It’s been 29 years since the world lost Diana, the Princess of Wales – a difficult day marked with tragedy yet one that lets us reflect on her enduring impact.

“31 August. My least favourite day,” Charles, the 9th Earl of Spencer and Diana’s brother, posted on social media, with accompanying photos of the flag flying at half mast at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, England, Diana’s childhood home.

Princess Diana died at the age of 36 on August 31, 1997, following a fatal car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, after the car she was in lost control while trying to elude chasing paparazzi. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul also lost their lives in the crash.

Spencer, known for his fiery funeral tribute at Diana’s funeral in which he criticized the Royal Family, will also honour the memory of his sister with a new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister (due out in September), which marks the first time he has “spoken openly and at length” about Diana.

“I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way,” Spencer said in a statement announcing the book. “The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective.”

This past Mother’s Day, celebrated on March 15 in the U.K.,  saw her eldest son, William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, share a never-before-seen photo of him with his mother, and the caption: “Remembering my mother, today and every day.”

In July, his younger brother Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, along with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – who recently moved back to the U.K. after six years in California – visited Althorp House, Princess Diana’s final resting place. Markle posted a photo of the Prince and children carrying flowers on Althrop’s ground, signalling that they visited her resting place. 

Despite sharing the loss of their mother, the brothers have yet to reconcile their differences, which exploded into full view six years ago, starting with Megxit. Since then, any public appearances the pair have made together, including the dedication of a statue of their mother in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden in 2021, have been strained. Meanwhile, for the upcoming Diana Award Gala – which takes place every two years and celebrates young social activists as well as their mother’s legacy – the brothers will continue to structure their involvement with the foundation so as not to cross paths. This year, William has stepped aside entirely so Harry can handle the event and any related engagements on his own. At the 2024 ceremony, William presented the awards to the winners in person while Harry congratulated them via video call.

The new family dynamic, or lack thereof, would have been heartbreaking for Diana, who had often expressed how important it was for her sons to remain close. 

Ironically, it is at the gates of Kensington Palace – where the statue to their mother stands – that the public who loved Princess Diana now gather to leave cards and flowers in her memory.

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