Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Princess Diana of Bourbon-Parma

7th arrondissement of Paris, 22 May 1932 – Hamburg, 4 May 2020

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 22 May 1932

    Born in 7th arrondissement of Paris

  2. 1957–1964

    3 children are born

  3. 4 May 2020

    Dies in Hamburg, aged 87

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 3

During her lifetime

She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around 7th arrondissement of Paris.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1930s · Princess is born in 7th arrondissement of Paris

In the news1933–1938

Car ownership grew slowly between 1933 and 1938

Motorization remained limited in the 1930s, as the number of cars grew from 0.5 million in 1933 to 1.3 million in 1938, yet there were still only 19 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.

Getting around

Railcar improvements cut travel times

Between 1928 and 1939, modernized railcars reduced the journey between St Brieuc and Paimpol from 2 hours 50 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes.

At the table

Daily shopping and dishwashing routines

Because food could not be kept fresh without refrigerators, working-class housewives shopped daily for small amounts, spending at least an hour each day comparing prices. Dishes were washed in two basins pulled from under the kitchen table, using soda instead of soap and drying them with care, as there was no running warm water.

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.Around the world · 1939–1945

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.

Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent · public domain

What people wore

Functional fashions replaced the corset

In the 1920s, the corset fell out of fashion, replaced by functional dresses without emphasized waists and shorter hemlines ranging from knee to calf length. Women often used foundation garments like hip-shaping belts to achieve the modern silhouette.

Music

Instruments for dancing in France

People danced to the accordion, bagpipes, and the vielle, a traditional string instrument played by turning a wheel. Between the wars, the accordion became the dominant instrument for popular dances across France.

Daily life

School children's labor and chores

School children performed manual labor for the war effort, such as going to potato fields every Thursday to remove Colorado beetles from the plants. Students also helped clean the local school swimming pool by scrubbing the walls and floor barefoot with brushes.