Where were you when you found out Diana died.

[BessieWallis Warfield]

I'm sure you guys who have been here for ages have been through this over and over, so my apologies.  But I find that Diana's unexpected death rocked the world, and the royal watcher world in particular.  It was such a shock, and if forever changed so many lives, so many people forever.

I'll start.  I was pregnant and we were visiting in laws in Florida.  I was cutting up fruit, helping my mother in law get ready for a barbecue the next day. All of a sudden at the bottom of the TV screen, which I could see from the kitchen there was a news brief that Diana had been in a car accident and that Dodi Al Fayed had died.  This must have been around 10 pm on the East Coast of the U.S.  So we watched for a time, and being pregnant I was tired.  As fascinated as I was I just up and went to bed!  I laugh about it now, but when you are pregnant, you just want your food and sleep sometimes.  If I had not been pregnant I would not have budged from that TV set all night. 

When I woke up I saw the news on CNN, I was standing up and just fell backward onto the couch.  I was so shocked.  Fortunately, I was on vacation at the time and watched CNN ad naseum.  I can remember it all so vividly. 

One of the things I remember most vividly was the look on Fergie's face the day of the funeral - she did not look merely ashen and grief stricken.  I thought she looked scared out of her wits.  Now, mind you, I'm not one of those people who think Diana was killed in a conspiracy, but I think Fergie did at the time.  And I think it was also right around this time when Fergie, who had been a bit wild, to say the least, really, really began to straighten up and fly right.  If she EVER had a relationship with another guy, she was the utmost in discretion.  No more public toe sucking for Fergie. 

[spanishlover]

hmmm it was 1997 so i had to be 4 years old...she died at night in france,while i live in the eastern part of the united states sooo...i had to either cradled in my mom's arms while she was is shock or i was at daycare....i dont know which one!

[Lady Alice]

I was still in California. It was my day off and I was at a friend's house watching a movie when it was announced in a break that she'd died. I was blown away.

[lyndell75]

At home flipping chanels on my tv, that's how I found out...at first they said accident until ...

[TLLK]

Sitting in a small diner in Paguitch, Utah with my then boyfriend, now husband. I was completely shocked.
 

[Ruffo]

I had wanted a hamburger a few days before but that day I decided to buy it so I was in my way home when I turned on the radio and there was the news about Diana, f"#$% it really ruined my day and I didn't know about the hamburger anymore, so far I don't know what happened with that hamburger I think that it got off the car and took a cab to its home.


This is true, seriously.

[Royalfan 72]

I was visiting my parents. My mum woke me up in the morning and told me that something terrible happend. She said Doddie was dead and Diana hurt. I swithched on TV immediately and they said that she died. I didn't know anything about the circumstances and I just thought, oh this awful paparazzies.

[monosin]

My former boy-friend and I came home from a movie and we heard of the accident on the radio before going asleep. I remember thinking
"God, please let her be ok." First thing I did next morning, I switched on TV and heard about her death, I was shocked and thought immediately about William & Henry. I saw her wedding back then and now I was to witness her funeral, I still believe the BRF wanted to get rid off her.
It's like 9/11 days I will never forget. Looking at the great pics here on RD I miss her more and more. Hope, she has found her peace up there.

[LadyBunion]

Up feeding a six week old and listening to the world service during the night... the bulletins got worse with each feed.

[tigerben]

I was with my boyfriend ( his my husband now) and we were due to go to his workplace barbecue, I was balling crying, rang the mother and I just couldn't believe the news, it was such a shock, I just wanted to sit in front of the tv all day, but had to slap on some make up, and go to the fricking do, the rest of the day is a blur to me, it really was one of the only times I've being Truely utterly shocked as Diana was such my favourite royal, I don't think bar Princess Grace , Caroline and Stephanie that I knew other royals existed!

[dlisted]

I was 15. My mom came up to my bed in the morning to wake me (which was highly unusual for a Sunday) and told me.

I was utterly shocked. I remember not being able to wrap my mind around the fact that she (Diana) could die. Famous people don't die. To imagine a world were Diana wasn't any more, was not an option.

I was watching TV non stop.

[Jane]

It was afternoon here. I was having coffee with a friend and my sister rang and told me. I was completely stunned. My husband ( then fiance) was at a football match and they announced it.

[hanzo1]

no offence to anyone- but I don't remember- It didn't really matter to me I remember watching the funeral but I was not emotionally connected to It just sad for two boys who lost their mom like any teenager would be

[christina01]

I was feeding my baby after lunch when my mother came to announce Diana was seriously injured. We were all shocked. It wasn't long before it was announced that she was in fact dead. That was it, from then on for about a week, it was all the news. I don't think there will be another time like that.

[Sondra Finchley]

I was at university in the Pacific time zone of the US and I was in the common area with a tv when whatever I was watching ended or Tom Brokaw broke in to announce that there had been an accident and then later that she had died.  It was a Saturday night so folks were coming and going, but a small crowd did start to form after a while.  At the time I had a long distance relationship with a British guy, so I rang them early in the morning.  He went and got the newspapers and I still have the headline pages.

I don't remember crying, just feeling like something had been taken from me and I was extremely sorry to see it go.  I wonder if a lot of people felt like that.

My mom and aunt were very much into the Diana mania, and my aunt still has the VHS she recorded (with Tom Brokaw announcing) of the wedding, so I guess I got some of that obsession!