--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Princess Diana died, I couldn't…" description: "\"When Princess Diana died, I couldn't understand why people were mourning her death in such an enormous, hysterical way when they didn't actually know h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/alison-jackson-16728_actually_when-princess-diana-died-i-couldn-t-unde_1975718.jpg" --- # When Princess Diana died, I couldn't understand why people… ![“When Princess Diana died, I couldn't understand why people were mourning her death in such an enormous, hysterical way when they didn't actually know her for real.” quote by Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/alison-jackson-16728_actually_when-princess-diana-died-i-couldn-t-unde_1975718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/alison-jackson-16728_actually_when-princess-diana-died-i-couldn-t-unde_1975718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/alison-jackson-16728_actually_when-princess-diana-died-i-couldn-t-unde_1975718.jpg) > “When Princess Diana died, I couldn't understand why people were mourning her death in such an enormous, hysterical way when they didn't actually know her for real.” [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She questions collective mourning for a public figure unknown personally. **In simple terms:** Mourning strangers feels odd. Key Takeaway Reflect on empathy limits. Themes celebrity culture grief social behavior Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - public memorials - social media reactions Key Concepts sociology media influence Questions to Reflect On - Why do we mourn strangers? - What does this say about our values? A Different Perspective Public grief can be performative, not genuine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Mourning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourning/) [Mourning death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourning-death/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/princess/) [Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queen/) ## Related quotes > [I was in Boston, Massachusetts, when Princess Diana died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/i-was-in-boston-massachusetts-when-princess-diana-died/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“On the day Princess Diana died, a group of students had gathered before a lecture, talking about what they had heard on the radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/on-the-day-princess-diana-died-a-group-of-students-had-gathered/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [In 1997, we took time off, and that's when Oasis broke and Princess Diana died and I was home with my baby hating the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-o-riordan/in-1997-we-took-time-off-and-that-s-when-oasis-broke-and-princess/) [Dolores O'Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-o-riordan/) > [People go around mourning the death of God; it's the death of sssin that bothers me. Without ssin, people aren't people any more, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/people-go-around-mourning-the-death-of-god-it-s-the-death-of-sssin/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I remember being on holiday with my family maybe when the second season of 'The Crown' had come out and I remember them joking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/i-remember-being-on-holiday-with-my-family-maybe-when-the-second/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [It is very annoying - things have been written by people who didn't know me at all or Princess Diana. They were written by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasnat-khan/it-is-very-annoying-things-have-been-written-by-people-who-didn-t/) [Hasnat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasnat-khan/) > [Dress Like Sara Jessica And Live Like Princess Diana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmne/dress-like-sara-jessica-and-live-like-princess-diana/) Jasmne > [The horrible thing about Death of princess Diana - the sacrificial lamb, which she was. And I believe, in a sense, John Kennedy, Jr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/the-horrible-thing-about-death-of-princess-diana-the-sacrificial-lamb/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [When Princess Diana got married, I was a very little kid, I think. I remember her dress, and I found the dress amazing when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-princess-diana-got-married-i-was-a-very-little-kid-i-think-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [I find that my entire life has come to me, and things happened without me planning them. You know, I never asked to photograph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-testino/i-find-that-my-entire-life-has-come-to-me-and-things-happened-without/) [Mario Testino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-testino/) > [Princess Diana was an icon and her effect on the world remains profound and inspiring. To explore her through Peter Morgan's writing is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/princess-diana-was-an-icon-and-her-effect-on-the-world-remains/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [Consider the death of Princess Diana. This accident involved an English citizen, with an Egyptian boyfriend, crashed in a French tunnel, driving a German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-riebling/consider-the-death-of-princess-diana-this-accident-involved-an/) Mark Riebling > [I was too shy to go and meet Princess Diana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-deacon/i-was-too-shy-to-go-and-meet-princess-diana/) [John Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-deacon/) > [The dead man is on the trolley and the woman collapses across his chest. That's what the ghouls want a shufti at, like at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/the-dead-man-is-on-the-trolley-and-the-woman-collapses-across-his/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [In her final months Princess Diana was being shat upon by the tabloids -- basically for sleeping with an Arab. When she died, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/in-her-final-months-princess-diana-was-being-shat-upon-by-the/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## More by Alison Jackson > [The religious imagery and fairytales that formed our shared cultural references have been replaced by the cult of celebrity. Marilyn is the sex goddess,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/the-religious-imagery-and-fairytales-that-formed-our-shared-cultural/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I suppose we carry photographs now, but I think it's rather wonderful that people used to carry drawings and watercolours. I wish people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-suppose-we-carry-photographs-now-but-i-think-it-s-rather-wonderful/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I'm really interested in how we view the public figure, what makes a public figure, what makes a celebrity, and how images make politicians,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-m-really-interested-in-how-we-view-the-public-figure-what-makes-a/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I had a very outdoorsy childhood. I was athletic and used to ride and do dressage. I could ride almost before I could walk.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-had-a-very-outdoorsy-childhood-i-was-athletic-and-used-to-ride-and/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I'm not satirical in a traditional way. What I do is more about creating caricatures and cartoons. 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And the more we can't obtain it, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/photography-acts-as-a-teaser-suggesting-we-can-know-something-that-we/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I think privacy is important, and it's important you don't bore people with your own boring self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-think-privacy-is-important-and-it-s-important-you-don-t-bore-people/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [Photography can be a deceitful, superficial medium that leads us into believing something even though we know it's not necessarily true. It lulls us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/photography-can-be-a-deceitful-superficial-medium-that-leads-us-into/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I am very pro-royal. Britain without them would be a sadder place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-am-very-pro-royal-britain-without-them-would-be-a-sadder-place/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [When I am preparing my 'lookalike' photographs, I think about the character of the real people, because, if the photographs are going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/when-i-am-preparing-my-lookalike-photographs-i-think-about-the/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [The only people I really hate are parking attendants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/the-only-people-i-really-hate-are-parking-attendants/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [Celebrities do look different in real life from our images of them - there is a big gap. And that is what my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/celebrities-do-look-different-in-real-life-from-our-images-of-them/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I don't really like using ridicule as a form of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-don-t-really-like-using-ridicule-as-a-form-of-humor/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) > [I'd like to take more pictures of real celebrities. It would be fabulous to photograph Brad Pitt. He's so good-looking and just such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/i-d-like-to-take-more-pictures-of-real-celebrities-it-would-be/) [Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) [Explore all 39 Alison Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. 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