When Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36, the French capital seemed to stand still for a moment.
That was 25 years ago, in the early morning of August 31, 1997. On Wednesday, half a dozen camera crews gathered at the scene of the accident above the Alma Tunnel.
Michael Wiegel
Political correspondent based in Paris.
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The journalists are asking passers-by and tourists to comment.
Does the "Princess of Hearts" live on in the memory?
There is little sign of great public interest.
"Place Diana" instead of Maria-Callas-Platz
It's also quite a long time ago that a French president dreamed of a romance with "Lady Di" in literary terms.
In his kitsch novel "La Princesse et le Président", Valéry Giscard d'Estaing depicted the turtle love between an unhappily married Welsh princess and a widowed Gaulish president.
In December 2020, Giscard took the secret of whether his novel was based on autobiographical experiences to his grave.
Fresh flowers and dried wreaths lie on the dark marble floor of the "Flame of Freedom" on Wednesday.
Ever since a plaque honoring the late princess was officially installed here, many believe the gilded copper flame sculpture is dedicated to Diana.
"Like A Candle In The Wind," Elton John also sang about her life.
A passer-by who was eagerly questioned can still remember this.
But sadness, no, he couldn't bear witness to it.
The Flame of Liberty was given to France by the United States in gratitude for the 1986 restoration of the Statue of Liberty to mark its centenary.
It was somewhat forgotten until the accident in the tunnel in 1997 drew world attention to the crime scene.
Since then, the gilded flame has marked the place of remembrance par excellence, attracting Diana admirers from all over the world.
The City Hall of Paris has taken the cult into account and renamed the traffic-heavy square.
Instead of Maria-Callas-Platz it is now called “Place Diana”.