Most Famous Deaths in the Royal Family
Princess Diana(1961-1997)
A little after midnight on August 31, 1997 in Paris, France, a car carrying Princess Diana, her boyfriend, a bodyguard and a driver, went out of control in a Paris tunnel and crashed. Her boyfriend and the driver were killed almost instantly. Diana later died at the hospital despite efforts to save her. The bodyguard survived even though he dealt with critical injuries.The world went into shock. Many people blamed the paparazzi following the Princess' car and from whom the driver was trying to escape. Later tests showed that the driver was way over the legal alcohol limit. The Spencers, Diana's family, established a charitable fund in her name and within a week, $150 million had been contributed. Her funeral, on September 6, drew worldwide attention. Half the people in the world saw it on television and millions turned out to line the path of the funeral procession.
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(above) Prince Harry and Prince William talk about their mother's death.
Sir Angus Ogilvy(1928-2004)
Sir Angus Ogilvy died on December 26, 2004. He had suffered from throat cancer for several years. In his later years, he was too ill to attend many of the Royal engagements with his wife. His last public appearance was when he accompanied Princess Alexandra to Thailand for an official tour. His funeral was at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on January 5, 2005. He was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor.
Princess Margaret(1930-2002)
Princess Margaret, the sister of the Queen, died in the King Edward VII Hospital on February 9, 2002, after suffering from a stroke. Her funeral was held February 15, 2002, the 50th anniversary of her father's funeral. She was cremated at Slough Crematarium. Her ashes were placed in the tomb of her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother. Her nephew, Prince Charles said this about the Princess after her death: "My aunt was one of those remarkable people who, apart from being incredibly vital and attractive, and of course when she was young so many people remember her for that vitality and attractiveness and indeed her incredible beauty, but she also, and I think many people do not realize this, but she had such incredible talent."
Princess Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester(1901-2004)
Princess Alice died in her sleep on October 29, 2004 at the Kensington Palace. She was 102 years old. Her last public appearance was her 100th birthday ceremony in December 2001. She became the oldest living Royal Family member on July 24, 2003. Her funeral was on November 4, 2004 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. She was buried next to her husband, Henry and her elder son, William. The funeral service was attended by the Queen and several other members of the Royal Family. A memorial service was held at St. Clement Danes on February 2, 2005.
Elizabeth, the Queen Mother(1900-2002)
On March 30, 2002, at 3:15 pm, the Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep, with her surviving daughter, Queen Elizabeth by her side. She had been suffering from a cold for the last four months of her life. At the time of her death she was the longest-lived member of the Royal Family. The record was surpassed by Princess Alice in 2003. Her body was laid in Westminster Hall and over the course of three days, over 200,000 people gave their respects. April 9, 2002 was her funeral and more than a million people came to Westminster Abbey to see the ceremony. She is buried beside her younger daughter and husband at St. George's Chapel at Windsor's Castle.
