My Hero and Me: Princess Princess Diana By: Lauren Teitel

A Quick Timeline BORN July 1, 1961, in Sandringham, England 1981 Marries Charles 1982 Prince William born 1984 Prince Harry born 1992 Diana and Charles announce their separation 1993 Diana reveals her plan to withdraw from public life 1995 Diana discusses her marriage on TV 1996 The divorce is finalized DIED Aug. 31, 1997, after a car crash in Paris

A Real Heroine Some say that Princess Diana lived a fairy tale. But upon examining her life events and obstacles, one can see that Diana was not only a real heroine, but also, a real person. Princess Diana was a very human heroine in a sense. She personifies how a woman should strive to be.

Diana, Princess of Wales receives a bouquet of flowers from a young patient, during her visit to Northwick Park Hospital, London, 1997 Princess Diana was best known for her charitable work. She dedicated a lot of time to the homeless, the disabled, people with HIV/AIDS, and especially children. One of the reasons that Princess Diana’s charity work is so special is because she truly believed in participating in helping, not just giving money. The Princess fought for so many different causes that one can really tell how much she cared for humanity in general and how she sincerely wanted to end suffering wherever it occurred. Princess Diana even said, “I understand people's suffering, people's pain, more than you will every know yourself…”

The Princess of Wales visited Angola in January 1997 to see the work of the Red Cross in helping mine victims. Here she wears protective headgear on a visit to a minefield The year before she died, Princess Diana campaigned for a ban on the manufacture and use of landmines. The Princess’s will to help these landmine workers demonstrates how directly connected she was to the people. She cared about them enough to make sure she was involved enough to personally protest what she thought to be wrong. Time magazine writes, “First she became the patron saint of victims, the sick, the discriminated against, the homeless”

“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back....” Princess Diana Heroines are allowed to make mistakes too. Diana’s adulterous marriage brought her down to the level of any other ordinary person. The Princess admitted to having her bouts with depression, self-mutilation, and bulimia. This allows the public, especially women to empathize with the way she was feeling. Diana’s demonstration of how to overcome an obstacle and the way she turned a helpless life into one of aiding others shows why people look up to her and idealize her.

“I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings and in their public duties....” Princess Diana Because Diana is such a realistic woman, she inspires other women to live up to their potential. She cares for all children, no matter what. She is like a universal mother. Her love for children was evident in her social work and also in her own family life. Diana placed much value on the family unit. Princess Diana stresses how much she values what families think of her and how much she appreciates families. Motherhood is such a large part of who women are. Thus, Princess Diana’s ability to be a good mother makes her a good heroine.

A Sense of Beauty Along with her motherly qualities and charitable inclinations, Diana retained and perfected her feminine charm and eloquence. Her sense of style and charm made her a role model. Princess Diana further used her fashion sense and femininity to once again help the public. She auctioned off her most famous dresses to the public to help raise money for charities she worked for. This is a wonderful demonstration of using one’s femininity for the public good.

A Funeral Of A Heroine Diana’s funeral, a world wide event, demonstrated exactly how powerful and moving she was as a heroine. She was followed by many mourners that had been inspired by her warmth, intelligence, grace, and care for humanity. Her death had such a wide impact on not just England, but the world, that one must admit what a motivational heroine she was and will continue to be. Her death in some ways seems to inspire people even more than her work while she was alive.

The Power of A Woman Princess Diana seems as if she used her charm, beauty, eloquence, and warmth for benevolent purposes. She is the ideal female. She uses her attributes that one can only attribute to being a woman for good. She has neither too little nor too much sex appeal. She knows how to act appropriately in public. Her coolness and calmness in any situation inspire other me to be pulled together in public. Not that Diana believed in putting on appearances that were not true, but she always showed a face to the world that was presentable and real. Her grace and loveliness show what women are really capable of.