Meanwhile, the country yearned for the Queen and to for the Buckingham Palace Royal Standard to be flown at half-mast.
The initial reluctance to lower the flag, which traditionally is only raised when the monarch is in residence, was perceived as archaic by her subjects.
As the flowers piled at the gates of the palace, there was still no official word or tribute.
The popularity of the modern monarchy had never been so low.
Though, for many, the real villain was Charles.
He had betrayed Diana in life, and now, some believed, in death.
The New Zealand Herald recently ran an article of how the heir to the throne's popularity has plummeted as the anniversary of her death looms.
Anniversaries have a habit of jerking the memory.
The new study, carried out by YouGov, showed one in four Britons now believe Charles has had a negative impact on the royals, a big jump since 2013.
Only a third believe the Prince of Wales has been beneficial for the royal family - down from nearly two-thirds four years ago.
And just 14 per cent want to see his wife, Camilla, as queen when he becomes king, while a third believe she should have no title at all.
As the Queen edges closer to her 92nd birthday, this doesn't make for pleasant reading.
It was always going to be a tough act to follow.
Sandwiched between the longest reigning monarch, and what many see as the future of the royal family in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
It will a turbulent week for his majesty, and one that may have a lasting effect on his reign before it has even begun.
