20 Princess Diana Quotes That Showcase Her Kindness, Legacy & Wisdom

Diana suffered from bulimia, according to Vogue, and spoke about her illness on a number of occasions. Marking the first time she discussed it publicly at an eating disorder conference in 1993, according to UPI, Princess Diana said: "I have it on very good authority that the quest for perfection our society demands can leave the individual gasping for breath at every turn."

In 1995, the mom of two opened up about the words she shared with her sons on the matter of love as she and Prince Charles prepared to divorce. In an interview with the BBC, she recalled, "I went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life, you must hang onto it and look after it. And if you were lucky enough to find someone who loves you, then one must protect it."

In 1995, the BBC's Martin Bashir asked Diana if she had any idea what she wanted her role to be when she first became a member of the royal family. She replied that she was a little lost at the beginning, but found solace in an unexpected place.

"... I was very confused by which area I should go into," she told Bashir. "Then I found myself being more and more involved with people who were rejected by society — with, I'd say, drug addicts, alcoholism, battered this, battered that — and I found an affinity there. And I respected very much the honesty I found on that level with people I met, because in hospices, for instance, when people are dying they're much more open and more vulnerable, and much more real than other people. And I appreciated that."

Princess Diana was passionate about many causes throughout her life, but some of her most notable work was her advocacy for children, the homeless, and changing the world's perception of AIDS and HIV, according to Harper's Bazaar.

Throughout her life in the royal spotlight, Diana had been candid about her struggles. In the 1995 interview with the BBC, for instance, Diana shared that she had a "difficult pregnancy" with Prince William and then became "unwell with post-natal depression" following his birth in 1982.

"I was unwell with post-natal depression, which no one ever discusses, post-natal depression, you have to read about it afterwards, and that in itself was a bit of a difficult time. You'd wake up in the morning feeling you didn't want to get out of bed, you felt misunderstood, and just very, very low in yourself," Diana told Bashir. "... I received a great deal of treatment, but I knew in myself that actually what I needed was space and time to adapt to all the different roles that had come my way. I knew I could do it, but I needed people to be patient and give me the space to do it."

As her children grew up, Diana became well known for her philanthropic work. She seemed to gain strength from the job of finding and caring for the most vulnerable among us. As Diana once said: "Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can."

In the 1995 "Panorama Interview" with the BBC, Bashir asked Diana if she was aware of Prince Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles and what "evidence" she had for her suspicions. And she replied smartly: "Oh, a woman’s instinct is a very good one."

Diana had high hopes for her two boys, which may have contributed to turning them into the caring, outreach-oriented people they are today. In fact, according to Good Morning America, she once commented, "I want my boys to have an understanding of people's emotions, their insecurities, people's distress, and their hopes and dreams... And they have a knowledge — they may never use it, but the seed is there, and I hope it will grow because knowledge is power."

Beyond her children, of course, Diana never seemed to find much joy within the royal family. Rather, it seemed that her work and advocacy brought her contentment and peace. As she once commented: "Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life — a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are."

During Diana's conversation with the BBC in 1995, she revealed that she "desperately" wanted her marriage with Prince Charles to work.

"I think like any marriage, specially when you've had divorced parents like myself, you'd want to try even harder to make it work and you don't want to fall back into a pattern that you've seen happen in your own family," Diana shared. Her parents divorced when she was young, according to Biography.

Diana added in the same interview, "I desperately wanted it to work, I desperately loved my husband and I wanted to share everything together, and I thought that we were a very good team."

Though the media often liked to focus on the drama in her life, Princess Diana was also known for her cheeky sense of humor she displayed every once and a while. For example, according to Hello! Magazine, she once quipped: "They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?"

Diana's words on tolerance and acceptance of others are true as ever today. According to The Telegraph, she once said: "The greatest problem in the world today is intolerance. Everyone is so intolerant of each other."

One of the many attributes Diana was famed for was her kindness. She was one of the first public figures to openly touch people with AIDS, according to Woman's Day, and lived to make people feel loved. Her famous, well-known comment, “Carry out random acts of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you,” says so much about her heart.

Diana may have been a bit of loose cannon among the royal family, but she had strong opinions about what her role in life required of her. Speaking to the editor of the London Times in 1994, according to USA Today, she said of the monarchy: "It is vital the monarchy keeps in touch with the people. It’s what I try to do."

Long before the social movement to encourage self-care, Princess Diana saw the need for it but had a special way of finding it. She once expressed, according to Parade: "Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves."

In the biography Diana: I’m Going To Be Me, Princess Diana is quoted as commenting on her rapid rise to fame: "Don’t call me an icon. I’m just a mother trying to help."

Long before Meghan Markle, Princess Diana showed the world that even royals could be sweet and demonstrative. In a speech, she once said: "Hugging has no harmful side effects. If we all play our part in making our children feel valued, the result will be tremendous. There are potential huggers in every household."

Princess Diana knew exactly what it would take to make her happy, and it wasn’t the riches of royalty. She once said, according to The Telegraph: "I don’t want expensive gifts. I don’t want to be bought. I have everything I want. I just want someone to be there for me, to make me feel safe and secure."

Princess Diana shouldered the mantle of royalty bravely, but it never seemed to be second-nature for her. According to the Latin Times, she once made a revealing remark about it, saying: "I'd like to be a queen in people's hearts but I don't see myself being queen of this country."

Whether through the difficulties of her marriage or the pressures of royal life, Princess Diana eventually found a deep strength within. She resolved, as quoted in Diana: I’m Going To Be Me: "From now one, I am going to own myself and be true to myself. I no longer want to live someone else’s idea of what and who I should be."