On August 31, 1997, the world was shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of Princess Diana following a car accident at just 36 years old. After all, in addition to being a beacon of hope for the country she served and beyond, she was also a mom to two young boys and had her whole life ahead of her. But, after that one tragic night, Diana’s humanitarian efforts became her legacy.
So, in honor of the late Princess of Wales’ life, we’ve taken a look at what she’d been up to during the summer of 1997. While beginning a relationship with Harrods heir Dodi Fayed, Diana also had a busy schedule, traveling to the United States and Bosnia-Herzegovina for official engagements and to Saint Tropez, France, for a vacation with her boys, Princes William and Harry.
To find out what big moments marked her last few months of life, including the celebrity she met while auctioning off her dresses to charity, scroll below.
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Princess Diana Attended a Performance of ‘Swan Lake’
Image Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images On June 3rd, Diana made quite a dazzling appearance at the Royal Albert Hall as she attended a performance of. For the occasion, she wore this shimmering blue Jacques Azagury dress with a pearl-and-diamond necklace.
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Princess Diana Connected With Students
Image Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Three days later, she stole the show while talking to a student at The Swaminarayan School in Neasden, London. Talk about lucky girls!
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Princess Diana Met Mother Teresa
Image Credit: Anwar Hussein/WireImage Diana continued her busy schedule in her last few months, even meeting with Mother Teresa in New York City on June 18.
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Princess Diana Auctioned Off Her Dresses
Image Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images In that same trip to the United States, Diana auctioned off many of her dresses from over the years at Christies International.
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Diana Met Kate Moss
Image Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images At the Pre-auction Party, she met a fellow highly-talked-about celeb, Kate Moss.
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Princess Diana Vacationed With Prince William & Harry
Image Credit: Anwar Hussein/WireImage In between public appearances, Diana traveled to Saint-Tropez, France, in July with her boyfriend, the late Dodi Fayed, and her sons Princes William and Harry. In this picture, she’s seen jet-skiing with 12-year-old Harry.
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Princess Diana Looked Carefree
Image Credit: Michel Dufour/WireImage In many pics from this trip, Diana seems to be having the time of her life.
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Princess Diana Attended Gianni Versace Funeral
Image Credit: Alberto Pizzoli/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images A few months before her own passing, Diana honored her friend and designer Gianni Versace is a tribute to him at Duomo di Milano in Milan, Italy.
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Princess Diana Bonded With Young Fan
Image Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images While visiting The New Children’s Ambulatory Care Centre on July 21, Diana shared this sweet moment with a young fan who handed her this yellow, green and purple bouquet.
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Princess Diana Continued to Fight for Landmine Awareness
Image Credit: Getty Images In early August, Diana made a three-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of her campaign to raise awareness about the devastating effects of landmines, a cause she held dear to her heart for many years.
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Princess Diana Made Her Last Official Engagement
Image Credit: Stefan Rousseau - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images Marking her last official royal engagement ever, Diana sat alongside these two boys, Malic Bradoric and Zarco Beric, both of whom had been injured by landmines.