Chapter 47 2. Eternal memory

you are in my heart like a candle in the wind even in the dreary dusk never goes out Your footprints are printed on the mountains, rivers and land Green mountains and green waters all over England Your candle has long been extinguished And your deeds remain forever ——Elton John, "Candle in the Wind" The people's princess has passed away, but her kindness and beauty will remain in people's memory forever.As the years passed, she did not fade with the years. On the contrary, her death purified her. In people's memory, she is still so healthy, beautiful, and kind, and will always be the most beautiful rose in England.

In February 1998, Royal Mail issued a set of Diana commemorative stamps and a first day cover.There are 5 commemorative stamps, each with a face value of 26 pence, and the circulation is 1*920 million, which is 5 times more than ordinary commemorative stamps.People bought it one after another out of the feelings of commemorating Diana's love for the house and the black.On the day when the stamps began to be issued, there was a queue to buy them in front of many post offices in the UK, and some post offices had to increase their staff.The total proceeds from the commemorative stamps are approximately £12 million, half of which will be donated to the Diana Memorial Foundation for charitable causes she was passionate about during her lifetime.

Two years after Diana's death, in the end-of-the-century inventory in 1999, the best-selling "People" magazine in the United States held 22 selections of people and things of the century. Diana won two honors for the most beautiful and best-dressed women of the 20th century. In a 2000 poll on "The Most Popular Idol of the 20th Century Youth", the target group was people between the ages of 18 and 35, and Princess Diana was found to be second. "Elvis Presley" became the first because of his outstanding image, and the third was black civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

In 2002, the British selected the top ten celebrities in the country. Queen Elizabeth II was not elected, and the former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was known as the "Iron Lady", had no share, but Diana's name ranked with Shakespeare, Churchill and other great figures. on the list. In May 2002, another poll in the UK showed that the late Princess Diana was the most charismatic leader in modern history, ranking lower than current Prime Minister Blair, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Churchill who led Britain to victory in World War II. to be tall. The poll of 1,100 media and business executives found Princess Diana more charismatic than England football manager Ericsson.

A spokeswoman for the company, which is conducting the investigation, said: "Diana had many of the attributes we want in a leader, she could bring others together in what she advocated, and what she did was recognized by the world." Indeed, Diana's appeal in philanthropy has so far been unmatched.A person living with HIV said on the 5th anniversary of Diana's death: "Don't say 5 years, even 50 years later people will remember her. She changed the situation of AIDS patients during her lifetime. She often came among us and she knew What's wrong with us and what she can do for us. There were many AIDS charities when she was alive. Her untimely death is a big blow to us patients and has a great impact on the fight against AIDS. Now, the work of AIDS charities It’s not as good as it used to be, and the amount of people donating has dropped significantly. Who do we blame?” This is the best reward for Diana’s efforts.This shy girl at the time always wanted to do something to change the world.She certainly did, especially in AIDS and anti-landmine work.

Corresponding to these polls, her anniversary and her final resting place, Althorp, are also being remembered.In the Althorp Manor of the Spencer family, there is a small oval lake with a small island shaded by green trees in the middle of the lake.Diana slept on this small island far away from the hustle and bustle but not feeling lonely.There are no luxurious tombs on the island, only flat land covered with flowers and plants and a white monument.Inscribed on the monument is a passage Diana said before her death: "There is nothing that brings me greater happiness than helping the weakest and most helpless people in society. This is the content and pursuit of my life, and it is the arrangement of fate." .Whoever is in misfortune can call to me: no matter where they are, I will run away."

There are 6 exhibition rooms in the manor, showing the short but brilliant life of Diana's comet through video and real objects.Here are photos of Diana being baptized at the full moon, celebrating her first birthday, dancing and swinging at the age of 4, and swimming at the age of 8; there are school uniforms, report cards and used typewriters she wore when she was in primary school; there are Prince Charles 1980 In the Christmas card sent to her in 1999, Charles wrote in his own handwriting: "From the love of your dancing partner"; and the 7-meter-long wedding dress she wore in that "century wedding" and the more than 20 suits she wore later and evening gown, the bulletproof vest she wore when she visited Angola's minefields; the manuscript of Elton John's famous song "Candle in the Wind" composed for her untimely death lay quietly, telling the story of the world's grief. Moments; a small part of the nearly ten thousand condolence books from all over the world are filled with people's nostalgia, condolences, and love for the princess... The manor opens on July 1 (Diana's birthday) every year and closes on August 30.Because the next day was the anniversary of Diana's death, the family, including the two little princes William and Henry, had to be alone with her quietly.

Every year on Diana's anniversary, in front of Kensington Palace in London, where Princess Diana lived, there are piles of flowers and gifts from the mourners; while in the Spencer family cemetery where Princess Diana sleeps, many visitors wander around Diana Memorial Hall refused to leave for a long time, laying wreaths under Diana Bridge in Paris is also a way for Parisians and tourists to express their love. Compared with these brave and persistent commemorators, the commemoration activities of the British royal family are very low-key.They once held a private memorial service at Balmoral Estate.

Official commemoration is more about erecting monuments. In February 2003, Diana's memorial building plan was approved by the British government.The site of the Princess Diana Memorial is located in a place south of Serpentine, Hyde Park, London.After the completion of the memorial, it will become a permanent building in the City of London.The entire memorial will be the size of a football field, and the exterior of the memorial will be oval. In August 2003, the foundation stone of the memorial fountain of the late Princess Diana of the United Kingdom was laid in Hyde Park, London, presided over by the British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.It was sensitively noted that members of the royal family did not attend.The £3 million Memorial Fountain was designed by American architect Catherine Gustafson.Officials say the fountain will be "a fitting tribute to the very essence of Diana's personality: her complexity, her vivacity, her dedication - all of which will be found in this park".

Word of mouth and monuments do not seem to be that important to Diana.She said before her death that she would not be in the position of princess for more than 15 years.Since she no longer has nostalgia for the royal family, how could she ask the royal family to commemorate with great fanfare.Her funeral was not a state funeral of the highest standard, but a "special funeral for a special person".For her commemoration, but also for the memory of the special princess.If she was noticed because she was a princess, after her death, as her brother Spencer said, "she didn't need any royal titles to add glory to herself", people commemorated her mainly because of her Kindness, all the help she does for the less fortunate.

A newspaper editor in London said in 2002: "She died and people loved her more... what was lost was more precious to people. That week five years ago was a very unusual week when I came home from get off work every night On the way, I have to stop at Kensington Palace. There are many people, many flowers, many candles burning, and her picture hanging on the tree. I seem to have entered a Hindu temple. To my surprise, 5 years later, she is still missed by so many people! Everyone thinks that no one can replace her. I even think that she has no choice but to die. She is a destroyed woman, and her death It's a tragedy of tragedies."