At the tiny Crathie Kirk on the outskirts of the royal family's Balmoral Estate in Scotland, yesterday's church service was short and sombre. Prince Charles guided his sons, Princes William and Harry, inside where they prayed for their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, on the first anniversary of her death.
There were no waves to the cameras and no smiles. After the 15-minute service the senior members of the family returned to Balmoral to spend the day.
The princess's family marked the anniversary with a private service by the lake on the Althorp estate, where she is buried on a small island. The princess's brother, Earl Spencer, joined his family and estate workers.
The estate was closed at the weekend and will not reopen until next July. Bouquets were left outside the gates during the weekend.
Prayers were also said in cathedrals and churches throughout Britain at low-key services.
In London, the huge crowds expected outside the gates of Kensington Palace, the princess's former home, did not materialise. Instead a few hundred people tied colourful bouquets to the gates and lit candles.
The Union flag was flown at half-mast over Buckingham Palace. Flags on public buildings were also lowered.
In one window of the Harrods department store, an eight-foot shrine dedicated to the princess and Dodi Fayed was on display.
It bore bronze-framed photographs of the couple surrounded by seagulls and foliage, four everlasting candles and a waterfall.
A spokesman for Mr Mohamed al-Fayed explained: "The shrine symbolises Diana and Dodi's last holiday together when they were both very happy. The seagulls and the greenery are reminiscent of the Mediterranean, the water represents eternity and the candles are obviously everlasting."
Mourners came to sign a condolence book and Mr al-Fayed and his family attended a memorial service at the mausoleum where Dodi Fayed is buried. Visitors to Harrods said they had come to pay their respects to both Diana and Dodi.
"I have come down here to lay flowers at Kensington Palace like I did last year and I felt I had to come and see this memorial because Dodi is often forgotten," said Ms Lesley Shuter, from south-west London.
At the same time, in Angola, the princess's work with the victims of landmines was remembered. Tottenham Hotspur striker David Ginola, who has taken over the princess's role as an envoy for the International Red Cross, began a 48-hour tour of the country in the capital, Luanda.