AUGUST 2017 AWW.COM.AU 7
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTINA SOLJO. BOB BROWN; PHOTOGRAPNY BY NICK CUBBIN. GETTY IMAGES.
[ From my desk]
BELOW, LEFT:
Market Editor
Bianca Lane
travelled to
Tasmania to style
Greens icon Bob
Brown. BELOW,
RIGHT: Diana at
a fundraising ball
for the Victor
Chang Cardiac
Research Institute.D
iana, Princess
of Wales, was
just 36 when
she died after
that senseless
and shocking car accident
we all remember so well.
It devastated her family
and rocked the world.
Her eldest son, William,
turned 35 in June; his
brother, Harry, will be 33
in September, and there’s
no question that if Diana were still with us she
would be brimming over with pride about her
sons, who are now the cornerstone of a modern
monarchy with its eye on the future.
With every step, these inspiring young men
follow in their mother’s footsteps, instinctively
replicating her unique sense of compassion and
connection with the people. William recently
shared that he’s sad his own children, George
and Charlotte, and wife Catherine weren’t able
to know his mother, but through him and his
brother they surely do.
We all know where we were when news came
through of the inexplicable death of this beloved
royal on August 31, 1997. The outpouring of
grief was unprecedented, especially in Australia.
We had our own special connection with Diana
who was – and still is – an icon and a trailblazer.
As a young mother, Diana’s first official
overseas tour brought her to us, with Prince
William on her hip, and of course the nation fell
in love. Right off the bat she was messing with
royal protocol and making history as she refused
to leave baby William at home. When the Queen,
then a mother of two, made her inaugural 58-day
visit to Australia in 1954, she left a five-year-old
Prince Charles and three-year-old Princess Anne
back home with their
nannies. Diana was
determined to protect
her sons from the
loneliness and
stuffiness of royal life
and changed the
monarchy with her
modern parenting.
On that first visit
she was shy and
inexperienced, butDiana lit up in front
of the cameras and
proved to be a natural
meeting the public,
who turned out in
their droves. Diana
made her final visit to
our shores in 1996. By
then she had evolved
into an extraordinary
woman. Though no
longer married to her
prince, she exuded
confidence as the guest of honour at a fundraiser
for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
in Sydney (pictured here, below). Ten months
later she was dead.
It’s hard to believe that was 20 years ago and in
this very special issue we not only pay tribute to
Diana, the “People’s Princess”, but investigate her
legacy. Her best friend, journalist Tina Brown,
gives a telling insight into Diana’s unhappy
childhood and her lasting effect on the monarchy,
and royal biographer Christopher Wilson shows
how her sons are determined to honour their
mother and keep her spirit alive (page 22).
We also bring you some of the most beautiful
portraits of Diana ever taken, from her
favourite photographers Mario Testino and
Patrick Demarchelier, as well as some rare
childhood and behind-the-scenes photos.
Also in this month’s magazine we talk to
celebrities, including Lisa Wilkinson, Jessica
Mauboy and Bindi Irwin, about special,
life-changing moments in their lives (page
38), and take you into the Tassie home of
former Greens leader Bob Brown and his
partner, Paul Thomas (page 60).
And if you’re planning a children’s
party, turn to page 160 for everything
you need for the ultimate teddy bears’
picnic, complete with bear-shaped
sandwiches and party bags with ears!
Happy reading.Kim Doherty
Editor-In-Chief
Email me at [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter @KimEDoherty