She was known as the People's Princess, and her tragic death in an automobile accident in Paris was recorded as was her life in a series of photographs snapped even before rescue workers appeared on the scene. When Diana died at the age of 36 she had become the most photographed and the most admired woman in the world. She walked as easily among the poor and ailing as among the glittering elite. She held children who had lost their limbs in war and reached out to those attacked by such silent enemies as AIDS and cancer. As the Princess of Wales, Diana saw the opportunity to do good throughout her life when others in her position might have been satisfied with a comfortable lifestyle and two healthy sons. As she grew in confidence, Diana realized that she could use her fame and her influence to make people's lives better. Being associated with charities is often part of being a Royal. Princess Diana's main interests were with the very old, the very young, and those in hospitals or hospices. Diana was always wiling to meet the less fortunate and give them encouragement. She was patron of Turning Point, an organization that helps people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, and she did much work for the homeless. Drug abuse was another of Diana's concerns and she wanted to be involved in the fight against it. She also showed great concern for the deaf and became proficient in sign language so she would be able to communicate with the hearing impaired when she visited with them.
Princess Diana was well aware of the pulling power of her image. While she was often the victim of the media's unwanted attention she knew how to use its power for good and she was happy for charities around the world to benefit from it. Among the many causes she supported the most notable were those that worked with AIDS sufferers. After criticism that taxpayer money was being wasted on research into the condition, she put herself at the...