In honor of the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, WKTV 25 will be airing a special half hour memorial tribute “Princess Diana: A Tribute To England’s Rose.”
The show will air Monday, Aug. 28, at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.; and Friday, Sept. 1 at noon.
“I did the special because I have always admired Princess Diana and wanted to honor her,” said producer and longtime WKTV volunteer Kim Johnson.
Princess Diana was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. The Spencer family was of British nobility. She married Prince Charles, the heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth II, on July 29, 1981. The marriage ended in divorce in 1996.
Diana remained the object of worldwide media scrutiny during and after her marriage during and after her marriage. he was celebrated for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She was involved with dozens of charities including London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, of which she was president from 1989.
A year after her divorce, Diana was was fatally injured in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. The sudden and unexpected death of an extraordinarily popular royal figure brought statements from senior figures worldwide and many tributes by members of the public. People left public offerings of flowers, candles, cards, and personal messages outside Kensington Palace for many months.
Her funeral was Sept. 6, 1997. At the funeral, Elton John performed a rewritten version of his song “Candle in the Wind,” which he retitled “Goodbye England’s Rose.” Diana was laid to rest on on an island on the grounds of the Spencer Family home, Althorp Park.
