Why does Diana still fascinate us? That was the question asked by NBC's Chris Hampson and the conclusions were interesting. (If you missed the coverage then you can see the archived footage of the initial announcement of the crash , highlights from the funeral, and extended coverage of the life and death of Diana.)
Her funeral was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide. I was one of those watching the proceedings in the Indianapolis airport as I prepared to leave for a speaking engagement in Washington. The world was riveted by her death.
Why?
The allure of Princess Diana was as much because of her fairy tale life as it was her extensive charity work. That is not to say that she did not make a contribution. She certainly did, using her celebrated status to draw attention to many significant causes, including AIDS and landmine campaigns. The interesting dichotomy about Princess Diana's death, however, is the how it overshadowed the death of another less-famous, yet more profound, celebrity, Mother Teresa.
Like the death of C.S. Lewis on November 22, 1963 being equally over-shadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Mother Teresa's incredible legacy was lessened because the media chose to focus our attention Princess Diana. Even five days later, on September 5th when Mother Teresa died, the Princess Diana coverage smothered her legacy like a blanket. Be looking for the same as the media commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the deaths of these two public figures. Aaah well, 'tis to be expected from the media I suppose. They draw our attention to the celebrities among us rather than those whose lives are less glamorous and then wonder why America's children are less informed on world affairs (Sorry--soapbox).
This anniversary of both of these interesting ladies should serve to remind us of the importance of using our gifts and abilities, and every opportunity available to us, to influence to world around us. No matter what our state or station in life, there is much we each can offer a needy world.