Opinion: Why Princess Diana is the most important and influential royal in recent history, and yes, that includes the late Queen

From single-handedly rescuing the global perception of the Crown to representing the voiceless, the people’s princess had it all and more.

The final season of The Crown is set to conclude this month. As divisive as ever, the Netflix series has fuelled yet more controversy surrounding the British Royal Family, particularly regarding the tragic death of Princess Diana. Despite her relatively short life, the Princess of Wales made an impact many would struggle to achieve. While her Majesty the Queen was the mother of the nation for just shy of 70 years, Diana Spencer cemented herself as the most important and influential royal in recent history in a much shorter space of time.

Princess Diana had already obtained the status of “the people’s princess” by the time she embarked on her first politically delicate overseas tour of Australia in March 1983. Following the dismissal of the 1975 Whitlam government and the arrival of the acutely republican prime minister Bob Hawke, public opinion of the monarchy was low, and it was pivotal that the trip be a success. However, it was more than that; it was a triumph. Diana’s refreshing lack of pretence and vibrant personality captured the hearts of Australia, particularly the extremely republican Hawke, with Mrs Hawke telling the Mirror of her charm, and she was mobbed everywhere she went. People couldn’t get enough of her. One hundred thousand awaited her in Brisbane, and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle even documented how “the most sophisticated of Australian cities went wild” for her. The tour had superseded that of the late Queen in 1954 and repaired the damage of 1975, with a poll finding monarchists outnumbered republicans two to one.

The birth of Prince William and Harry in the early 1980s revealed Diana’s talent for motherhood, a trait that would come to define her so prominently. Far from the stiff upper lip approach of the late Queen, people empathized with Diana; she was relatable, and for the first time, so were the Royal Family. She was devoted to ensuring the boys had a normal life; for example, Prince William was the first heir to attend public school. But she also exposed them to its cold truths: “She very much wanted us to get to see the rawness of life,” William told ABC News in 2012, recalling their various charity visits with their mother. Given the turbulent nature of the early 1990s for The Royal Family, with its ebbing popularity unsurprisingly coinciding with Charles and Diana’s separation, the people had made it clear what kind of monarch they wanted - somebody modern and self-aware, somebody like Diana.

However, it was her charity work that was her greatest legacy, which immortalised her as “the people’s princess”. In April 1987, Diana made international headlines when she shook the hand of a male Aids patient when opening the first purpose-built HIV Aids unit. Following that, the Princess became patron of the National Aids Trust in 1989. In a society that condemned the illness as “the gay disease” and saw headlines such as “I’d shoot my son if he had Aids, says vicar”, run by tabloids like The Sun, Princess Diana was hugely influential in dispelling the stigma surrounding the disease. Her work against the plight of landmines with the HALO Trust resulted in the passing of the International Personnel Mine Ban Treaty a few weeks after her death, while her determination to end youth homelessness and poverty saw Diana become patron of Centrepoint in 1992, visiting victims across the world. William and Harry still support and regularly visit many of these charities today. Essentially, Diana had set the precedent for how utilising their status effectively could give a voice to those most in need, installing an innate humanitarian quality and willingness to get involved, within the royals.

Before Diana, the Royal Family was very much a collective, with perhaps the exception of the Queen. Each member would support the monarch and promote British industry. However, Diana was much more than that; she was a global icon on an unprecedented scale. From her fairytale-like dance with John Travolta at the White House, which captivated America, to taking to the stage with world-renowned dancer Wayne Sleep to the tune of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” Diana demonstrated what the royals could and should be. Her regular appearances at the world’s biggest events, such as Cannes and the Met Gala, indicated that Diana understood the modern world and how to take advantage of it. As one of the world’s most photographed women, she knew she had a tremendous amount of influence; for example, her fashion promoted British and London-based labels. Diana would also indulge in modern concepts, such as being more openly emotional about personal struggles. In doing so, Diana formed a unique connection with people globally.

Despite her passing 26 years ago, Diana forged an everlasting legacy. With the royals constantly in the public eye, it’s difficult to overlook how Diana was and could have been the glue holding everything together. Diana’s legacy lives on in William and Harry and in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. With the death of the late Queen, and Charles not getting any younger, the sun is setting on this chapter of the monarchy, yet with William and Kate on the horizon, we await the birth of a new one. One moulded in the image of Diana.