Despite a silence that extended for about a week after the death of British Princess Diana, in 1997, the late Queen of Britain, Elizabeth II, “bowed” and “violated protocol” more than once in order to honor the late “Princess of Hearts”.
The Queen’s position on the late princess was a popular story in newspapers and magazines at home and abroad, especially with regard to the palace’s position on her, and upon her death there was increased talk about this matter.
After Diana’s death in a tragic car accident on August 31, 1997, the Queen did not issue an official statement and did not appear until September 5 of that year and “break protocol,” according to the newspaper. The Washington Post In a report entitled “The Moment when Queen Princess Diana gave her due 25 years ago.”
That year, amid public anger at Queen Elizabeth II for her silence after Diana’s death, in what was considered a “rare and major misstep” in the queen’s 70-year reign, the Queen “changed course”.
The newspaper said that Princess Diana “died, leaving two young children without a mother, and Queen Elizabeth II did not say anything for about a week.”
In contrast, then-new Prime Minister Tony Blair, within hours of her death, issued a statement referring to the “People’s Princess”, crowds cried in the streets, dozens of condolence books were filled with messages of condolence, and all the royal palaces were filled with bouquets of flowers despite the lack of one in it.
At that time, the royal family remained at Balmoral in Scotland, while Diana’s coffin “layed alone in St James’s Palace, in London, as the people saw it”, and this seemed to symbolize “the expulsion of a shy and insecure girl from the royal fold.” and chased her, perhaps literally, to death.”
As the days passed without a statement from the Queen, or even a sign of her wearing black clothes, the anger of the British grew, who wanted to see the sadness they felt reflected on their queen, and this was also reflected in the newspapers that came with headlines such as: Where is our Queen?, And “Show us that you care” and “Your people are suffering, speak to us, madam.”
Finally, on the fifth of September, the Queen returned to London to “give Diana her due.” The first breach of protocol occurred when her car reached the gates of Buckingham Palace, and instead of passing through the gate, the car stopped and the Queen got off, and walked beside “waves” of flowers, and saluted The standing crowd “solidly and awkwardly”.
That evening, she gave a live speech, another departure from protocol, because she did so for the death of a woman who had no official role.
The Queen appeared nervous, and as she paid tribute to the princess, she hinted at people’s anger at her silence, saying: “We have all tried to cope in our different ways. It is not easy to express a sense of loss because the initial shock is often followed by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension. and anger.”
The next day, on the day of the funeral, the “biggest breach of protocol” occurred when the Queen stood with her family, and as Diana’s funeral procession passed, she bowed her head, “neither a quick nor a shallow bow.”
The newspaper says: “The woman who used to be bowed down by the world, now bowed her head and humbly honored the princess.”
And it was that bow that “broke the fever of anger against the Queen and her family.”
And now, 25 years later, as the world prepares to bid farewell to the Queen, “he still remembers this bow in his long list of accomplishments.”