A self confessed Diana “superfan” splashed £3,000 travelling from Australia to lay flowers at her former home, Kensington Palace, on the 20th anniversary of her death.
An emotional Trish Hoskin, 56, told how she desperately wanted to attend Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, but couldn’t due to work commitments.
The software developer said when she realised the 20th anniversary of Princess Di’s death was approaching she arranged flights from Adelaide as she ‘had to be in London to pay tribute’.
A tearful Miss Hoskin said: ”I miss her, she was a wonderful woman.
”I couldn’t come back in 1997 and I have always regretted it. With the anniversary approaching I thought ‘I have to be there.’
”It’s cost me £3,000, but it has been worth every penny.”
Miss Hoskin added: ”She was a beautiful woman and she did marvellous work for charity.
“I think I relate to her a lot as she would have been my age now.”
Like so many others outside Kensington Palace on Thursday Miss Hoskin could easily recall where she was on the fateful day Princess Diana died.
She said: ”I was at the beach having lunch and I heard on the radio there had been an accident involving Diana.
“At first it just said she had a broken arm and I thought she’d be fine.
”We left the beach and went up to a shop. By the time I’d got there the shop owners were telling people about it. They said she had died.
“I just collapsed. I told my friends I had to go home. It was an awful, awful day.”
She added: ”Her legacy lives on in her sons and Kate though: they have the same touch.”
Miss Hoskin arrived in the U.K on Tuesday and is due to fly back home tomorrow (Friday).