Following her death on Aug. 31, 1997, Princess Diana received a royal ceremonial funeral

Photo: Thierry Chesnot/Getty

Princess Diana’s death was a pivotal moment in history and her funeral reflected her impact on millions.

On Aug. 31, 1997, Diana and her partner Dodi Fayed were traveling by car in Paris — with a driver and bodyguard – pursued by paparazzi when their vehicle slammed into a support column, flipped and landed in front of oncoming traffic. Dodi and the driver died instantly, while medical workers attempted to keep Diana alive for hours before her death was announced at nearly 5 a.m. on Aug. 31.

Her death was met with widespread public mourning in the United Kingdom and worldwide. As people paid their respects to Princess Diana, it’s said that over one million bouquets were left at her London residence, Kensington Palace.

Though she was no longer a member of the royal family (following her divorce from then-Prince Charles in 1996), she received a ceremonial funeral that was attended by 2,000 people and watched by over 2 billion people worldwide.

As her funeral is shown on The Crown season 6, here’s everything to know about the royal ceremonial.

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When was Princess Diana’s funeral?

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Following her death on Aug. 31, Princess Diana’s funeral was held on Saturday, Sept. 6 1997. The funeral procession started at 9:08 a.m. and the ceremony started at 11:00 a.m., lasting an hour and 10 minutes.

Where did Princess Diana’s funeral take place? 

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After Princess Diana’s coffin was taken through London, her official ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey. Later that day, a private burial occurred for her family and friends at her childhood home of Althorp, her final resting place.

Who walked behind Princess Diana’s coffin at the funeral? 

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During her funeral procession, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer and her two children, Prince William and Prince Harry, walked behind her coffin. At the time, William and Harry were just 15 and 12 years old, respectively.

The decision to have Prince William and Prince Harry walk behind the coffin was a topic of contention. William confirmed in the 2017 BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, “It wasn’t an easy decision, and it was a collective family decision to do that. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But we were overwhelmed by how many people turned out, it was just incredible. There was that balance between duty and family and that’s what we had to do.”

Harry recalled, “I think it was a group decision. But before I knew it, I found myself with a suit on with a black tie and a white shirt, I think, and I was part of it. Genuinely, I don’t have an opinion on whether that was right or wrong. I am glad I was part of it. Looking back on it now, I am very glad I was part of it.”

Who attended Princess Diana’s funeral? 

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The ceremony in Westminster Abbey was attended by 2,000 people, including members of the royal family, Princess Diana’s relatives, political figures and her close celebrity friends.

Among the attendees were Hillary Rodham Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Mariah Carey, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Elton John, the latter of which sang a rendition of “Candle in the Wind” during the service, with new lyrics written as a tribute to Diana.

How many people watched Princess Diana’s funeral? 

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Not only was the funeral attended by many, but countless people tuned in on television. It’s said that the funeral brought in over 32 million British television audiences and over 2 billion people worldwide, making it one of the biggest televised events in history.