British identity and 'the people's princess'

This article treats the popular response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, as a manifestation of the cultural public sphere, by which is meant a symbolic space for affective communication and an emotional sense of dem ocratic participation. The Diana phenomenon neither produced a 'revolutiona ry moment' nor, however, was it insignificant. Rather, it represented a veh icle for public debate on British identity, the role of the monarchy and, m ore diffusely, the conduct of personal relations. New Labour and feminist a ppropriations of Diana are examined in detail and related to a general cons ideration of the diverse and contested meanings of her life and death.