Princess Diana wasnât known as âThe Peopleâs Princessâ because it was a nice nickname for her.
No, through her charitable work and warmth, she became an important person for the British to lean on and be inspired by in tough times. As she famously said, she didnât wish to be the Queen on paper but rather the Queen in peopleâs hearts.
The tragic accident in Paris that caused her death is one of the most shocking events in modern British history. Yet still to this day, Princess Dianaâs legacy lives on, not only through her sons William and Harry, but most importantly, in peopleâs hearts.
Weâve seen plenty of amazing photos of Diana over the years â but other pictures havenât been nearly so widely circulated.
Princess Diana died too young, and all trials and tribulations complicated her life. Sadly, she was followed everywhere and endured a troubled private life once she joined the royal family.
Princess Diana â raising Harry and William.
Despite it all, though, Diana was a loving mother. She always made sure to put William and Harry first â the mother-of-two wanted her children to have a childhood that was as normal as possible.
Princess Diana often took William and Harry to theme parks and other fun venues. Of course, she knew what royal life entailed, including the fact that they had meals served to them at all times and were expected to behave like proper royal children.
Yet she was also aware of the importance of William and Harry getting the chance to be like any other child. With this in mind, she would sneak them out of the palace to get fast food.
âI remember the princess came into the kitchen one day and said, âCancel lunch for the boys, Iâm taking them out, weâre going to McDonaldâs,â Dianaâs former personal chef Darren McGrady told Marie Claire.
âAnd I said, âOh my God â your Royal Highness, I can do that, I can do burgers.â And she said, âNo, itâs the toy they want.ââ
William and Harry naturally loved spending time with their mother. She raised them to feel like they were like any other children, which they were in many ways!
Diana always endeavored to be the best mom possible and knew that brothers could and would fight with one another from time to time.
She wanted her sons always to be best friends
Royal historian Robert Lacey once revealed details about Harry and Williamâs childhood and how their mother wanted the two brothers to make her a significant promise.
In the book, Lacey quotes psychic Simone Simmons, who used to consult Diana.
âYou must promise me that you will always be each otherâs best friends,â Simmons claimed Diana told her sons. âAnd never let anyone come between you.â
âBoth boys promised they would keep to that,â Simmons recalled. âThey high-fived each other and gave their mother a big cuddle.
ââAnybody would have melted at sight,â she said. âThen they went out to play soccer.â
From the beginning, it was clear that royal life wasnât the end of the world for Diana. Her children always took priority, and she wanted to protect them from whatever might come between them.
That even included the Royal Family itself â Diana was reportedly worried that the Queen and Charles were plotting to separate her from her children.
William and Harry unveiled a statue of their mother.
William and Harry may have made Diana the aforementioned promise, but their relationship has been rather bad in recent years, beginning with Harryâs decision to leave the Royal Family in 2020.
A year ago, on what wouldâve been Dianaâs 60th birthday, William and Harry reunited to unveil a new statue of their late mother. The sculpture, cast in bronze, of Diana surrounded by three children, was placed in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, her former home in London.
âToday, on what would have been our motherâs 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength, and character â qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better,â William and Harry said in a joint statement.
âEvery day, we wish she were still with us, and we hope this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and legacy.â
This year marked the 25th anniversary of Princess Dianaâs passing. William and Harry honored their beloved mother, but the two brothers did it separately.
According to a royal source who spoke to People Magazine, William spent the day quietly with his wife, Kate Middleton, in Windsor.
Ahead of the anniversary on August 31, Harry spoke about his mother, saying he hoped to make her proud.
Princess Diana â Charlesâs affair with Camilla
âI want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for how she did it,â Harry said on the anniversary. âI want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her. Every day, I hope to do her proud.â
Besides leading an extremely public life, Diana had personal issues like any other person. For the Princess, one of the biggest problems involved her husband, then-Prince Charles.
Just years after his wedding to Diana, Charles engaged in an affair with Camilla, who would later become his wife.
According to Prince Charlesâ authorized biography, as quoted by Town Country, their affair started in 1986. Charles was still married to Princess Diana then, and she found out about it.
In 1989, Diana confronted Camilla over the affair, telling her to back off.
âI know whatâs going on between you and Charles, and I just want you to know that,â Camilla recalled Diana saying, as quoted by Town Country.
â[Diana] said to me: âYouâve got everything you ever wanted. Youâve got all the men in the world falling in love with you, and youâve got two beautiful children; what more do you want?ââ
âSo I said, âI want my husband.â And I said, âIâm sorry Iâm in the way, and it must be hell for both of you. But I do know whatâs going on. Donât treat me like an idiot,ââ Diana said, as per Camilla.
The Queen broke royal protocol at Dianaâs funeral.
From the publicâs perspective, things continued as normal, but it didnât take long before Charles and Dianaâs fairytale life was history. In 1992, the couple announced their separation, though both continued with their official royal duties. Four years later, in August of 1996, they reached a final agreement for the divorce.
Besides getting a generous settlement, Diana was given the right to retain her apartment at Kensington Palace and her âPrincess of Walesâ title. However, she agreed to give up her title of âRoyal Highnessâ as well as any future claim to the throne.
The passing of Diana was a shock to the entire nation and the world. Her funeral was held on September 6, 1997, in Westminster Abbey before she was buried at her family home of Althorp Park.
Princess Dianaâs funeral had more than 2000 guests in attendance. Her coffin was drawn through London after the ceremony, where the British people had the chance to give their beloved Princess a last farewell.
Interestingly, the Queen was never required to bow her head to anyone. At Dianaâs funeral, though, she breached royal protocol, bowing to the late Princessâs coffin as it passed her on a gun carriage. It was the only time Queen Elizabeth broke that royal rule.
Rare photos of Princess Diana
For large parts of her royal life, Diana was hounded by the paparazzi press; itâs not a stretch to say that Diana became the most photographed person in the world at the time.
In short, everybody wanted their little piece of Diana. So, according to The Guardian, tabloids were offering up to $500,000 for grainy pictures of her.
Her sons, William and Harry, saw how the press treated their mother. Harry said he wanted to leave the Royal Family in his early 20s, partly due to how he witnessed his mother being treated before her death.
âLook what it did to my mum; how am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and a family when I know that itâs going to happen again,â Harry explained. âI donât want to be part of this.â
Many iconic pictures of Princess Diana were taken over the years. Sure, some of them were taken by the paparazzi, desperate to sell photos of her. But some pictures show great warmth and give us a stunning look at Dianaâs life and career.
A look through the archives offers hundreds of never-before-seen pictures of the beloved late Princess. Weâve compiled some of them in a bid to show a side of Diana that has rarely been seen.
Diana became a style icon at the height of her fame, and she took that with her to the slopes while skiing.
Skiing trips, sunbathing and humanitarian work
Below we see Diana on a skiing trip to Austria with her sons, Harry and William. This picture was taken as Harry had turned nine years old. He sure is adorable â and the whole family looks stunning!
In 1990, Diana and the children â alongside her sisterâs children â went to Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. Virginâs Richard Branson owned the island.
Diana sure knew how to have fun. Look at this beautiful picture of when she and Harry visited the amusement park Thorpe Park in 1992.
Diana was often referred to as âThe Peopleâs Princess.â She participated in many humanitarian efforts, setting an excellent standard for how a kind and compassionate person should behave. Here, Princess Diana is seen visiting an Orthopedic workshop in Luanda, Angola, sitting with victims of land mines.
We can go on and on about these beautiful pictures of Diana. This one was taken in 1971 when she was on a summer holiday in Itchenor, West Sussex.
This one was taken outside Dianaâs flat in Coleherne Court, London, before her engagement to Charles.
Here, Harry sticks out his tongue to people gathered around Buckingham Palace. Diana looks somewhat surprised.
The clothing brand Barbour is still a favorite among royals, but perhaps Princess Diana wore it best.
Diana loved Barbour, and during a visit to the Outer Hebrides in Scotland in 985, it was a perfect time to sport her Barbour-style waxed cotton jacket
Jayne Fincher, a royal photographer who took some of Princess Dianaâs most iconic shots, followed the royal couple everywhere. She had chartered a plane to get out to the Outer Hebrides, where Charles and Diana were on an official visit.
âWhen I caught up,â says Fincher, âCharles said, âWhere have you been?ââ
The Outer Hebrides are exposed to the extremes of wind and rain, and Princess Diana got to experience some of that during her visit there in 1985.
But she looks terrific in the photos from the trip, and photographer Jayne realized one thing after checking the negatives.
âYou donât see Diana dressed like that very often. She looked so happy. It was pouring rain, but her makeup was perfect and un-smudged. I looked a mess, as usual,â she said.
The photo below was taken during Dianaâs last summer alive. She is seen with her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, on a boat in St. Tropez, France, jumping into the water.
We will always remember Diana as a genuinely kind and wonderful human being.
So please, share this article on Facebook with friends and family to honor her!
ââAnybody would have melted at sight,â she said. âThen they went out to play soccer.â
From the beginning, it was clear that royal life wasnât the end of the world for Diana. Her children always took priority, and she wanted to protect them from whatever might come between them.
That even included the Royal Family itself â Diana was reportedly worried that the Queen and Charles were plotting to separate her from her children.
William and Harry unveiled a statue of their mother.
William and Harry may have made Diana the aforementioned promise, but their relationship has been rather bad in recent years, beginning with Harryâs decision to leave the Royal Family in 2020.
A year ago, on what wouldâve been Dianaâs 60th birthday, William and Harry reunited to unveil a new statue of their late mother. The sculpture, cast in bronze, of Diana surrounded by three children, was placed in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, her former home in London.
âToday, on what would have been our motherâs 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength, and character â qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better,â William and Harry said in a joint statement.
âEvery day, we wish she were still with us, and we hope this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and legacy.â
This year marked the 25th anniversary of Princess Dianaâs passing. William and Harry honored their beloved mother, but the two brothers did it separately.
According to a royal source who spoke to People Magazine, William spent the day quietly with his wife, Kate Middleton, in Windsor.
Ahead of the anniversary on August 31, Harry spoke about his mother, saying he hoped to make her proud.
Princess Diana â Charlesâs affair with Camilla
âI want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for how she did it,â Harry said on the anniversary. âI want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her. Every day, I hope to do her proud.â
Besides leading an extremely public life, Diana had personal issues like any other person. For the Princess, one of the biggest problems involved her husband, then-Prince Charles.
Just years after his wedding to Diana, Charles engaged in an affair with Camilla, who would later become his wife.
According to Prince Charlesâ authorized biography, as quoted by Town Country, their affair started in 1986. Charles was still married to Princess Diana then, and she found out about it.
In 1989, Diana confronted Camilla over the affair, telling her to back off.
âI know whatâs going on between you and Charles, and I just want you to know that,â Camilla recalled Diana saying, as quoted by Town Country.
â[Diana] said to me: âYouâve got everything you ever wanted. Youâve got all the men in the world falling in love with you, and youâve got two beautiful children; what more do you want?ââ
âSo I said, âI want my husband.â And I said, âIâm sorry Iâm in the way, and it must be hell for both of you. But I do know whatâs going on. Donât treat me like an idiot,ââ Diana said, as per Camilla.
The Queen broke royal protocol at Dianaâs funeral.
From the publicâs perspective, things continued as normal, but it didnât take long before Charles and Dianaâs fairytale life was history. In 1992, the couple announced their separation, though both continued with their official royal duties. Four years later, in August of 1996, they reached a final agreement for the divorce.
Besides getting a generous settlement, Diana was given the right to retain her apartment at Kensington Palace and her âPrincess of Walesâ title. However, she agreed to give up her title of âRoyal Highnessâ as well as any future claim to the throne.
The passing of Diana was a shock to the entire nation and the world. Her funeral was held on September 6, 1997, in Westminster Abbey before she was buried at her family home of Althorp Park.
Princess Dianaâs funeral had more than 2000 guests in attendance. Her coffin was drawn through London after the ceremony, where the British people had the chance to give their beloved Princess a last farewell.
Interestingly, the Queen was never required to bow her head to anyone. At Dianaâs funeral, though, she breached royal protocol, bowing to the late Princessâs coffin as it passed her on a gun carriage. It was the only time Queen Elizabeth broke that royal rule.
Rare photos of Princess Diana
For large parts of her royal life, Diana was hounded by the paparazzi press; itâs not a stretch to say that Diana became the most photographed person in the world at the time.
In short, everybody wanted their little piece of Diana. So, according to The Guardian, tabloids were offering up to $500,000 for grainy pictures of her.
Her sons, William and Harry, saw how the press treated their mother. Harry said he wanted to leave the Royal Family in his early 20s, partly due to how he witnessed his mother being treated before her death.
âLook what it did to my mum; how am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and a family when I know that itâs going to happen again,â Harry explained. âI donât want to be part of this.â
Many iconic pictures of Princess Diana were taken over the years. Sure, some of them were taken by the paparazzi, desperate to sell photos of her. But some pictures show great warmth and give us a stunning look at Dianaâs life and career.
A look through the archives offers hundreds of never-before-seen pictures of the beloved late Princess. Weâve compiled some of them in a bid to show a side of Diana that has rarely been seen.
Diana became a style icon at the height of her fame, and she took that with her to the slopes while skiing.
Skiing trips, sunbathing and humanitarian work
Below we see Diana on a skiing trip to Austria with her sons, Harry and William. This picture was taken as Harry had turned nine years old. He sure is adorable â and the whole family looks stunning!
In 1990, Diana and the children â alongside her sisterâs children â went to Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. Virginâs Richard Branson owned the island.
Diana sure knew how to have fun. Look at this beautiful picture of when she and Harry visited the amusement park Thorpe Park in 1992.
Diana was often referred to as âThe Peopleâs Princess.â She participated in many humanitarian efforts, setting an excellent standard for how a kind and compassionate person should behave. Here, Princess Diana is seen visiting an Orthopedic workshop in Luanda, Angola, sitting with victims of land mines.
We can go on and on about these beautiful pictures of Diana. This one was taken in 1971 when she was on a summer holiday in Itchenor, West Sussex.
This one was taken outside Dianaâs flat in Coleherne Court, London, before her engagement to Charles.
Here, Harry sticks out his tongue to people gathered around Buckingham Palace. Diana looks somewhat surprised.
The clothing brand Barbour is still a favorite among royals, but perhaps Princess Diana wore it best.
Diana loved Barbour, and during a visit to the Outer Hebrides in Scotland in 985, it was a perfect time to sport her Barbour-style waxed cotton jacket
Jayne Fincher, a royal photographer who took some of Princess Dianaâs most iconic shots, followed the royal couple everywhere. She had chartered a plane to get out to the Outer Hebrides, where Charles and Diana were on an official visit.
âWhen I caught up,â says Fincher, âCharles said, âWhere have you been?ââ
The Outer Hebrides are exposed to the extremes of wind and rain, and Princess Diana got to experience some of that during her visit there in 1985.
But she looks terrific in the photos from the trip, and photographer Jayne realized one thing after checking the negatives.
âYou donât see Diana dressed like that very often. She looked so happy. It was pouring rain, but her makeup was perfect and un-smudged. I looked a mess, as usual,â she said.
The photo below was taken during Dianaâs last summer alive. She is seen with her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, on a boat in St. Tropez, France, jumping into the water.
We will always remember Diana as a genuinely kind and wonderful human being.
So please, share this article on Facebook with friends and family to honor her!