Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, marked on August 31st the 29 years since the princess's death by lowering the flag to half-mast at the Althorp House estate in Northamptonshire, England. The tribute was shared on social media by the 9th Earl Spencer, who wrote in the caption: "August 31st. The day I dislike the most." Diana is buried on a small island in the ornamental lake of the family estate, a restricted-access site that attracts thousands of visitors during the summer.
Charles Spencer also announced the publication of a biographical book about his sister, titled "The Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," with release scheduled for September 22nd. The author stated that the aim of the work is to tell the truth about Diana from a brother's perspective, as he tried to do in the speech he delivered at the princess's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997. The book brings together intimate memories and facts about sibling life, intending to offer a documentary counterpoint to the fictional narratives published over the past decades.
Princess Diana died in the early hours of August 31st, 1997 in a car accident in the Alma Bridge tunnel in Paris. Also killed were businessman Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul. The funeral ceremonies held in London paralyzed the United Kingdom and were broadcast to an estimated cumulative audience of 2.5 billion viewers worldwide.
Twenty-nine years after the tragedy, Princes William and Harry continue their mother's charitable work, whose humanitarian legacy remains a reference in British society. The Althorp estate features 36 trees planted along the access path, corresponding to the number of full years Diana lived.
