I like many people woke to the shocking news that Diana, Princess of Wales had died over night in a car crash in Paris. It was a Sunday morning, and like much of the nation I spent quite a bit of the day watching the TV as her body was returned to the UK. The next morning, listening to the radio on the way to work I have to admit I cried as Everybody Hurts by REM was played. Not many peoples darkest days of mourning are played out hour by hour day by day but her family’s was. To some people the Queen and her family were some kind of awful ogres who had thrust her out from the family into the wilderness. We were treated to newspaper and magazine articles and tv programmes showing her life, the news showed us all of the people queuing to sign books of remembrance, people placing flowers outside Kensington Palace. All of this to a woman most of them knew only from those photos and her ever presence on our TV screens. We were told this was an out pouring of grief. Psychologists, who hadn’t yet been called upon to discuss big brother, discussed the phenomenon earnestly. Finally (well if only it had been finally) we had the funeral. For the first time in my memory the streets were deserted, the shops closed on a Saturday in September.

My own memories of the funeral are actually quite special as I had my Grandmother and Aunt over to watch the events unfold. Special because just two years later my nan died and her own reaction and comments have stayed with me. She was someone who had no real time for Diana. She felt that the Queen, who she considered to be one of the only Royals worth bothering with, has suffered because of her actions. Once Diana had died, however, she made out she was her biggest supporter and stated that she had been a misunderstood woman. Those thoughts make me smile today, both in relation to Diana’s effect but also my nan’s reaction to the whole thing.

Since that day in 1997 there has hardly been a day when we haven’t heard some reference to Diana. There have been numerous conspiracy theories, re-enactments of her last hours, films about her and in some newspapers a daily diet of various theories of her life and death.

I am glad that her two son’s the Princes William and Harry wanted to have the memorial service today, and I am equally glad that the Bishop of London said during his address that a line should now be drawn, that she should be allowed to rest in peace, for their sakes and really for all of our sakes. I only wish it were going to happen.

Click here for the BBC message board about other people’s thoughts of today.

Seeing is believing – on page on of google images if you type in Diana, princess of Wales, you get the picture of the crashed car, how horrible is that?