Over the next few days I'm going to focus on style icons past and present, and to kick this off I'm going to start with the lovely Princess Diana. 

As a Brit I grew up with Lady Diana Spencer, and the craziness that surrounded her life & courtship with Prince Charles, and the subsequent wedding that in England was a national holiday back in 1981. I remember being glued to the TV in anticipation of seeing that now infamous dress with the train that seemed to go on and on forever.  We had street parties and celebrations and there was a genuine feeling of joy everywhere at this happy event, and we were all swept away by this fairytale. 

Sadly, the fairytale did not last and over the years we watched the scandals and unhappiness of this marriage unfold.  It was unpleasant to watch and it was clear that Princess Diana was a deeply unhappy woman who had entered into a marriage at a young age completely unprepared for how her life was about to change.  Being a part of the royal family was never going to be an easy task, but I don't think she was prepared for the intrusions into her life and the expectations put on her.  Her marriage to Prince Charles finally ended in December 1992, and although no-one was really surprised by the announcement, there was a sense of sadness that the 'fairytale' that we had all been so invested in had finally ended.  But even after her divorce, Diana maintained her popularity and dedicated her life to her two lovely sons and put her efforts into charitable organizations, putting her name behind the homeless shelters in London and helping to raise awareness against the use of land mines.

Over the years we watched Diana evolve from a young, innocent, naive aristocrat to a compassionate, beautiful, stylish young woman.  Her style over the years evolved into elegance and chic and she became famous throughout the world for her style and fashion choices.  Diana was beautiful - in that sweet, English Rose type of way.  Her smile could break hearts, and as we know from the many biographies published over the years, did. 

I remember the day like it was yesterday when she was tragically taken from us, on August 30th 1997.  The world was in shock.  She was taken way too young, she had so much life left to live, and those two adorable boys who had their mother snatched from them?  Our hearts ached for them.  Watching that funeral is a sad memory that is etched in my mind forever. 

Diana will never be forgotten by those of us who loved her and grew up with her.  So please join me in taking a look back over the years at the British beauty who died too young and touched all our hearts.  This is my way of honoring the lovely Diana.....