Research questions
To answer our main question "To what extent did Princess Diana change the public’s view of the British royal family?", we created several sub-questions to help us find a clear answer. Below, we answer both the main question and the sub-questions using our survey, interviews, and research.
Sub-questions
What was the influence of her death on the relationship between the British people and the royal family?
The death had an enormous influence on the relationship between the British people and the royal family. First of all, her death had an influence on the British people. According to journalist and writer Andrew Morton this was noticeable. ‘Diana's death had a tremendous influence on the people of Britain. As a nation we went from being a stiff upper lip country to a trembling lower lip, that is to say we were prepared to be emotional in public.’ After the death of Diana not only whole Great-Britain was grieving, but the whole world as well.
‘The whole country has been sobbing for a whole week, over the death of a woman they didn’t know, who the had never seen. This was a remarkable moment, maybe even the most fascinating moments since I’ve lived here.’ Journalist Lia van Bekhoven was in England at the time of death and said that Diana was very loved by the people.
Van Bekhoven also believes that Diana changed the royal family. ‘I think she did change the royal family, she certainly gave the royal family and the country the idea that the royal family because of Diana hipper, more modern and younger was. However, she changed the royal family in that, for example, the Queen now also went to homeless shelters, etc. Diana did that, which Elizabeth would never have done.’ Thanks to Diana, the royal has gained a greater sense of community and a genuine connection with the people.
Diana’s death changed the royal family. ‘The royal family became more relaxed more touchy feely and we see that with the work of Catherine and William. Both are relaxed in public, prepared to discuss difficult issues like mental health.’ according to Morton.
Diana made royal family more open, accessible and more human. The difference between the old and new royal family is according to journalist Patrick van Ijzendoorn clearly noticeable after Diana’s death. ‘What’s interesting is the days after her death, that the royal family were on vacation in the north of Scotland, in the summer country house. They saw no reason to come to London and grieve with the citizens. That caused a huge uprising among the population. Where was the Queen? She should grieve too? She has to be here. She must give us comfort. Eventually, she came to London. But that showed the difference between the old royal house, the aloofness and the new royal house, mourning with death.’
So, did Diana’s death affect the relationship between the royal family and the British people? Yes, absolutely. Diana was truly as princess of the people. She was open, actively sought contact with people, and made them feel that their emotions and problems mattered. This attitude was inspiring for the royal family. This is reflected in a royal family that is now more human, accessible, and involved in society. Her death has changed the relationship between the people and the royal family.
In what way did Diana change the royal family?
Diana changed the royal family. Before Diana became a princess, the British royal family was seen as static, distant, and formal. This created a gap between the British public and the royal family. After Diana became a princess, she changed the royal family. This is evident not only in the reasoning of experts but also in the views of the British people. According to a survey among the British population, 35 out of 55 respondents believed that the royal family changed during the time Diana was a princess. Responses included: ‘I feel the royal family have made steps to be more relatable since the death of Diana,’ ‘They have shown their human side more,’ and ‘More open, modern and approachable.’
‘I do think she changed the royal family, she gave at least both the monarchy and the country the sense that, because of Diana, it was trendier, more modern, and younger,’ says journalist Lia van Bekhoven, who believes Diana was responsible for this change. ‘She changed the royal family in the sense that, for example, the Queen also began visiting homeless shelters, which was something Diana did and Elizabeth would never have done before.’ Members of the royal family also changed, such as Elizabeth, the previous Queen of England. Diana inspired the family to engage more with current events in Britain, but also around the world.
‘She was very unique in her appearance; she was a young woman, charismatic, very open with the media, and something of a glamour model, receiving a great deal of publicity related to fashion and humanitarian issues such as AIDS, famine, and housing shortages. She was a modern princess. That was very different from the distant royal family of the past.’ According to journalist Patrick van IJzendoorn, Diana showed a new and more accessible side of the monarchy, bringing it closer to the public. ‘Adapting to the times has been the strength of the British royal family. In that respect, they owe a great deal to Diana, she warned them that they must not become outdated and irrelevant,’ Van IJzendoorn says.
‘The royal family became more relaxed more touchy feely and we see that with the work of Catherine and William. Both are relaxed in public, prepared too to discuss difficult issues like mental health. ’ says Andrew Morton, author of ‘Diana, Her True story.’ Diana: Her True Story.
So, in what way did Diana change the royal family? Diana changed the royal family by making it more modern, open, approachable and by encouraging it to engage more with contemporary issues. Because she involved herself with complex social questions and drew attention to problems, the distance between the public and the royal family was reduced. Diana’s attitude and the issues she brought in the spotlight led to a change in the royal family.
What are the differences between Diana and other members of the Royal Family?
Diana got the nickname the people’s princess, and not without reason. As you can read in the interview with Lia van Bekhoven, the media and people of England saw her as someone who should change the British Royal family. Where other members stayed more in the background and didn’t get into direct contact with the people, Diana did. She visited AIDS patients and helped with humanitarian causes. She was different from the rest of the British Royal family and was more open to the media. She was close to the people of England and was very popular. This is also the reason why so many people reacted so intensely to her death. There was also a big difference between Queen Elizabeth and Diana when she died. Elizabeth decided to stay in Scotland and kept herself distant from the mourning people. There was a lot of commotion causing her to head to England anyways. According to Patrick van IJzendoorn, she was seen as a mother because of her help with world issues. This did influence her children, as they also help people and are more open about different causes. According to Andrew Morton, the people admired her, because she was different and less dependent than the rest of the British Royal family. She was closer to the people, more open about her mental health and kept herself busy with humanitairian causes. Her sons followed her lead and are more open themselves.
Has the British society changed because of Diana’s influence?
Princess Diana meant a lot to Great Britain because of her charity work and because she spoke openly about topics that were not talked about before. But did she really change the British people, and how could this be noticed?
From the survey 49% of the people said that Diana did not change the British society. The other 50% said that they think she did. They believe that British people have become less reserved and are now better at expressing their feelings. Others think that Diana helped reduce the stigma around AIDS and HIV, which also changed people’s views. There are different opinions. Some people say that the public became more open towards the royal family. Others think that the way the royal family acted after Diana’s death caused people to lose respect for them and for the monarchy.
The idea that people became better at expressing emotions is also mentioned by Lia van Bekhoven. When we asked her how people in Great Britain felt right after Diana’s death, she said that Britain was known as a country with a “stiff upper lip,” where emotions were not showed quickly. She said that after Diana’s death, this changed and people showed their feelings more openly and often. This matches the answers from the survey.
Emotionally, Diana clearly had an effect on the British people. On a large scale, the population may not have changed much, but if you look at small details her influence can still be seen.
Main research question
To what extent did Princess Diana change the public’s view of the British royal family?
Princess Diana changed the way the British public saw the royal family in a big way. Before she became a princess, the royal family was seen as formal, traditional, and distant. Members of the royal family did not show their personal feelings in public. Diana changed this through her open and caring attitude toward the people.
She made the royal family seem more human and relatable. Through her charitywork with AIDS patients, homeless people, and other vulnerable groups, she showed that a princess could have direct contact with ordinary citizens. She was not afraid of physical contact and helped break taboos. She also spoke openly about her mental health and her marriage problems. This was unusual for a member of the royal family, but it helped many people relate to her. Because of this, the image of the royal family became less distant and more approachable.
Our interviews show that Diana made the royal family seem more modern and younger. Journalists explained that she gave people the feeling that the royal family was moving with the times. It also became clear that, because of her influence, the royal family had to change in order to stay important and relevant in society.
The survey supports this idea. Most respondents said that during and after Diana’s time, the royal family became more open and accessible. Some people also mentioned that the royal family’s first reaction after Diana’s death seemed distant, which led to a lot of criticism. This shows that people’s expectations had changed: they wanted more empathy and involvement from them.
Her death made this change even stronger. The huge public reaction showed how much people felt connected to Diana. Since then, the public expects the royal family to show more care and be involved.
In conclusion, Diana greatly changed the way the British public views the royal family. She reduced the distance between the monarchy and the people and made openness, humanity, and involvement important expectations of the modern royal family.