Alderney Elizabeth II 1 Pound

History

1 Pound 2007, KM# 174, Alderney, Elizabeth II, 10th Anniversary of Death of Princess Diana

Obverse. Photo © OneBid

Description

In the early hours of August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, tragically passed away due to injuries sustained in a fatal car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. The car, a Mercedes-Benz W140, was driven by Henri Paul, deputy head of security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris, who was found to be intoxicated by alcohol and prescription drugs, leading to loss of control at high speed. Diana's partner, Dodi Fayed, and Henri Paul were both found deceased in the car, while Diana's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived the crash but sustained serious injuries. Despite initial reports, it was later revealed that none of the occupants were wearing seat belts. The French investigation concluded that Paul was solely responsible for the accident. In 2008, a British inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing due to grossly negligent driving by Paul and the paparazzi vehicles following them. Diana's untimely death, at the age of 36, sparked widespread public mourning worldwide, with her televised funeral watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people. The royal family faced criticism for their response to Diana's passing, and public interest in her life and legacy has remained significant in the years since.

Obverse	Crown, jewelry Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II Fourth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was a wedding present in 1947 from her grandmother, Queen Mary, who received it as a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland in 1893 on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York, later George V. Made by E. Wolfe & Co., it was purchased from Garrard & Co. by a committee organised by Lady Eve Greville. In 1914, Mary adapted the tiara to take 13 diamonds in place of the large oriental pearls surmounting the tiara. At first, Elizabeth wore the tiara without its base and pearls but the base was reattached in 1969. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of Elizabeth's most recognisable pieces of jewellery due to its widespread use on British banknotes and coinage. Engraver: Ian Rank-Broadley ALDERNEY ELIZABETH II IRB 2007
Reverse	Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Lady Diana Depicts a bust of Princess Diana facing left, surrounded by text, value below. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. The marriage produced two sons, the princes William and Harry, who were then respectively second and third in the line of succession to the British throne. As Princess of Wales, Diana undertook royal duties on behalf of the Queen and represented her at functions overseas. She was celebrated for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Diana remained the object of worldwide media scrutiny during and after her marriage, which ended in divorce on 28 August 1996. Her death in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997 and her funeral were accompanied by intense public mourning. Engraver: Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn THE LEGACY OF A UNIQUE WOMAN Diana • ONE POUND •
Edge	Reeded (milled)