Saturday, August 31st of 1997 will always be remembered as the day Princess Diana died in a tragic car accident in Paris. Beloved of the world, the fashion icon and royal benefactor of the world’s children passed on when the limo she and Dodi Al-Fayed were passengers in, crashed horribly. For people here on Crete, the late princess’ visits to the island are still poignant memories.
On the west side of the island of Gavdos, there’s an amazing beach beneath the steep cliffs. Diana Beach is a tiny sliver of sand named for the late princess, who visited there with her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed. Gavdos, as some will recall, is supposedly the island of Calypso, the nymph who detained the Greek hero Odysseus on his way back from Troy. The image below shows a closeup of the beach Diana and Dodi visited.
Some readers will remember Prince Charles and Princess Diana swimming at Balos Lagoon in the far northwest of Crete while on their honeymoon. The famous royal couple stopped off while aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia back in 1981. Even though current rumors suggest the prince and princess did not have the best trip aboard Britannia, the world was captivated by their escapades on Crete and elsewhere.
A peek into these moments off Crete reveal the friendly and intimate Diana as the world remembers her. The site Princess Diana Forever remembers from the book An Extraordinary Life, By Weidenfeld Nicolson :
“They discovered a secret cove, which could only be reached by boat, and there, under a brilliant blue sky and with temperatures in the 90s, Princess Diana swam in a bright yellow bikini as her husband sunbathed on the beach. While the Prince slept in the heat of the day, the Princess, wearing only a skimpy wrap over a teeny weeny red bikini, wandered the maze of corridors, chatting to everyone she met.”
Diana Spencer became a princess in fairytale fashion. She captivated the world for her activism and her glamour. She became an international icon and won everlasting popularity. Diana was unique, and the world needs more people like here. This story from Greek Reporter is a fitting end to our tribute here. No matter what else is said, Diana’s sincerity will always shine though.
