Diana, Princess of Wales was the sort of princess you read about in fairy tales or see in a Disney movie. She was beautiful. She was glamorous. And she was kind to everyone. Whether they were Lords and Ladies or regular folk like you and me, Diana was open, friendly, generous, and kind to everyone she met. Maybe that's not so surprising considering she came from a "regular" working family herself.

Diana Spencer grew up in Norfolk. Her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975, making Diana a Lady. Before she met the Prince of Wales, Diana worked at a kindergarten in Pimlico, London. (I wonder how many students remember their royal teacher?)

Diana met Prince Charles in 1977 at a garden party, which by itself sounds like a fairytale. But it gets better. Charles was dating Diana's sister at the time! He was playing polo when he spotted Diana watching him - and she spotted him watching her, too. The rest, as they say, is history.

They were married on July 29,1981 in front of 600,000 people who lined the streets in London and about 750 million people worldwide who watched the Royal Wedding on television (I was one of them). Sadly, the Royal Marriage didn't go as well as the wedding. The Prince and Princess of Wales divorced in August of 1996. Just over a year later, on August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died in an automobile accident in Paris.

Yesterday was the 20^th anniversary of her death. Millions of people around the globe remembered her life with tributes, donations to her favorite charities, and personal stories of her kindnesses.

I will always remember her as a beautiful, graceful princess with endless compassion. How she treated everyone, regardless of their station, with the same grace as she would treat a Royal. That's what makes Princess Diana of Wales my favorite (real or made-up) princess of all time.