:07:05 > 0:07:07to go and see Mother Teresa,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I think made me feel, yes,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11this is what's kept you going.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This is how you've managed to do what you wanted to do.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The funeral must have been incredibly emotional for you.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19It was.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I flew back from New York especially for the funeral,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and just the atmosphere, the silence,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29- the peace and the quiet outside in London was just...- Yeah.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Well, it made it even harder to cope with.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34One of the hymns chosen at her funeral,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38seems to sum up what she was about, really.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I think that's true, actually.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I mean, she wanted to put love where there was hatred,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45and make a huge difference to people's lives
0:07:45 > 0:07:48so that they could live a better life.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49And when you talk to people
0:07:49 > 0:07:53about trying to make the world a better place,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57there are not many people who will say, "Yes, it's doable."
0:07:57 > 0:07:58She did.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00She was absolutely certain.
0:08:05 > 0:08:11# Make me a channel of your peace... #
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Whilst Diana enjoyed the privileges of a royal princess,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44she was determined to speak out about social issues,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47supporting more than 100 charities.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Diana wanted to make a practical difference
0:10:50 > 0:10:55to those on the margins, and her impact and legacy still lives on,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57as Pam Rhodes has been discovering.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Back in the 1980s and early 1990s,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03some of the most marginalised in society
0:11:03 > 0:11:06were those who were diagnosed with HIV.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09There is now a danger that has become a threat to us all.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13It is a deadly disease and there is no known cure.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18There was so much fear and stigma surrounding AIDS
0:11:18 > 0:11:21that, often, people affected, and their families,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23just suffered in silence.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Frances Elliston experienced first-hand
0:11:27 > 0:11:29the extent of the prejudice
0:11:29 > 0:11:32when her son Kevin was diagnosed with AIDS.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36You get into conversation, "I'm going to visit my son."
0:11:36 > 0:11:38"What's wrong with him?" "Well, he's got AIDS."
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Oh, no, you didn't do that in them days.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44You didn't do that.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I was too scared to do it, actually.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Diana's decision to champion people with this devastating illness
0:11:52 > 0:11:56was to have a far-reaching impact on patients and their families.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Kevin met Diana when he was admitted
0:11:58 > 0:12:01to the Mildmay Hospital in East London,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06a Christian charity founded over 150 years ago.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10In 1988, it became the first AIDS hospice in Europe.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Julian La Batiste was a nurse at that time.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17With all the prejudice and fear about AIDS,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20how did that affect people who were suffering?
0:12:20 > 0:12:21It was immense.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24There were people losing their jobs, they lost their housing,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26they lost their families.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Barbers wouldn't cut their hair.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31People wouldn't use the same cutlery, crockery.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34It was... Yeah, it was really shocking.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Was it ever violent?- Yes.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41People were beaten up, people had stones thrown at their windows.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44We even had a few thrown at this building.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48And into that backdrop came Princess Diana.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I mean, that must have been quite something at the time.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Well, it was trailblazing at that time, and immensely brave.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And it meant a lot, not just to the patients in the hospital
0:12:56 > 0:12:58but nearly everybody with HIV.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Diana visited the hospice twice,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and in 1991 she met Kevin and Frances.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10She held his hands for quite a while.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15You know, they talked for a while before she let go.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17These were patients that had been stigmatised
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and here was someone coming along and saying, "You are valued."
0:13:21 > 0:13:24She actually broke it down to
0:13:24 > 0:13:27it's about one person being ill -
0:13:27 > 0:13:30it's not about what that illness is called.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And I think it broke this barrier
0:13:33 > 0:13:36that you could discuss HIV.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It was an illness like any other illness.
0:13:39 > 0:13:45With the patients she was just so caring, wanting to understand,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48wanting to listen, wanting to know what their story was.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53It was almost like her empathy was shining through her all the time.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57What do you think was so special about Diana?
0:13:57 > 0:14:02She oozed love and compassion.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05That's the only way I can explain.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11And I know that's exactly how Kevin felt.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19In 1994, Kevin passed away with his mum by his side.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25He called me. He said, "Mum, Mum..."
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And I held his hand then.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I said, "Come on."
0:14:34 > 0:14:37"Go on, take your journey, Kev."
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And he closed his eyes...
0:14:42 > 0:14:44..and said, "Goodbye, Mum."
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Ooh, I can feel it now.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I like to think the good Lord is holding his hand and saying,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54"Your mother's down there..."
0:14:57 > 0:14:59"..talking about you."
0:15:02 > 0:15:08# The king of love my shepherd is... #
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Diana didn't speak publicly about her personal faith,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but we've been reliably informed that our next hymn
0:17:04 > 0:17:05was one of her favourites,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08and it seems especially appropriate in this anniversary year.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18# Breathe on me, breath of God... #
0:19:11 > 0:19:14On the 20th anniversary of Diana's death,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18she's still missed, remembered and celebrated across the world.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Sally Magnusson has travelled to a leprosy hospital in Nepal
0:19:21 > 0:19:23to meet staff and patients there
0:19:23 > 0:19:27who still recall the difference Diana made to them.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I'm in the foothills of the Himalaya,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40journeying to a Christian leprosy hospital above Kathmandu
0:19:40 > 0:19:44which Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1993.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- Hi, welcome.- Namaste.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Namaste. Pleased to meet you.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51- Thank you very much.- Please come.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55What impact did Diana have on her visit?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59She showed a real love of God to the people.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04She touched their disfigured hands and feet.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- And that was astonishing at the time, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Because what she was showing with this very simple gesture
0:20:10 > 0:20:13is that leprosy was no longer infectious.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16You know, the medicine was available at that time,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18but the main issue was stigma,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22which was one of the main hindrances, obstacles,
0:20:22 > 0:20:27to let the people come out freely to receive the treatment.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36The memory of how Diana broke down barriers is still very much alive
0:20:36 > 0:20:37here at the hospital.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40I'm on my way to meet the patient who was photographed with her.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46Buddhi Bahadur was just 24 when he met the Princess of Wales.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Were you surprised when Princess Diana reached across
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and shook your hand?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54HE SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- TRANSLATION:- I was very happy, because we are rural people
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and no-one had done that,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03so it was a wonderful privilege for me
0:21:03 > 0:21:07to shake hands with a person with a high reputation.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Did that have an effect on the way that people treated you afterwards?
0:21:15 > 0:21:17People started to accept me more.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21How is your leprosy now? Are you cured?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27I got an operation and I have been cured.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Diana did help break down the stigma surrounding leprosy,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35but here in Nepal it continues to cause problems.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41- She lived in a cave in the jungle. - A cave?- Yeah, a cave, in the jungle.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44For the last eight years.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48And it's because she has leprosy, and because of the leprosy
0:21:48 > 0:21:51she was kicked out by family from her house
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and also by the community.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Is that common?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57It's not very common
0:21:57 > 0:22:01but we see, from time to time, these kinds of stories in Nepal.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- And it's because of the stigma? - Because of the stigma of leprosy.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07And what's been the effect?
0:22:07 > 0:22:09So her hands and feet are affected by leprosy
0:22:09 > 0:22:12because it was late treated.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15She says she has been with this problem for the last 28 years,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and only three years ago she got treatment for this.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24The earlier patients receive medication and corrective surgery,
0:22:24 > 0:22:25the better.
0:22:25 > 0:22:2713-year-old Alicia
0:22:27 > 0:22:31is going to have an operation on her left hand this afternoon.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- I can see that this hand still needs correction...- Yeah.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36..but this one is healed?
0:22:36 > 0:22:39This one is operated, so as you see here, this one is paralysed.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43So she cannot use that hand for normal life,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47using like grip, pins also, or hold something.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49HE SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:22:49 > 0:22:53- So her thumb doesn't go to other fingers like we can do.- Mm.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57But here - this is the operated hand already - she can use that.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58HE SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:22:58 > 0:23:01So even her two little fingers, she can use it.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Corrective surgery really can help.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07We'll let you get on with your operation, Alicia. All the best.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Christianity is fundamental
0:23:12 > 0:23:15to the work here at this charity hospital here in Nepal,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and it's very moving to witness staff and patients
0:23:18 > 0:23:22gathering together to worship, which they do most days.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Our next hymn is Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven.
0:23:28 > 0:23:35# Praise, my soul The king of heaven... #
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The historic sunken garden of Kensington Palace
0:25:34 > 0:25:37has been newly designed by Sean Harkin
0:25:37 > 0:25:41to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Diana's death.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Renamed The White Garden, it's open to the public
0:25:44 > 0:25:45until the end of the year.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- Sean, how are you? - Hey. Good, thank you.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- Hard at it, I see.- Yeah.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- I've got to say, you should be so proud. It looks amazing.- Thank you.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The planting idea came from wanting to create something
0:26:02 > 0:26:04which was very simple and elegant,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07but also something that was joyful and exuberant,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and hopefully give people that feeling of, kind of, joy
0:26:10 > 0:26:11that Princess Diana brought.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15- Did you get any suggestions as to what flowers to use?- Yeah, we did.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18We wanted to include certain flowers that were Diana's favourites
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- or were special to Diana.- Right.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24So in the springtime it started as a carpet of white forget-me-nots.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27There's a lovely story of Earl Spencer
0:26:27 > 0:26:29giving a young Princess Diana forget-me-nots.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31She really liked white roses, for instance,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34so that's why we've got these large terracotta pots
0:26:34 > 0:26:36surrounding the reflective pond in the centre,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40which has these gorgeous creamy and white, very simple roses.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41Did she use this garden at all?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Yeah, there's lovely stories that the gardeners who were based here,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and her coming by jogging,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and if it was quiet she would stop and she would have a chat with them
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and she would talk about what the planting scheme was looking like.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56The garden's very formal but we wanted the planting
0:26:56 > 0:27:00to be natural and have movement and energy to it.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Absolutely, which is what she was like.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05She'd bound into the room and everyone would relax,
0:27:05 > 0:27:06everyone would smile.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I suppose that's what you're getting from this garden as well.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11All the visitors dotted around, they're all smiling.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I hope that they come to the garden and that they feel uplifted
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and have a sense of joy and happiness from it,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18but also it gives them a moment
0:27:18 > 0:27:21to reflect on Princess Diana's legacy here at Kensington.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30There's a line in the song I'm about to sing
0:27:30 > 0:27:33that I think sums up Diana just beautifully.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Her presence was like a healing light for so many
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and, whoever you were, and wherever you are from,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40she made you feel special.
0:27:46 > 0:27:53# Deep peace of the running wave to you
0:27:55 > 0:28:02# Deep peace of the flowing air to you
0:28:03 > 0:28:11# Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
0:28:12 > 0:28:20# Deep peace of the shining stars to you
0:28:21 > 0:28:29# Deep peace of the gentle night to you
0:28:30 > 0:28:37# Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
0:28:38 > 0:28:46# Deep peace of Christ
0:28:46 > 0:28:50# Of Christ
0:28:50 > 0:28:58# The light of the world to you
0:29:00 > 0:29:08# Deep peace of Christ
0:29:09 > 0:29:13# To you
0:29:19 > 0:29:26# Deep peace of the running wave to you
0:29:27 > 0:29:34# Deep peace of the flowing air to you
0:29:36 > 0:29:43# Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
0:29:45 > 0:29:52# Deep peace of the shining stars to you
0:29:53 > 0:30:01# Deep peace of the gentle night to you
0:30:02 > 0:30:10# Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
0:30:11 > 0:30:18# Deep peace of Christ
0:30:18 > 0:30:22# Of Christ
0:30:22 > 0:30:30# The light of the world to you
0:30:33 > 0:30:40# Deep peace of Christ
0:30:42 > 0:30:49# To you. #
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Next week, Claire McCollum joins thousands of pilgrims
0:30:57 > 0:31:01to climb Ireland's holy mountain, Croagh Patrick.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04And Sean Fletcher visits the famous Knock Shrine.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Diana's sons, Princes William and Harry,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11are continuing their mother's legacy,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15and our final hymn, sung to the uplifting Welsh tune Cwm Rhondda,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18was sung at the christening of each of her boys.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22It seems a fitting way to remember Diana, Princess of Wales.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Until next time, bye-bye.
0:31:25 > 0:31:31# Guide me O thou great redeemer... #