Princess Diana Facts: Things To Know About The Princess Of Wales On Her 56th Birthday

Twenty years after her tragic death, Britain's Princess Diana, Prince’s Charles’ first wife and mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, is still fondly remembered by millions across the world for her down-to-earth nature and for being the “people’s princess.”

July 1 marks the Princess of Wales’ 56th birthday. Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry will attend a private service to rededicate the grave of Diana to commemorate the her birthday. Royal officials announced this Thursday adding that William and Kate’s young children Princess Charlotte and Prince George will also attend the service, to be held Saturday.

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However, Prince Charles and his second wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will not be present at the service as the royal couple will be in Canada to perform their duties on Canada Day, reports said. The service will be conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury, Kensington Palace said Wednesday.

Princess Diana’s death was mourned by her family and friends alike and her memory has been kept alive for two decades now.

Born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961, Diana became royalty at the age of 14 and was then called Lady Diana after her father, John Spencer, became the eighth Earl of Spencer in 1975. Diana grew up among British aristocratic families and later married Prince Charles, first in line to the British throne, in an elaborate ceremony in 1981.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. Their wedding was telecast on worldwide television that had an estimated audience of was more than 700 million people. Following the wedding ceremony, Diana assumed the title of Her Royal Highness, Princess of Wales.

Princess Diana’s wedding dress was decorated with over 10,000 tiny mother of pearl sequins and pearls. It also included a 25-foot-long train, which was said to be the longest in royal history. In order to support England’s booming fashion industry, Diana hired a young designing couple, David and Elizabeth Emanuel, after they had met through an editor at Vogue . “We knew it had to be something that was going to go down in history, but also something that Diana loved,” Elizabeth had said. “And we knew it was going to be at St. Paul’s so it had to be something that would fill the aisle and be quite dramatic.”

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Prince Charles and Diana got divorced in 1996, but the princess still remained famous among her former subjects. Throughout the years of being the princess and performing the duties of royalty, the Princess of Wales was well-known for her philanthropy and dedication toward charities, especially HIV and AIDS research.

“I'd like to be a queen of people's hearts, in people's hearts, but I don't see myself being queen of this country,” Diana once said, adding “I don't think many people will want me to be queen.”

Diana died in a car crash on Aug. 31, 1997 along with her companion, Egyptian film producer Dodi al Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul. Her death was mourned by millions all over the world and vigils were held to remember the “people’s princess.”

It is said that Diana is buried on an island in an ornamental lake called The Oval within Althorp Park's Pleasure Garden, where visitors are not allowed, The Telegraph reported. However, the exact location of her grave has never been disclosed to the public. Visitors who pay to enter the estate are also not permitted on the island. Althorp has been the Spencer family seat for 18 generations and the estate has been operated by Diana’s younger brother Charles, the ninth Earl Spencer since their father's death.