Page 54 - BBC History - September 2017

The death of Diana

Three other deaths that broke Britons’ hearts

1997 was far from the !irst time that the country was devastated by the demise of a public !igure

Princess Charlotte
of Wales, died 1817

Like Diana, Charlotte captured the public imagination
like no other member of the royal family. When the
daughter of the future George IV died in childbirth at
the age of 21, The Times thought it a national “calam-
ity” – although the radical poet Shelley claimed that
the execution of three men in Derby, who had been
convicted of plotting against the government, was
a much greater calamity.
When her funeral was held in
Windsor, thousands turned out to
watch, and “the road and streets
through which it passed were
lined with spectators”.
Afterwards, Charlotte’s doctor,
who blamed himself for her
demise, committed suicide. Victoria’s funeral procession snakes through London, February 1901
Princess Queen Victoria, died 1901
Charlotte’s death
in childbirth Since Victoria was 81 when she Victoria had left detailed instruc-
was deemed a died, her death hardly came as a tions, asking for her coffin to be
national shock. But, as she had been on the draped in white, and requesting a
“calamity”
throne since 1837, millions of people military procession, with the coffin
had never known another monarch, on a gun carriage. Again the funeral
and her funeral was a genuinely was held in Windsor, with thousands
international event, with one of the lining the streets. But every city in
largest gatherings of European the British empire observed a period
royals in history. of mourning, from Canada to India.

Horatio Nelson, died 1805

Perhaps the most spectacular and Greenwich, the crowds were so
emotional funeral in British history great that thousands were turned
was that of Lord Nelson, killed away. The funeral ceremonies took
during the victory at Trafalgar in five days, including a procession
1805. Nelson was not only an along the Thames and a simple
all-conquering admiral who had but moving ceremony at St Paul’s,
saved his country from invasion, which ended with the sailors from
he was a national celebrity. HMS Victory ripping up their ship’s
When his body lay in state in battle-torn flag.
A contemporary
illustration shows
the funeral carriage
carrying Nelson’s
body outside
St Paul’s Cathedral

BRIDGEMAN/GETTY

54 BBC History Magazine