Princess Diana blossomed
publicly in the early years of her marriage, throwing herself into the duties of royal
life with a liveliness that reinvigorated the royal family's image. Dianaactually seemed
to
enjoy the work of ribbon-cuttings and charityfund-raisers. As princess,
she conveyed royal authority, while as a person, she conveyed warmth and concern in a
direct,unpretentious way to charity recipients as well as to the crowds who thronged to
see her. The princess, tall, slim and glamorous, indulged herself in clothes and made a
point to wear British 
fashion, and pictures of her were snapped
up by a public increasingly eager for news of this unusually approachable and modern
royal. Diana also promptly fulfilled her duty to provide heirs to the throne,giving birth
to Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis) in 1982 and Prince Harry (Henry Charles
Albert David) in 1984.
She was a devoted mother, and
made an effort to expose her sons to life outside the palace. But by the mid-1980s, signs
began to emerge that Diana and Charles were less than happy together. The 12-year age gap
between them began to take its toll, as their interests diverged. By 1986, Charles began
again to see his old love, Camilla Parker Bowles,while Diana developed bulimia nervosa and
reportedly even attempted suicide. Charles and Diana continued making
public appearances together, but privately began to lead separate lives. The rumors and
reports about the couple's unhappiness abruptly became official in 1992, when then-Prime
Minister John Major announced to Parliament that Charles and Diana were separating.
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