4. Princess Diana’s Funeral at Westminster Abbey Broke Royal Protocol
Princess Diana’s funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. Technically, the protocol was that she should not have been able to have her funeral there, even though she was the princess for several years, and gave birth to future kings. Normally, Westminster Abbey is reserved for members of the royal family. At the time of her death, Diana had divorced Prince Charles, so she was no longer a member of the family. But Charles chose to break the rules in order to honor her with a funeral fit for a princess. For the first time in history, the Union Jack flag was flown at half-mast at Buckingham Palace. Her body was flown on a royal flight, and her coffin was draped in a Royal Standard flag.
However, many believe this was more of a publicity stunt to gain favor with the public, rather than something Charles did out of respect for his ex-wife and the mother of his children. The public loved Princess Diana, and they sided with her over the Queen. Also, with all of the conspiracy theories and rumors floating around that the royal family was to blame for her death, it would have made the royals look even worse if they banished her to a commoner’s funeral. At the end of the day, everyone seemed to agree that she deserved the beautiful funeral that was given to her.