LONDON (AFP) - Princess Diana's death in a 1997 Paris car crash, which an inquest ruled Monday was unlawful killing, cut short the life of the woman who injected Britain's royal family with celebrity glitz.

Born into the aristocratic Spencer family, the shy kindergarten teacher was catapulted to superstardom in 1981 when, at 19, her engagement to Prince Charles, heir to the British throne and 12 years her senior, was announced.

They married in July 1981 in London, a ceremony watched by 750 million on television around the world and billed as a "fairytale wedding."

With her fashionable clothes and common touch, Diana became a firm favourite with the public even before she gave birth to Prince William in June 1982.

But by the birth of her second son Harry in September 1984, her biographer Andrew Morton in "Diana: Her True Story" records that she was already suffering from bulimia and had attempted suicide five times.

From 1986, press stories began appearing of cracks in the royal marriage, and Morton later wrote that Charles had resumed his relationship with married former girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles at this time.

At the same time, Diana began a relationship with cavalry officer James Hewitt, whom she is said to have "adored." The affair ended after four years and Diana later said she had been deeply hurt by Hewitt.

It was during this time that Diana was photographed alone in front of the Taj Mahal while on a visit to India with Charles, in what was seen as a clear signal of the state of the couple's marriage.

Finally, after more press revelations about other alleged boyfriends and Charles' affair with Parker Bowles, the couple separated in December 1992.

Queen Elizabeth II, who had also seen Windsor Castle razed by fire and the separation of her second son Prince Andrew from his wife Sarah Ferguson in the same year, called it her "annus horribilis."

Although separated, Diana insisted she did not want a divorce.

But damaging press stories continued to appear -- despite a request for privacy from Diana -- and Charles admitted adultery in a BBC television programme.

Finally, in November 1995, Diana gave an explosive interview to the BBC confessing her own adultery, her anger at the palace and her feeling that Charles would not be a good king.

The obvious fury at her treatment by Charles and the royal family, and her determination "not to go quietly" led many to believe that the years of hurt had turned Diana into a vindictive and cunning woman, out for revenge.

After the interview, the queen urged her son to divorce for the sake of his sons, and a divorce was granted in July 1996 with a reported settlement of 15 million pounds (then 25 million dollars).

Despite her reluctance to divorce, Diana sought to make the most of a new sense of freedom.

Already the world's most photographed woman, she began to fulfil her ambition to become a roving goodwill ambassador, launching a high-profile campaign against landmines and continuing to support various causes such as AIDS research and homelessness projects.

Just weeks prior to her death, after being seen with a number of male companions, word got around that, at 36, Diana had found love with Dodi al-Fayed, son of Harrod's department store tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed.

She died at Dodi's side when their chauffeured limousine crashed in a road tunnel under the Place d'Alma in Paris on the evening of August 31, 1997.

The inquest into her death found that the Mercedes the couple were travelling in had been driven negligently by chauffeur Henri Paul and that the vehicles of the pursuing paparazzi were also to blame.

Source: AFP