Twenty years after her death—on August 31, 1997, at age 36—Princess Diana’s legacy endures in the humanitarian work she did, sons William and Harry, and her singular, slightly subversive style, which feels as fresh now as it did then. Five devotees reflect on what made her her.
"When I think of her, I think of somebody who was deeply compassionate. Whatever may have been going on in her life—and we all have things going on—she always carried herself with such grace and ease. Her style reflected that in such an authentic way.” —Demi Moore
“You know who is the best who ever did it? Princess Diana. She was like—she killed it. Every look was right. She was gangsta with her clothes. She had these crazy hats. She got oversize jackets. I loved everything she wore.” —Rihanna (in Glamour, November 2013)
“I loved her balance between masculinity and femininity, and how she played on that in a sexy way. She was in such a conservative world, so when she started to wear things that made her stand out, it was shocking. As she became freer in who she was, her sexuality came out through her clothing.” —Kate Bosworth
“You can feel Princess Diana’s style so much at the moment: in those really beautiful, thick-strapped dresses, the high-waisted jeans with the shirt tucked in with the belt. When I was growing up in the U.K., she was literally every- one’s goddess. She was a sensation.” —Poppy Delevingne
“She never felt to me like stuck-up royalty, or that she thought she was better than anybody else. I remember being a kid and thinking that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, but it wasn’t just about what she was wearing—it was really about her and the whole package.” —Evan Rachel Wood
More must-see photos of Diana:
