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Diana, Her Life and Legacy
The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, moved the entire world. This book is dedicated to her memory. Inspired by the universal outpouring of grief, it is offered as a tribute to her grace, wit and beauty, and as testimony to her remarkable compassion. Here was a royal icon who stepped from the gilded picture frame to reach out and embrace the sick and the maimed, the lonely victims of war and of disease. And who herself knew the desolation of a broken marriage and betrayal, the anguish of separation from her children, the fear of being pursued and knowing that her life would never be her own again.
There are more than 150 photographs and text by Anthony Holden illuminating the key moments of her thirty-six years of hope, despair, devotion and hope again.
Holden was a friend of the Princess and met privately with her shortly before the tragedy in Paris. He brings a uniquely informed perspective to this new account of her life. He writes of her desertion by her mother, her courtship and royal marriage, her disillusionment with the marriage, her selfless pursuit of often unpopular causes, her qualities as a mother, her beauty and charisma and the powerful influence she had begun to exert on political and religious leaders around the world.
The photographs reflect the great themes that characterized Diana's life, but also her relationship with the camera, and with the media in their various aspects; her love of dance and of the joys of life in general; and much else. Above all, the pictures give us a record of her extraordinary capacity to convey by a touch and a look her love for the troubled individual and for humanity. In memory of Diana, Random House will donate half of its profits from the sales of this book to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation-the leading national nonprofit foundation that funds and conducts critical pediatric AIDS research worldwide. It is a fitting memorial to one of the most appealing figures of our time.
There are more than 150 photographs and text by Anthony Holden illuminating the key moments of her thirty-six years of hope, despair, devotion and hope again.
Holden was a friend of the Princess and met privately with her shortly before the tragedy in Paris. He brings a uniquely informed perspective to this new account of her life. He writes of her desertion by her mother, her courtship and royal marriage, her disillusionment with the marriage, her selfless pursuit of often unpopular causes, her qualities as a mother, her beauty and charisma and the powerful influence she had begun to exert on political and religious leaders around the world.
The photographs reflect the great themes that characterized Diana's life, but also her relationship with the camera, and with the media in their various aspects; her love of dance and of the joys of life in general; and much else. Above all, the pictures give us a record of her extraordinary capacity to convey by a touch and a look her love for the troubled individual and for humanity. In memory of Diana, Random House will donate half of its profits from the sales of this book to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation-the leading national nonprofit foundation that funds and conducts critical pediatric AIDS research worldwide. It is a fitting memorial to one of the most appealing figures of our time.
189 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1997
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About the author
Anthony Holden
93 books22 followersAnthony Holden is an English writer, broadcaster and critic, particularly known as a biographer of artists.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 4, 2023
England. 1997. Anthony Holden’s Diana, Her Life & Her Legacy is one of the first books published following the horrific automobile ‘crash’ in a Paris underpass which killed upon impact the driver and Dodd Fayed while injuring Princess Diana, but ,unfortunately, no one immediately realized that Princess Diana had been mortally wounded. She died at/around 4:00 am on August 31, 1997. I remember exactly where I was as does everyone. It is/was that kind of tragic event such as JFK’s assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 that all remember exact where they were and/or
what they were doing! This book is filled with many photos of the Princess beginning when the news began to circulate that Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, was to marry. The press began to hound the soon-to-be Princess of Wales, a 19 year old British aristocrat who ultimately became the “most photographed woman in the world”. “To those whose lives overlapped with hers, if only from a distance, she remains a blinding reminder of the light which is surely there, however long arriving, at the end of every tunnel.” The pictures found in this book illustrate all aspects of the Princess life, and they are stunning and unforgettable. The narrative and quotations that accompany the photographs do truly tell the Princess’ story ending with The Earl Spenser’s, her brother, dynamic eulogy. “We give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty - both internal and external - will never be extinguished from our minds.” I was reorganizing some of my books when I rediscovered this beauty. I immediately reread it from cover to cover. The following quotation stated by Princess Diana reached out to me.
“The biggest disease this world suffers from is the disease of people feeling unloved. I know that I can give love, for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a week.” She surely did. I miss her. Highly recommended! 5+ stars!
what they were doing! This book is filled with many photos of the Princess beginning when the news began to circulate that Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, was to marry. The press began to hound the soon-to-be Princess of Wales, a 19 year old British aristocrat who ultimately became the “most photographed woman in the world”. “To those whose lives overlapped with hers, if only from a distance, she remains a blinding reminder of the light which is surely there, however long arriving, at the end of every tunnel.” The pictures found in this book illustrate all aspects of the Princess life, and they are stunning and unforgettable. The narrative and quotations that accompany the photographs do truly tell the Princess’ story ending with The Earl Spenser’s, her brother, dynamic eulogy. “We give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty - both internal and external - will never be extinguished from our minds.” I was reorganizing some of my books when I rediscovered this beauty. I immediately reread it from cover to cover. The following quotation stated by Princess Diana reached out to me.
“The biggest disease this world suffers from is the disease of people feeling unloved. I know that I can give love, for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a week.” She surely did. I miss her. Highly recommended! 5+ stars!
November 5, 2023
This biographic love letter to Diana, princess of Wales is stunning. It are mostly pictures carefully selected with appropriate quotes to remember the most vibrant royal ever.
A lovely must read if you don't like reading.
A lovely must read if you don't like reading.
Read
October 14, 2025Thrifted for the royal images that I wanted to encounter, ended up reading and enjoying for the storyline!! Love the images of her and her kids. Appreciated the documentary style mixed with formal.
June 22, 2016
For anyone who admired Princess Diana this book is a treasure. It is filled with beautiful phographs and I learned some things about her I didn't know. I found this gem at my local Thrift for 2.98 in excellent condition.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews