“Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can"—Diana, Princess of Wales. Princess Diana was a humanitarian icon and an inspiration to millions of young girls around the world, including me. She inspired me to spread love and compassion, use my privileges to fight for the people in need, and ignore stereotypes that might hinder my future life goals.
“I am not a political figure; I am a humanitarian figure; I always have been and always will be.”Diana, Princess of Wales. She made social work and philanthropy her mission and was, at some point, the patron of 100 charities during her time as the Princess of Wales. The Diana Memorial Fund, which closed in 2012, awarded 727 grants to 471 organisations and spent over $145 million on charitable causes. Princess Diana played a big role in dismissing the rumours around HIV/AIDS and leprosy being transferable by touch by talking and shaking hands with the patients without gloves. This and many other stories about her outspoken advocacy for underrepresented people have inspired me to advocate confidently for the causes I firmly believe in, such as gender equality and feminism. Her straightforward opinions and strong speeches about these causes inspired me to write openly about my opinions on current issues such as the water crisis in India and the climate refugee crisis in Fiji.
Being a princess gave Princess Diana the liberty, luxury, and freedom to do as she pleased. However, she chose to use her elevated position in society to fight for the less fortunate. In 1977, she became the most prominent supporter of the anti-landmines movement, which was right after her trip to Angola. “I’d read the statistics that Angola has the highest percentage of amputees anywhere in the world,” she told the cameras. “That one person in every 333 had lost a limb, most of them through land mine explosions. But that hadn’t prepared me for reality.”. Princess Diana was even photographed while putting her life at risk and walking through a cleared but active minefield. She also diverted all the media attention she got to support the cause, and decades later, advocacy for the same cause continues. Her courage and will to make the world a better place inspire me every day to use my voice as a young Canadian to make a difference in my community. I am the head of a club in my high school called FEM. My goal with this club is to spread awareness about gender inequality issues in our community and what actions students can take to fight and eliminate these issues.
Princess Diana didn’t adhere to royal stereotypes like being unacquainted with the commoners and speaking in a reserved way about taboo topics of the time like mental health. While speaking about her work with the Royal Brompton Hospital, Princess said, “I make the trips at least three times a week and spend up to four hours at a time with patients holding their hands and talking to them. Some of them will live and some will die, but they all need to be loved while they are here. I try to be there for them.” She was also one of the first royals to start talking openly about her mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Seeing the Princess do all this really inspired me to break through certain stereotypes established by our society concerning my future career. For example, it was often suggested that I go into a math/science-related career as it has more stable and safe jobs. However, I realized that if I wasn’t passionate about my job the same way Princess Diana was passionate about her work, I wouldn’t be able to do my job well. Through her outspokenness on mental health, I have also learned to openly acknowledge my mental health and wellness, as well as to check in with my peers if I notice something peculiar about their behaviour.
Princess Diana will be remembered as the philanthropy icon for her humanitarian work, which she accomplished with passion and purpose. She inspired future generations, including mine, to extend love and compassion towards people in need, use our voices to bring awareness to overlooked tragic issues, and forget about stereotypes that might detract many of us from pursuing our life goals. I hope that in the years to come, I can learn and grow up to become a strong woman like Princess Diana.
