Man Trying Out Camcorder Captures Friends' Reactions To Princess Diana's Death

A man who was trying out a new camcorder caught his friends' reactions to Princess Diana's death, back in 1997. Watch here:

Alan Light and his friends were playing cards in Iowa City, Iowa, on 31 August when the tragic news broke.

Alan was trying out a new camcorder at the time, and the footage he captured shows the room dramatically shift from a relaxed and playful atmosphere to one of shock and sadness.

Princess Diana died aged 36 following a car crash in Paris, in which her partner Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul also died.

PA

Alan recently answered a few questions about the recording on his YouTube channel.

He said: "I was trying out a new camcorder by recording friends playing the card game UNO. When my mom called me to say that Diana was in a car crash I turned on the TV and I kept recording my friend's reactions.

He continued: "When CNN announced that Diana had died I didn't turn the camera back to the TV because I thought it was more interesting to capture my friends' reactions.

"Some people call this video the first of what are now called 'reaction' videos, a term that didn't exist in 1997 (and neither did YouTube)."

YouTube/Alan Light

Alan also clarified that everyone in the video is still alive, adding that it had received many more views since the Harry and Meghan Oprah Winfrey interview.

The Royal Family has been under the spotlight since it aired earlier this month, with Meghan claiming there were 'concerns' over how dark their baby Archie's skin would be.

Meghan said: "In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time, so we have in tandem the conversation of how he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin is going to be when he's born."

Meghan also said that she had suicidal thoughts, but was denied support.

ITV

She said: "It was all happening just because I was breathing. I was ashamed to admit it at the time, and admit it to Harry because of how much loss he's suffered, but I knew that I didn't want to be alive anymore.

"That was a very real, clear, constant thought. He just cradled me. I went to the institution and said I needed help, and I was told it wouldn't be good for the institution.

"I went to human resources and said 'I need help'. In my old job there was a union that would protect me. They said 'My heart goes out to you, but you're not a paid employee of the institution'."

Topics: Viral, Interesting, Community, Royals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey