August 31, 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, Dies in a Car Crash in Paris

August 31, 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, Dies in a Car Crash in Paris

August 31, 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, Dies in a Car Crash in Paris

“She ended up symbolizing a new set of values: self-invention, psychotherapy, emotional expressivity, egalitarian marriage and women’s right to seek love in and out of wedlock, flamboyant consumerism, public relations, superstardom, the Oprahfication of everything.”

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

Princess Diana died on this day in 1997. Then Katha Pollitt wrote one of her best columns ever, “Thoroughly Modern Di” (September 29, 1997).

She may have begun as a nineteenth-century throwback, a barely educated, docile, medically certified virgin waving from a Cinderella glass coach on her way to a “fairy tale wedding” that was actually a marital transaction as cynical and cold-blooded as any in Henry James. But she ended up symbolizing a new set of values: self-invention, psychotherapy, emotional expressivity, egalitarian marriage and women’s right to seek love in and out of wedlock, flamboyant consumerism, public relations, superstardom, the Oprahfication of everything. You can see why women would love her story, which puts a triumphant and glamorous spin on so many themes of contemporary women’s lives—eating disorders, depression, chilly husbands, bad marriages, divorce—culminating in near-total victory over the mother of all mothers-in-law from hell. And because these are indeed real issues that in some ways transcend class, those who critcize the princess tend to sound callous, reactionary and misogynous….

That said, for me, the amazing thing about the Diana story is simply that there is a Diana story…. What depresses me about the outpouring of emotion on the death of Diana is what it says about how little so many millions of people expect out of life. It’s pathetic, really, all those grown men and women telling reporters how much it meant to them that Diana visited some relative’s hospital room, or shook their hand at the opening of a supermarket, or just “meant something” or “made a difference” of some never-exactly-specified nature. It’s as if people have abandoned any hope of achieving justice, equality, self-determination, true democracy, and want nothing more than a ruling class with a human face.

August 31, 1997

To mark The Nation’s 150th anniversary, every morning this year The Almanac will highlight something that happened that day in history and how The Nation covered it. Get The Almanac every day (or every week) by signing up to the e-mail newsletter.

We need your support

What’s at stake this November is the future of our democracy. Yet Nation readers know the fight for justice, equity, and peace doesn’t stop in November. Change doesn’t happen overnight. We need sustained, fearless journalism to advocate for bold ideas, expose corruption, defend our democracy, secure our bodily rights, promote peace, and protect the environment.

This month, we’re calling on you to give a monthly donation to support The Nation’s independent journalism. If you’ve read this far, I know you value our journalism that speaks truth to power in a way corporate-owned media never can. The most effective way to support The Nation is by becoming a monthly donor; this will provide us with a reliable funding base.

In the coming months, our writers will be working to bring you what you need to know—from John Nichols on the election, Elie Mystal on justice and injustice, Chris Lehmann’s reporting from inside the beltway, Joan Walsh with insightful political analysis, Jeet Heer’s crackling wit, and Amy Littlefield on the front lines of the fight for abortion access. For as little as $10 a month, you can empower our dedicated writers, editors, and fact checkers to report deeply on the most critical issues of our day.

Set up a monthly recurring donation today and join the committed community of readers who make our journalism possible for the long haul. For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth and justice—can you help us thrive for 160 more?

Onwards,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x