A life which began as a fairy tale ended as a nightmare. Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a Paris hospital at 4:00 a.m. on 31st Aug.'97 (Sunday) morning after her car, a Mercedes 600, driving at great speed, crashed into the 13^th pillar of a 660 feet long tunnel under the Alma bridge along the river Seine on late night of 30th August. She was with Dodi Fayed for the dinner at the Ritz, Paris. The couple left Ritz at 12:20 a.m. Paris time. The paparazzi were in pursuit. The unprecedented public sympathy and love for her was witnessed by the world. Her funeral evoked such irresistible emotion and drew such massive throngs - that some commentators described it as a grand occasion that eclipsed Winston Churchill's in 1965. She surpassed John F. Kennedy in popularity. The sea of flowers, the flood of mourners gave a glimpse of temporarily altered landscape of London.

She was a unique combination of beauty, royalty and candour. It was this lethal blend which made her a victim of the media.

The Saturn in her natal chart is very strong. It has got enormous  'Shadbala' strength as well as Ashtakvarga relative strength. This was the reason that she had become a philanthropist princess and was engaged in numerous service missions for ill and poor all over the world.

The Mars is situated in 10th and is the strongest planet in her horoscope when 'Shadbala' strength and 'Ashtakvarga' strength is averaged. Her most recent passion for service of sufferers of 'land mines' in war torn countries is explained by strong Mars (which is the significator planet of explosives, blood etc.) situated in 'Karma Bhaava'.  The strong Mars made her courageous and aggressive. Her revolt from Prince Charles for his escapades with Ms. Camilla Parker was possible only due to strong Mars.

The Sun is very strong in her natal chart (Shadbala wise). Though a little weak (3 points only) in Ashtakvarga of Ascendant, it has got 5 points in the Ashtakvarga of Navamsha. In Navamsha, it is 7th lord, posited in Lagna having full aspect on 7th. It transformed Diana into a person who could not bear the injustice of her spouse.

The ascendant has 36 benefic points in Sarvaashtakvarga prepared from Lagna-chart (D01). Navamsha ascendant has 32 points in Ashtakvarga prepared from Navamsha (D09). Even Sun-chart has 30 points in ascendant. The personality like Diana should have to have such a strong ascendant.

Her Third House is very-very strong when analyzed through Ashtakvarga. Though it has got only 25 points in Ashtakvarga of Lagna, but it has got 30 in Sun-chart, 37 in Moon-chart, 32 in Navamsha and 32 in Dashamsha Ashtakvargas. If we total up 3rd house points in Prastaarashtak (starting from the posited sign) in Lagna's Ashtakvarga, it has got maximum (36) points among all houses. This strength of Third House explains why she was so dear to the media.

"Diana lived by the press, was killed by the press and has been resurrected by the press." said Mark Tully, former BBC correspondent.

Her Sixth House has 38 points in Lagna Ashtakvarga and 37 points in Sun-chart's Ashtakvarga. This very strong disposition of Sixth House explains about the mental agitation, disappointments and humiliation Diana has to live with all-through her life after marriage. The strong 6th also explains her strong diplomatic skills due to which she became 'Ambassador of Goodwill'.

Her Seventh House has 23 benefic points in Ashtakvarga of D01, much below of average 28. 7th houses in Ashtakvarga prepared from Sun-chart and Moon-chart has 24 and 26 points, respectively. This house is quite weak from all three angles of 'Sudarshan Chakra' method. Even 7th House in Ashtakvarga of Navamsha (D09) has average points- only 29. All the four corners indicate an uncomfortable married life. Now examine the fifth corner. See the 'Prastaarashtak' chart starting from posited sign at the time of birth. Total of 7th house is only 24, again much below the average.

Her Ninth House is extremely weak in general in all ashtakvargas, which signifies the relations with father. Author does not know about her relations with parents, hence he is unable to comment. However, another signification of this house is 'Fortune' and by any criteria she can not be termed as a 'fortunate' person.

Her Tenth House is very strong in both Ashtakvargas (i.e. Ashtakvarga of D01 and D09). D01 has 31 points and D09 has 34 points in the 10th House. This fact signifies her excellent public image. The 10th House is 4th from 7th House and hence also signifies the mother of her spouse. A very prominent lady has to be her mother-in-law like Queen Elizabeth-II.

Saturn has got 'Zero' in Capricorn in the Ashtakvarga of Navamsha (D09). For the married life, Navamsha is very important. Saturn entered in Capricorn in the last week of December 1990 and remained there upto February 1993. And this was the most turbulent period for marital life of the princess. She formally separated from Prince Charles on 9th December 1992.

The 7th House (of marriage and spouse) has got only 23 point in Sarvaashtakvarga prepared from Lagna and an average 29 in Navamsha's. It has got 24 points in Sun-chart and 26 in Moon-chart. By each and every criteria, it is weak, much below of average 28. The points in Taurus, where Venus is posited in natal horoscope has got only 23 points. Capricorn where Venus is posited in Navamsha, there are meagre 17 points in the Ashtakvarga prepared from Navamsha. Here we have to remember that Navamsha is the most important divisional chart for examining marital happiness.

The Mars and Rahu, the natural malefics, are posited in the 7th House in Moon chart which is as significant as Lagna itself. The destruction of  7th House significations was only but natural.

Diana's natal moon is in Aquarius and transiting Saturn is in Pisces, i.e. 2nd from natal Moon. The period of 7.5 yrs, when Saturn transits the 12th, 1st or 2nd houses from natal Moon, is referred to as "Sadhe Sati " in Vedic Astrology. This period may prove highly inauspicious to the native if other astrological factors are also malefic in nature. In Diana's case, there were a lot of factors which were highly inauspicious when her fatal accident occurred. Let us examine them one by one.

First of all see the chart " Auspicious/Inauspicious periods based on transit of planets in various Nakshatras". Sum of  benefic points from 'Lagna to Saturn' yields the name of "Swati " nakshatra, in which, result of transit of any malefic planet will bring sorrows and injuries to the native. At the time of accident, Mars was transiting "Swati"and it caused "violent death" as per its inherent nature of violence. On further analysis of Mars's transit at microscopic scale, we find that it was in the 'Kakshya of Venus'. Venus is the significator planet of romance and vehicles, both. It completed the picture. Violent death was in the vehicle along with her fiance Dodi Fayed. Furthermore, Mars was in Libra which happens to be the 12th house in her horoscope. 12th house signifies "Loss of a limb", "Loss of spouse", "foreign land", "fear from enemies". In her case "paparazzi" played the role of enemy.

As we have already examined above that Diana's 3rd House was very strong and affected her life most. It is amazing that on the date of accident: Sun, Mars, Saturn and Mercury were transiting in the 3rd from their own natal positions. This is called "Bhaava Gocharaashtak". Mercury is combust in Di's horoscope and rest of the three planets are natural malefics.  A staggering 63.33% of points were going to 3rd house on 30th Aug.(19 points out of total 30 points). All the four contributor planets of these 19 points to the 3rd house were malefic in nature. Out of these 4 planets, Sun and Saturn were in a kakshya whose lords has not contributed to the points in their respective ashtakvargas in the transited sign. Mercury also entered in such kakshya on 31st Aug. This situation enhanced the inauspiciousness of 3rd house and the factor of death by hounding "paparazzi" emerged due to it. The inauspicious significations of the 3rd house are 'fights' and 'sorrows' which were invoked with the increasing malefic planetary tendencies in 3rd house near the date of accident. In medical astrology, 3rd house signifies longevity, neck, throat, shoulders, bones, upper limbs and right ear. Diana suffered most in these part of her body during the accident.

The 'body in general' and 'longevity' is also signified by 1st house. On the date of accident, her chart shows value in the row 'Ashub%' (inauspiciousness) as 69  while value of 'Shubh%' (auspiciousness) is only 2. The contributor of the 3 points to the 1st house was Jupiter, which was highly malefic to Diana, as has been discussed below. It was also in a kakshya whose lord has not contributed a point (denoted by 'i' in chart).
(Chart under construction)

Jupiter is 5th lord and hence a benefic for Scorpio Ascendant, in general astrological parlance. It has contributed the maximum points, 8 to the Fifth House. 5th house and Jupiter both  signifies 'Children'. She got two beautiful sons due to it. It also explains her love for children worldwide. But the benefic side of Jupiter ends here. At the time of her death, she was in the main period of Jupiter. How can such tragic incident take place in the period of a benefic? This is here that the decisive power of Ashtakvarga comes into play. Let us now scrutinize Jupiter from Ashtakvarga angle.

First of all, Jupiter is in Capricorn at 11:47 deg. in natal chart. The 11th degree in Capricorn has been called "Mrituansh" for Jupiter. Nadi-Granthas from South India describes about 132 such degrees for various planets which are "Mrituansh" (Degrees of Death) for these planets. It has been said that when a planet is posited in 'Mrituansh' in natal chart, it causes death or death like sufferings in its main or sub-periods of dashas. Being lord of 2nd house, it is also a 'Maarkesh'. It is very weak in Di's natal chart 'Shadbala wise' and 'Ashtakvarga wise'; it's avgd. relative natal strength is only 0.65 ( 1 happens to be optimum). It was highly debilitated in natal chart being in Capricorn.

On the date of her death, it was again highly debilitated being in Capricorn where it has got only 3 benefic points. It was in the kakshya of Mercury, which is not a contributor to these 3 points and is a bitter enemy (Adhishatru) of Jupiter, and combust in her horoscope. All these factors enhanced the lethal effect of already malefic natal Jupiter on 30th-31st Aug'97. Furthermore, Jupiter was in 12th position from natal Moon on that date which signified "increase of grief". The Venus was 8th from natal moon which caused the involvement of a vehicle in the accident. Venus was in the kakshya of Moon which added liquor (drunken driver of Mercedes) factor to the tragedy.

One thing is noticeable here. The Capricorn is a "movable" sign. Its direction is "South" and it gains strength in  "Night". It is "four legged (Chatushpaad)". It's place of movement is "Earth". Do you find some thing in Diana's accident in a "four wheeled", "movable" vehicle at "night" in "South" of London (Paris) at "Earth" ? Both "Maarkesh", 2nd lord Jupiter and 7th lord Venus are posited in South, if  directions are calculated through Fixed Zodiac system of Varahmihira.

Now see that Jupiter is posited in 3rd House, both in Lagna and Navamsha, providing its all inauspiciousness to this house. The media was her biggest irritation throughout her life after marriage. Paparazzi (signified by 3rd house) became the cause of her death was also evident from this fact.

Under 'NETT' column at the right most corner of daily transit report, see 'Eff' sub-column which shows the 'auspiciousness' of the day for the concerned native, in numerical format discounting hundreds of astrological principles. It was 130.3 on 26th Aug, 114.1 on 27th Aug, -11.1 on 28th Aug, -53.1 on 29th Aug, -3.1 on 30th Aug, -86.1 on 31st Aug and bottoming at -135 on 1st Sep.1997. The gradual decrease in fortune is evident from this table for Lady Diana. (Chart under construction)