The Woman Who Stole the World's Heart by Brian Foden Long after her death in a 1997 car crash, Diana's legacy lives on.

12/25 Although it has been more than 15 years since her tragic death in 1997, the woman commonly referred to as Princess Diana continues to be fondly remembered the world over.

It's interesting to note, though, that despite the fact that 'princess' was and often still is used to describe her, Diana was never actually one (=princess) in the strictest definition.

She even asked people not to call her by that title. As a member of one of Britain's most prominent (= important and well-known ) noble families, Diana Spencer was born into the world of the aristocracy on July 1, She became Lady Diana in 1975, when her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer.

aristocracy [count] : the highest social class in some countries : the people who have special titles (such as duke and duchess), who typically own land, and who traditionally have more money and power than the other people in a society ▪ a member of the aristocracy

With such a background, it's not surprising that the family had a strong connection to Britain's Royal Family. As a child, Diana played with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, the younger brothers of Prince Charles, who is the current heir to the throne.

In the late 1970s, Prince Charles became romantically involved with (= weaker than love )Diana, and her life was never the same again. Known for her love of children, Diana was working as a kindergarten teacher while she and Prince Charles dated. malleable  capable of being easily changed or influenced

The way of looking and behaving  ? the wedding of the century Her shyness and polite demeanor, coupled with her wholesome (=good for health) lifestyle and attractiveness, helped (= contributed to ; weaker than “made” ) the public fall in love with her from the start. It was a fairy tale romance(?) culminating in a lavish event that many (people) described as the wedding of the century on July 29, 1981.

Guess the words!! ________ with (someone) formal + disapproving : to spend time with (someone)  consort reach the end or the final result of something  culminate giving or using a large amount of something\more than enough  lavish

The televised nuptials were watched by millions of viewers around the world. What followed was a turbulent marriage that resulted in Diana giving birth to two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Here’s another turn!! [plural] formal : a wedding or wedding ceremony  nuptials full of confusion, violence, or disorder : not stable or steady  turbulent

However, the marriage was severely marred (=made less perfect ) by scandalous infidelity on both sides, bitterness and depression, particularly on Diana's part. involving immoral or shocking things that a person has done or is believed to have done --? the act or fact of having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than your husband, wife, or partner [noncount] --?

12/26 Diana's marriage is perhaps best known for being a highly publicized failure of epic proportions. During that time, she threw herself into a variety of worthwhile causes [ that further endeared her to the British public and the rest of the world ].

» epic →a long book, movie, etc., that usually tells a story about exciting events or adventures. » Publicize → to cause (something) to be publicly known » cause → something (such as an organization, belief, idea, or goal) that a group or people support or fight for » endear → to cause (someone) to be loved or admired by (someone or something)

Her charitable and humanitarian work included raising funds to fight homelessness, assisting children in poverty, and helping people living with AIDS. ostracise  to not allow (someone) to be included in a group : to exclude (someone) from a group

dispel At a time when many had an intense fear (= massive panic ) of the disease, Diana touched and shook the hands of AIDS patients without hesitation, helping to dispel (= get rid of ) a myth [ that the deadly disease was contagious through any physical contact ]. dispel  to make (something, such as a belief, feeling, or idea) go away or end

Another one of her high-profile campaigns was the banning and uncovering of landmines in former war zones. She even went as far as to visit victims [ who lost limbs due to landmine accidents in Angola and Bosnia ]. go as far as to do sth….(originally mean sth negative and out of ordinary)

The worldwide attention Diana drew to the initiatives she became involved in helped make a difference in the world.  Diana drew the worldwide attention to the initiatives she became involved in and helped make a difference in the world. Initiative  new action or new movement

The unselfish charitable work she started continues today through the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, which gives money to the campaign to stop landmines as well as support to refugees and sick people in Africa.

Her remarkable legacy has been recognized several times. In 1999, for example, TIME magazine named her one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.

A few years after that in 2002, a poll conducted by the BBC put her in third place on a list of the 100 Greatest Britons, a higher ranking than her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II. Briton: a British person