Gary Barlow among celebrities marking 22 years since Diana’s death

By Press Association

August 31 2019, 5:23 pm

Diana, Princess of Wales (John Stillwell/PA)

Gary Barlow has praised Diana, Princess of Wales as an “amazing woman” on the 22nd anniversary of her death.

The Take That star, 48, was among a slew of stars and fans paying tribute to her on August 31, the day she was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997.

Barlow shared an image of his vocal group meeting Diana at an Aids benefit concert at Wembley Arena in 1994.

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Princess Diana – always in our hearts – we were lucky enough to have the pleasure of spending some time with this amazing woman. She will always be missed.
A post shared by Gary Barlow (@officialgarybarlow) on Aug 31, 2019 at 6:39am PDT

He told his nearly 500,000 Instagram followers: “Princess Diana – always in our hearts – we were lucky enough to have the pleasure of spending some time with this amazing woman.

“She will always be missed.”

As part of Take That, Barlow performed at the Concert for Diana benefit event at Wembley in 2007, alongside international stars including Elton John and Kanye West.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli also shared an image of the “global icon” to his 195,000 followers.

22 years today… Remembering the beautiful mother and global icon #princessdiana. pic.twitter.com/pv3WnFIrYC
— Bruno Tonioli (@BrunoTonioli) August 31, 2019

The Italian choreographer and dancer, 63, said: “22 years today… Remembering the beautiful mother and global icon.”

US actress Jamie Lee Curtis recalled how she had missed meeting Diana when the princess visited the famous Pinewood Studios, where she was shooting the 1988 film A Fish Called Wanda.

The Halloween star, 60, said that she had been forced to run to the bathroom at the moment Diana arrived, missing her visit entirely.

However, she explained that she had written to Diana and the next day received a hand-written reply from Kensington Palace.

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I met her Royal Highness, Princess Diana when I was shooting the sequel to A Fish Called Wanda. The truth is I didn't meet her. She was to visit our set deep in the gardens of Pinewood Studios with her children and we waited for her all morning and then when we took a break midday, I raced via golf cart to my dressing room to use the restroom. While I was in there someone came knocking on my door saying that Princess Diana and her children had arrived on set and as I raced back in the golf cart, they were already walking away. The next day I wrote her a note explaining my nature break and how disappointed I was not to tell her, in person, how much I admired her. A hand delivered letter from Kensington Palace, on her stationary, came the next day thanking me for mine and understanding completely the need for nature to take it's course. We exchanged a hope that we would get to meet in the future. Later that summer I heard about her shocking death. I remember turning off the television knowing what the media was going to do. I picked up a book on meditation which was next to my bed by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfeld. In it it said that at the time of death, people who try to live mindfully, ask themselves only two questions. Did I learn to live wisely? Did I love well? I thought about her and her life and the choices she made and how brave she was, how she reached out to that young man with AIDS before anyone did, the mine fields, mental health and so much more and how much she loved her children, the image of them running into her outstretched arms after a long trip. It gave me comfort that although her life was short, it was complete. She was a great role model for me. An example to live by. I honor her today.
A post shared by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie) on Aug 31, 2019 at 6:18am PDT

She said: “I thought about her and her life and the choices she made and how brave she was, how she reached out to that young man with AIDS before anyone did, the mine fields, mental health and so much more and how much she loved her children, the image of them running into her outstretched arms after a long trip.

“It gave me comfort that although her life was short, it was complete.

“She was a great role model for me. An example to live by. I honor her today.”

Diana would have celebrated her 58th birthday this year if she had survived the crash that also claimed the lives of her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul.

Known for her humanitarian and charity work, Diana brought a more approachable image to the royal family.