Kensington Gardens, two nights before Diana's funeral

I doubt that Kensington Gardens -or indeed London - has ever before witnessed such scenes as took place in the days and nights leading up to Diana's funeral - an outpouring of public grief to be sure, but also an extraordinary sense of collective love. I tried to capture some of that feeling on camera, wandering through the Gardens and filming as I went.
Video cameras in those days were very poor in low light, hence my tinkering with the variable shutter speed. I have resisted the temptation to add music as I feel the original muted soundtrack gives a truer feeling of the extraordinary atmosphere.
[More footage to follow]

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Princess
• Diana
• funeral
• Kensington
• Gardens
• public
• grief
• private
• home
• video
• death

[laurenticwave]

Why do so many people have to polarize about Diana? Surely she was like most of us, neither all saint nor all sinner. Personally I love people as much for their "faults" as their "virtues" (all being more or less in the eye of the beholder), and Diana brought a welcome breath of reality to an idealised (hence fake) institution. She was "one of us", which is surely why she was so loved by so many.

[PeaceJustice4ever]

Actually, you disgraceful bitch, she never wore an Armani dress or Dolce Gabana shoes, and she never dressed up for charitable engagements, but rather only when she went out to glamourous events. Did you not see how causually she was dressed in Angola & Bosnia?

And don't compare her to that drunk Kate Moss, or anybody else for that matter.

Because of Diana, we have a treaty that bans landmines. Name me another celebrity who is that influential and has accomplished half of what Diana did.

[JulioXW]

I'm pretty sure we won't see another 'Diana' in our lifetime. We were blessed with her presence.

[vindemiatrix]

I like that even though she was treated badly and didn't feel good about herself, she never took it out on people like some people do in order to cope. She only hurt herself so that she could cope and she still had plenty of heart left to care about so many people who may or may not have cared about her.

[007Stalled]

Apart from being a beautiful woman there was something else very appealing about this lady. She was admired by most for her honesty and truth and mothering capabilities. She epitomized truth. She stood up for what was right. She was a ray of hope in a world infested with crooks and liars in influential positions. It was outrageous that such a person was treated in such a dreadful way by those so close to her. She was part of our lives and she was ripped from us. We cared so much about that.

[Indul1]

i wish i had gone to kensington palace during that week.......

[walfiethewonderdog]

DRSYNSCARECROW - You distgusting, dispicable excuse of a human being. How can you say such hateful and disrespectful things? People like you make me sick, and why? because you are jelous? I remember walking the short journey from my house in Belgravia to take flowers on the evening the above video was shot with a huge bunch of sunflowers and a pocket full of candles. What I saw when I arrived at Kensington Gardens will stay with me for the rest of my life. So sad and such a sense of loss.

[grooverheliboy]

Missed and loved in death as she was in life.

God bless sweet Diana !

[xbritishgirlx]

thankyou very much for showing it us

[terradisiena]

Thank you for uploading this, it's incredibly poignant. You are right, it's better without music or any effect. The images are raw but they bring you back to that moment and place. It is good to be reminded that people can be truly incredible when they come together in an honest outpuring of emotion. Thank you again.

[idasputem]

People recognised the pure intention of spirit in Diana.

Also the filthy spirits of her murderers.