Rarely-Seen Photos Show More Private Side Of Princess Diana's Upbringing
May 18, 2020
In a book titled Remembering Diana: A Life in Photographs, author Tina Brown lets us in on the early life of Lady Diana Frances Spencer who became Diana, Princess of Wales. Published in 2017, the book also contains more than 100 images from Diana's life.
First Birthday
Little Diana was born to a family with 500 years of nobility. Her upbringing was posh, but it wasn't always happy.
It is revealed in the book that her mother, Frances, left her father, then Viscount Althorp, for another man. Overall, these earlier images showcase the humanity of the girl who would become the "People's Princess."
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Fourth Of Five Kids
Diana was born into an aristocratic family, the Queen even attended her parents' wedding. After her parents divorced, she was left to live mostly with her father, though in the book, he apparently left her to the care of nannies and boarding schools.
Early in her childhood, she and her family lived in a rented property on the Queen's estate, according to the BBC.
Holiday In Itchenor, West Sussex
"She was quite a lovable child," au pair Inge Crane told CNN. "She was very, very cuddly."
Her brother, Charles, shared that she started exhibiting a spirit of giving and "fighting for good causes" at a young age, as reported by People magazine.
Little Fashionista Turned All-Time Style Icon
Though she had a keen sense of style from an early age, the little fashionista's childhood dream was to be married and to be a mom.
"Diana's dreams all through her childhood really were just to be happily married and to have a large family," nanny Mary Clarke told CNN.
Animal Lover
“She loved animals when she was a child,” her mother said in a book by Sarah Bradford called Diana. “She loved everything that was small and furry or had feathers.”
Diana learned to ride horses before she was four, but after she broke her arm in a riding accident, her love for it diminished. Still, her empathy for all living creatures would be a hallmark of her life.
Influential Woman Of History
"Diana deserves a place in history," her brother Charles said when she passed.
"This was a special person, and not just a beautiful one."
Diana wore this all-black Christina Stambolian ‘revenge dress’ to the Serpentine Gallery summer party in 1994, the same night Prince Charles admitted to having an affair with Camilla. What a legend. Be sure to pass this story along to your friends and family.