Archbishop Carey: Tragic and cruel ending to Diana's life

Archbishop Praises Diana's Flair and Courage

"She should not have died so needlessly and so young," said Dr George Carey. But he also warned, during a period of unprecedented national mourning, against portraying her as "super-human".

Dr Carey was speaking in a specially recorded Thought for the Day slot for BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

His remarks came hours before the Westminster Abbey funeral service at which he led the prayers for the Princess.

"Today the body of Diana, Princess of Wales, will be laid to rest. What a tragic and cruel ending to the life of a person who loved life, loved people and had so much to give," he said.

"Our grief has been intensified by the news of Mother Teresa's death. Mother Teresa knew Diana well and she would have known at first hand of Diana's wonderful gift, her extraordinary beauty, flair, courage and a marvellous capacity to communicate human warmth," he continued.

"Her special place in so many people's hearts was due also to the fact that they could identify with her vulnerability, with the times she suffered and stumbled, and the way she was able to turn the struggles into compassion for others," said Dr Carey.

"The pain and desolation of the crowds I was with last night in central London have, in one sense, said it all. She should not have died so needlessly and so young," he stressed.

Dr Carey spoke with warmth of the work Diana had done during her short life. "Through the way she touched the lives of so many, I think she was saying, you, a young man with Aids, are special and loved, you the boy suffering from leukaemia are special," he said.

"Each person is unique and loved by Almighty God. That is what Diana instinctively knew and reflected in her life. The living memorial she would most love would be for us all to recognise the specialness of every human being, to show in practice the love for each and every neighbour. That is how I intend to remember her," said Dr Carey.