August 30 marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, a global leader in AIDS awareness. And from Oscar-night accolades for The Queen to the cover of People magazine, the past year has resurrected the memory of the “people’s princess.” Who, if anyone, has inherited her HIV-fighting scepter? Di started breaking AIDS barriers in the ’80s, when photos of her hugging positive people circled the planet. She also became patron of the U.K.’s National AIDS Trust; this May, the private Diana Legacy Fund was launched to provide hospice care for positive people in Africa. But while Prince Harry has fought AIDS in Lesotho, no elder Windsor has since stepped up. “Without someone in the public eye to act as champion, HIV in the U.K. is neglected,” says Deborah Jack, the trust’s executive director. Indeed, Positive Nation, Britain’s largest HIV magazine, folded this summer. A royal pain.
