Picture a princess. What image comes to your mind? Something out of a Disney movie, right? Carriages, designer dresses, star-studded balls, and monumental weddings are some of the aspects that depict the mainstream image of royalty. Now picture a princess…in a war zone. In early 1997, Princess Diana of Wales found herself standing beneath the pungent Angolan sun, away from the luxuries and gala events, where she cast off her royal attire for protective body armor and a visor. Princess Diana of Wales shed a momentous light on one of the most unnoticed atrocities of the African continent: landmines. That single action of hers, on that day, still resonates for us today, long after her untimely death.
Darkness had fallen on the lives of many innocent African communities. As disputes between villages turned into wars, public areas were replete with tragedy and death. In the mid-1990’s, three-dollar weapons called landmines were terrorizing the innocent—claiming twelve thousand civilian lives and causing the highest number of amputees in the world. Landmines are placed during these armed disputes, concealed underground to destroy or disable enemy targets.1 Although the armed combats in Angola had ended, the war “debris” continued to threaten people’s safety. People were dying regularly from leftover landmines, but few outside Angola knew anything about them. These mines would remain “live” for years, even decades, waiting for unsuspecting victims, as per their design, causing unimaginable suffering and pain.2
The African people were in desperate need of a solution. They needed a defender. Their cry for help was heard, reaching the gates of Kensington Palace. It was none other than Princess Diana—keen philanthropist and self-proclaimed Queen of Hearts—whose life purpose had become to shed a humane light on controversial issues such as AIDS and homelessness. “I’d read the statistics that Angola has the highest percentage of amputees anywhere in the world. That one person in every 333 had lost a limb, most of them through land mine explosion.”3 The moment Princess Diana became aware of this neglected tragedy, she knew exactly what she needed to do: take immediate action. “I have all this media interest, so let’s take it somewhere where they can be positive and embrace a situation which is distressing like this.”3 In early January 1997, she flew to Angola along with the Red Cross and a BBC camera crew.
A fearless Diana put herself in the midst of one of the most dangerous places in the world, thousands of miles away from the royal guard, protected solely by a riot helmet and a flak jacket given to her. Accompanied by local anti-landmine activists, she was taken to see a land-mine clearing operation in Huambo, central Angola.5 This was a royal, who spent a large part of her life in luxurious settings being served by others, who was personally stepping into filthy fields to deactivate mines, serving those whose lives were shattered by the deadly weapons. As she pushed the button to detonate a single mine, she uttered the words “One down, 17 million to go.”6
After the cameras stopped rolling, Diana didn’t. The fight to ban antipersonnel landmines became a personal crusade, one that would fill the last year of her life.7 She made this clear in the last speech she ever delivered, stating, “The more expeditiously we can end this plague on earth caused by the landmine, the more readily can we set about the constructive tasks to which so many give their hand in the cause of humanity.”8 This public light shed by Diana brought nothing but success, influencing countries to come together to pledge millions of dollars to tackle the destruction caused by landmines, as well as bringing 122 governments from around the world to contribute to the passage of the Ottawa Mine Treaty. Landmines are still an issue of global concern, but Diana remains the most influential face of anti-landmine activism.
- Isebill V. Gruhn, “Land Mines: An African Tragedy,” Journal of Modern African Studies, no. 4 (December 1996): 688. ↵
- Stuart Maslen, Mine Action after Diana: Progress in the Struggle Against Landmines (London: Pluto Press, 2004), 15. ↵
- Heart of the Matter: Diary of a Princess, directed by Karina Brennan (UK: BBC, 1997). ↵
- Heart of the Matter: Diary of a Princess, directed by Karina Brennan (UK: BBC, 1997). ↵
- Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security, 2004, s.v. “Unexploded Ordnance and Mines,” by Mike Lambert. ↵
- Johnna Rizzo, “How Princess Diana Crippled The Case For Land Mines,” Newsweek, Oct. 24, 2015. ↵
- Johnna Rizzo, “How Princess Diana Crippled The Case For Land Mines,” Newsweek, Oct. 24, 2015. ↵
- Diana, Princess of Wales, “Responding To Landmines: A Modern Tragedy And It’s Consequences” (keynote address, Mines Advisory Group and the Landmine Survivors Network, London, June 12, 1997). ↵
82 comments
Christopher King
Princess Diana set the standard for anyone looking to make a difference in the world. Even today you would not be caught seeing any political figures walking through such a dangerous place without security crawling through the area. This article shows how incredible Princes Diana truly was and the impact she made on the world with the Ottawa Mine Treaty. It is a shame that her life was cut so short and the chances to make an even bigger impact on the world.
Jason Garcia
I had always heard about Princess Diana and how she was very different from the stereotypical royalty that we think of but I had never known of the things she did and why. This article gave great insight into who Princess Diana was as well as the suffering of the African people. The facts presented in the article were intense but they were needed as a call to action. She changed the lives of the African people. I am extremely interested in Princess Diana and I intended to do more research on the good she had done.
Auroara-Juhl Nikkels
It is crazy to me to think that 1 out of 333 people lost limbs due to land mines. There’s enough limb loss and pain with wars already, there is no need for more pain and suffering because of land mines. Princess Diana was only a little crazy to walk though land mines and detonate them, but she was also incredibly brave to do that.
Caroline Bush
Great article! I remember watching a documentary about Princess Diana and hearing about her trip to Africa and her walk on landmines shocked me. The act of actually going into a war torn nation just to bring attention to a major problem effecting its people is a truly brave act. The impact that Princess Diana made is still making shockwaves even today. Overall I enjoyed reading this article and loved how you wrote it.
Belia Camarena
I enjoyed reading this article, and it kept me interested from start to finish. I had no idea that landmines were such a huge problem in Africa, especially in Angola, and I had never heard that this country has the highest amputee rate in the world. My ignorance of this issue just goes to show that not enough is said about this major problem.
Alexandra Cantu
Princess Diana continues on being the example for several people even after her death. She continues to share greatness amongst us. I had seen in a documentary that Princess Diana went out to Angola and help the people affected by the landmines. In my opinion this was so brave of her and she honestly didn’t have to go down there herself and try to put an end to the explosions herself. Princess Diana was the most beautiful, graceful, and thoughtful princess it is such a shame we passed away so early.
Hannah Wilson
The story was inspiring and makes you admire Princess Diana and her spirit to help others. I can not imagine how afraid she was and she was just visiting. Living there and walking through mine fields day after day is horrifying. They have to live in constant fear. This story really sheds a light on how thoughtful and hardworking Princess Diana was. She accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and through her work things are still being accomplished.
Joshua Castro
I had no prior knowledge that landmines were a major problem in Africa. This is not only a severe danger for those that live there, but also for travelers that do not know anything about the landmines. I also did not know that Angola has the highest amputee percentage. By leaving the comforts of her home and traveling to give a helping hand displays the kind of person that Princess Diana was. What an inspiring story!!
Fumei P.
I remember there being a lot of commotion over her death. I was was really young when it happened, I recall her being loved by the media, and people all over the world. She was always regarded as a saint of a woman.Its reassuring to read an article like this that highlights a high profile individual, a princess, stepping out of her comfort zone and doing something truly great for humanity.
Michelle Falcon
I loved the introduction to this article! Princess Diana is a name that I have heard time and time again, however i never knew much about her. This article showed me what kind of person she was. The fact that she was willing to go to Africa to do what she could to help. She definitely earned the title ” Queen of Hearts” , over all this was an amazing article.