World Remembers Princess Diana 18 Years After Fatal Crash

Monday marks the 18th anniversary of Princess Diana’s untimely death, which rocked the world when she was killed at age 37 in a tragic car crash on August 31, 1997. Her lover, Dodi Fayed, also perished in the crash, which happened in a Paris tunnel while they tried to escape the paparazzi. British Telecommunications remembers the public’s stunned reaction to Diana’s death.

“As the news broke in Britain, hundreds of mourners began to gather outside Kensington Palace, the Princess’s London residence, leaving floral tributes that would grow to five feet deep over the following week.”

Although the driver, hotel security chief Henri Paul, was ultimately found to have been intoxicated at the time of the crash that killed Princess Diana, the public – and many celebs – spoke out in the days and weeks after the incident to condemn the paparazzi and the media for causing the wreck, USA Today reports.

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Shortly after Princess Diana died, George Clooney also spoke out at a special news conference, blasting the mainstream media for their role in her death.

“You’ve deflected responsibility. Yet I wonder how you sleep at night. You should be ashamed! I watch as you scramble for high ground, take your position on CNN saying there is a market for this and you are just supplying the goods.”

Princess Diana’s grave is enveloped in flowers and other mature foliage as the world prepares to mark another year since her passing. A spokesman told the Mirror her grave will become “part of the ancient landscape over time.” The princess is buried at Althorp Estate in a location that “intentionally lends privacy” to her final resting place in what would have been Diana’s 54th year.

Princess Diana’s two boys – Prince William and Prince Harry – have become huge celebs in their own right and have made certain her unique charitable legacy lives on by consistently dedicating time to work that honors their mother’s memory, Woman’s Day reported.

In 2013, Prince Harry walked in his mother’s footsteps by visiting South Africa, where his mother once made headlines by walking bravely over a minefield while visiting with victims of land mines. Prince William also carried on a charitable family tradition started by Princess Diana when he took on the honorable role of president of the Royal Marsden Hospital Trust, where his mother also served under the same title for eight years.

Today, Princess Diana is remembered for many things, including her role as a style icon; her incredibly generous personality and dedication to humanitarian work; and for being a phenomenal mother with a hands-on approach to raising her boys.

Where were you when news broke of Princess Diana’s death? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments section below.

[Photo Credit: Princess Diana Archive / Stringer / Getty Images]