More than two decades after Princess Diana’s death, new reflections have emerged regarding the removal of her royal title and the decisions surrounding her final resting place. These recollections come from a close family member who delivered a eulogy at her funeral and who shared insights into the immediate aftermath of the princess’s tragic passing.

The funeral took place at Westminster Abbey shortly after Diana’s fatal car accident in Paris in August 1997. The family member, speaking about the emotional toll of delivering the eulogy, recalled the difficulty of maintaining composure while addressing the crowd and confronting the reality of Diana’s ordeal. One of the most poignant moments was highlighting the irony of Diana being “the most hunted woman of the modern age,” a reference to the relentless media scrutiny she endured.

Following the service, the family traveled to Althorp, Diana’s ancestral home, for her burial. It was during the train journey that the family member was informed by Robert Fellowes, the Queen’s Private Secretary and the husband of Diana’s sister Jane, that Queen Elizabeth had offered to reinstate Diana’s HRH title posthumously. This offer was met with ambivalence; the family member felt that restoring the title after her death was a hollow gesture, especially considering the pain Diana suffered when it was removed prior to her divorce from Prince Charles.

The removal of Diana’s HRH title, which had been formally revoked nearly a year before her death, was described as a deliberate act emphasizing that her royal status had ended. This repudiation contributed to the decision against burying her in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle, where other members of the royal family are interred. Instead, her family insisted that she be laid to rest at Althorp, where she had spent much of her youth and where she was said to have wanted to be buried.

Diana’s grave was prepared on a small island in the Round Oval lake within the Althorp estate, a place she was known to cherish. The area was consecrated by the Bishop of Peterborough to ensure it met Christian burial requirements. Her coffin bore the Spencer family crest, symbolizing her identity apart from royal titles, in place of the Royal Standard.

Family and close friends attended the burial service, conducted by Reverend Victor Malan, a longtime family friend and vicar who had known Diana since her early teens. The pallbearers, drawn from Diana’s former regiment, carefully lowered the coffin onto the island, crossing a pontoon bridge that creaked under their weight. The intimate ceremony included a memorable moment when Prince Charles dropped a single flower from the family bouquet onto Diana’s coffin, a gesture noted for its understated grace amid the complex emotions surrounding the event.

An unusual detail recalled from the burial was the presence of an individual from Prince Charles’s retinue who attempted to blend into the surroundings by declaring, “Please ignore me – I am a tree,” and then standing partially concealed among the island’s foliage.

The reflections underline the deep sorrow alongside the practical and symbolic considerations that shaped Diana’s funeral and burial arrangements. They also shed light on the lasting impact of the decisions made in the wake of her death, both within the royal family and among those closest to the late princess.