On August 31,1997, the 36-year-old princess was killed in a car crash in Paris, along with two others.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Thursday marks 20 years since the death of Princess Diana.
On August 31,1997, the 36-year-old princess was killed in a car crash in Paris, along with two others.
The news sent shockwaves around the globe, and now two decades later many are still grieving the death of the “People’s Princess.”
The gates of Kensington Palace are covered with photos of the late Princess Diana.
People in London say 20 years later the princess is not forgotten.
“She’s such a beautiful person, it’s a memory that everybody wants to keep, ” London resident Janet Bates said.
Back Stories: Princess Diana’s Tragic Death
On the eve of the anniversary, princes William and Harry brought flowers and thanked well-wishers who came to remember their mother.
Princess Diana was one of the most famous women in the world thrust into the spotlight at just 19 when she got engaged to Britain’s Prince Charles.
Over the next 17 years, she became the most photographed woman and some, including her sons, believe the paparazzi, who hounded her in Paris the night of the car crash, are partly to blame for her death.
“The people that chased her into the tunnel were the same people that were taking photographs of her while she was still dying on the back seat of the car, ” Prince Harry said .
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward says two decades after Diana’s death, it’s much harder for the press to gain access to the monarchy.
“They loathe the media and they loathe us all, I can assure you. There’s no such thing as friends within the media, ” Seward said.
London is filled with memorials to Princess Diana.
Perry Trethaway from New York City visited one of them. She was in fourth grade when she learned Diana had died.
“When I think of her I see her with the little boys William and Harry and I just remember thinking she was such a lovely mother, ” Trethaway said.
While there are many conspiracy theories about Princess Diana’s death, French investigators say driver Henri Paul was speeding and driving drunk.
