Image: Image: Joe Haupt/Flickr
I was young when the world lost the people’s Princess, but undoubtedly her kindness and compassion
helped to shape the person I am today.
Anytime I saw Princess Diana on the television, she was with the downtrodden, overlooked and
disadvantaged. Standing shoulder to shoulder with them, shaking their hands, embracing them, and
offering them support and kindness.
Most notably it was April 1987 when Princess Diana shocked the world by shaking hands with a man
infected with HIV/AIDS, with an ungloved hand. This single, simple act is considered of landmark
importance, cutting through misinformation and fear of the time with Diana’s trademark kindness and
compassion.
This was a turning point in the fight against the virus, done in front of media from all over the world as
she opened the first facility in the United Kingdom specifically designed to care for those infected with
the virus, the London Middlesex Hospital.
Later in 1991, Diana solidified her stance against the stigma of HIV/AIDs and broader homophobia of the
time stating “AIDS does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give
them a hug. Heaven knows they need it.”
Today of all days, with the Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla, is a time to reflect on the great
loss the world experienced on the 31st of August 1997.
In the face of renewed homophobia and transphobia today, I can’t help but wonder how different the world could be if we had not lost our Princess, Diana.
