25 inspiring quotes from Princess Diana about family and royalty on the anniversary of her death

Wednesday, August 31, 2022, marks the 25-year anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. Tributes have been flooding in from the public and celebrities alike.

As the first wife of Prince Charles, Diana took on the mantle of the Princess of Wales, although she preferred to be known simply as Diana. In her role in the royal family, she was well-loved by much of the British public for her charity work.

Her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, have continued much of the charitable work she started, partnering closely with organisations their mother favoured, including setting up charities of their own focusing on extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa, as well as mental health around the world.

Both brothers have previously said that they prefer to grieve and remember their mother in private.

For others, memories of Diana are usually centred around controversial interviews she gave and any number of pictures of the charming young woman.

Here’s a look back over Diana’s most inspiring and popular quotes, outlining her views on everything, from love and family to royalty and duty.

25 inspiring quotes on life, family, and royalty from Princess Diana

1. “Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back.”
2. "I like to be a free spirit. Some don't like that, but that's the way I am."
3. "A mother's arms are more comforting than anyone else's."
4. "Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."
5. "Family is the most important thing in the world."
6. “Being a princess isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.”
7. "I'd like to be a queen in people's hearts."
8. “It’s vital that the monarchy keeps in touch with the people. It’s what I try and do.”
9. "I knew what my job was; it was to go out and meet the people and love them.”
10. “The kindness and the affection from the public have carried me through some of the most difficult periods, and always your love and affection have eased the journey.”
11. “The greatest problem in the world today is intolerance. Everyone is so intolerant of each other.”
12. "I don't go by the rule book... I lead from the heart, not the head."
13. "Only do what your heart tells you."
14. "Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves."
15. "I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential."
16. “I am not a political figure, I am a humanitarian figure, always was, always will be.”
17. “Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can.”
18. “The biggest disease this day and age is that of people feeling unloved.”
19. “People think that, at the end of the day, a man is the only answer. Actually, a fulfilling job is better for me.”
20. “Don’t call me an icon. I’m just a mother trying to help.”
21. "Hugs can do great amounts of good — especially for children."
22. "I want to walk into a room, be it a hospital for the dying or a hospital for sick children, and feel that I am needed. I want to do, not just to be."
23. "Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a good and essential part of my life, a kind of destiny."
24. "I want my boys to have an understanding of people’s emotions, their insecurities, people’s distress, and their hopes and dreams."
25. “Call me Diana, not Princess Diana.”