Princess Diana’s ethos is needed now more than ever (Image: Getty)
I recently received a call from Centrepoint, the charity for homeless young people. The cold caller was young, bright, and incredibly nice.
When I mentioned that had inspired my support, she was surprised. “I’ve never come across anyone who mentioned Diana,” she said. “Most people who support have a family reason.”
She didn’t have the Diana backstory that moved us so powerfully back in the days when Diana took her boys into the streets of London to see the real world, but to her credit, she sounded genuinely caring. She explained how homelessness among young people is rising at an alarming rate.
It was clear that she was doing a good job, passionate about her cause, but it struck me how much has changed. Back when Centrepoint started, Diana’s patronage was a major factor in drawing attention to youth homelessness.
She famously took her sons, and , out into the streets of , even spending time overnight in shelters, so they could see firsthand the harsh realities of life for homeless youth. It was a powerful message, not just from a royal, but from a mother teaching her children compassion.
Yet here was a young woman, doing important work for the very charity that Diana championed, unaware of this key part of its history. Sadly, she is a figure from another century. No one now does it as she did. Even the Wales’s recent glossy video isn’t in Diana’s style at all – how times change.
It made me wonder: how many others working in charities, especially younger generations, know the full story of the impact Diana had? It’s not their fault, of course. Diana passed away in 1997, and for many young people today, she’s a distant figure from history, rather than the vibrant, compassionate force she was in life.
The call reminded me how easily important legacies can slip into the background, especially when younger generations weren’t there to witness them firsthand. Diana’s work with Centrepoint, much like her other charitable endeavours, wasn’t just about raising awareness; it was about engaging personally, putting herself in places where many royals had never ventured before.
For those of us who lived through those times, her actions were revolutionary. But today, it seems, her influence is at risk of being forgotten.
The cold caller, eager to get back on track, explained how the number of homeless young people is rising so quickly, and how desperately charities like Centrepoint need support. It’s true — the issue of youth is just as urgent today as it was when Diana first became involved. Perhaps even more so. But does the public feel the same urgency? Have we lost touch with the emotional connection that Diana helped forge?
Diana may no longer be here physically, but the causes she championed — youth homelessness, mental health, and marginalised communities — are still very much with us. And while her son, , continues her legacy as the current patron of Centrepoint, we must ask ourselves whether we’re doing enough to remember the spirit in which she carried out her work.
The truth is, Diana wasn’t just a royal figure supporting causes from a distance; she was deeply involved, and that made all the difference.
As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t shake the thought: are we allowing Diana’s legacy to fade away, just as the young caller hadn’t known about her? It’s up to us, those who remember, to ensure that the values and causes she stood for continue to inspire future generations.
Diana’s impact went beyond charity — she changed the way we think about compassion, empathy, and personal involvement. And that’s a lesson we can’t afford to forget.
If anything, this call served as a reminder that the world moves quickly, and memories fade even faster. But some things should never be forgotten. Diana’s legacy is one of them. We owe it to ourselves, to Centrepoint, and to the countless young people still facing homelessness today to keep that legacy alive.