Princess Diana died 20 years ago Thursday, but her memory is being kept alive in a number of ways.
Some well-wishers have left notes and flowers at the gates of Kensington Palace, while others are visiting memorials built in her honor—including the Diana Memorial Playground, also at Kensington Palace; Hyde Park’s Diana Memorial Fountain; and the Diana Memorial Walk at St. James’s Park.
For those who are not in London—but who still want to honor her in some way, one option is to donate to one of the many causes she cared about.
The Princess of Wales, known as the “people’s princess,” earned that nickname thanks to the breadth of her charity work; over the course of her lifetime, she was involved with more than 100 charities. Here are five causes she cared deeply about:
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1. Changing the world’s perception of HIV and AIDS
One of the most famous photos of the princess was one in which she shook hands with HIV-positive patients without wearing gloves. Through that simple action, she challenged the notion that disease is transferable through touch and highlighted that people with the disease are, well, people. She was a patron of The National Aids Trust, a U.K.-based organization whose mission is to champion the rights of people living with HIV.
2. Removing the remnants of war
Diana was also a patron of HALO Trust, an organization whose main mission is to remove unexploded landmines. Her support of the issue is seen as having had an influence in the signing of the Ottawa Treaty, which banned the use of anti-personnel landmines.
3. Providing housing for homeless youth
The Princess of Wales was a supporter of the U.K.’s young homeless population and frequently spoke out on their behalf. She supported Centrepoint, a non-profit that provides housing and support for young people in London, Manchester, Yorkshire and the North East and through partnerships all over the U.K.
4. Fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness
During a speech for Turning Point in 1990, a mental health-focused nonprofit, she said, “It takes professionalism to convince a doubting public that it should accept back into its midst many of those diagnosed as psychotics, neurotics and other sufferers who Victorian communities decided should be kept out of sight in the safety of mental institutions.” Along with Turning Point, she was a benefactor of Relate, a provider of relationship support.
5. Treating cancer—especially in children
Diana served as president of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, a charity that raises funds for The Royal Marsden, a cancer treatment hospital in London. She opened the Wolfson Children’s Cancer Unit there in 1993 and launched her own children-focused cancer charity, now known as Children with Cancer UK.
