5 unprecedented things the British monarchy did after the death of Princess Diana
The death of Diana of Wales 20 years ago shocked the entire world and marked a turning point for the British monarchy.
The apparently cold response of Queen Elizabeth II after the accident that claimed the life of the princess in Paris on August 31, 1997 caused her harsh criticism.
The monarch considered that the event should be treated in a private and family way, and more taking into account that Diana was no longer an official member of the royal family.
But the reactions of great discomfort among British society made him break, for the first time, several rules of protocol with which he managed to show humanity and closeness to citizens dismayed by the death of the one known as "the people's princess."
These are some of the never-before-seen gestures that the British monarchy adopted in the days after Diana's death.
1. The televised message of Elizabeth II
It took five days, but Queen Elizabeth II finally decided to make a televised speech after criticism for not having made public signs of mourning after Diana's death.
Apart from the Christmas messages, the Queen had only spoken once on television. It was in 1991, on the occasion of the Gulf War.
And this was the first time her speech was broadcast live in her 45-year reign.
Dressed in black and in front of an open window through which a concentrated crowd was seen in front of the entrance of Buckingham Palace, the monarch defined Diana as "an exceptional human being".
"I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two children. No one who knew Diana will ever forget her," he said.
2. The British flag in the palace at half mast
The royal standard - the queen's personal flag - flies when Elizabeth II is at Buckingham Palace, her official London residence.
After Diana's death, many citizens unfamiliar with protocol interpreted the fact that the British flag - the "Union Jack" - was not flown at half mast in the palace as disrespectful to the princess.
After much criticism, when the queen left Buckingham to attend Diana's funeral, the royal standard was replaced by the Union Jack, which remained at half mast for the rest of the day.
3. The royal standard on Diana's coffin
The royal standard was placed on the coffin of the Princess of Wales, despite the fact that this symbol is only used with members of the royal family.
Diana no longer belonged to it, having signed her divorce from Prince Charles a year before his death.
But the banner has covered her coffin since the repatriation of her body from Paris to London began.
The military man Charles Richie, stationed at the British embassy in France at that time, told the Sky channel that it was he who made the decision to use the banner under his own responsibility, despite knowing that he was breaking protocol.
"The ambassador later received an official communication asking him to thank me for the unconventional decision he had made," he said.
4. The walking tour next to the coffin of her children and ex-husband
Diana's children - Princes William and Harry - her ex-husband Prince Charles, her brother the Earl of Spencer and the Duke of Edinburgh followed Diana's coffin on foot during the funeral procession that ran through the streets of London to Westminster Abbey.
The convenience or not of their children, aged 12 and 15, participating in that act in which they were crestfallen throughout the journey was especially discussed.
"It was one of the hardest things I've ever done," said the Duke of Cambridge, who recalls using her bangs as a "security blanket" during that "long, lonely walk."
"I felt that if I looked at the ground with my hair over my face, no one would be able to see me," he recounted in the BBC documentary Diana, 7 days.
"It was not an easy decision and it was something like the fruit of a family conversation. You had to keep a balance between duty and family, and that's what we did," she said.
His younger brother - who previously told Newsweek that walking after his mother's coffin was something that "should not be asked" of any child - claimed in the same documentary that he did not have an opinion on whether participating was correct or not, but that looking back, he's glad he did.
5. The queen's reverence before Diana's coffin
Rarely did such a small gesture carry so much weight.
As Diana's coffin passed in front of Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment.
The monarch is not obliged to perform this courtesy to other people, as others are expected to do when they greet her.
According to several analysts, this small detail was definitive to contribute to the reconciliation of many British with their Crown after that initial cold response to the death of Lady
