Frequently Asked Questions
*Source: Yvonne's Royalty Home Page
Copyright 1998-2005 Yvonne Demoskoff.
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1.
When and where was Diana born?
Diana
was born on 1 July 1961 at 7:45 p.m. (summer
time) at Park House, situated on the edge of
the royal estate Sandringham, in Norfolk. She
weighed 7 lbs, 12 oz. Park House belonged to
HM The Queen but was leased to Diana's parents,
the then Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, from
1955 to 1975. In 1983, HM The Queen offered
Park House to the Cheshire Foundation as a holiday
home for the disabled. During a visit to Park
House with the Queen, Prince Charles discovered
Diana's signature on a window frame. He moved
the whole sash window to Highgrove House for
Diana as a souvenir of her childhood home.
2.
What were Diana's names at her christening?
Diana
was christened Diana Frances on 30 August 1961
at St. Mary Magdalen church, Sandringham, by
the Right Reverend Percy Herbert. Diana had
five godparents: John Floyd (Chairman of Christie's,
and a friend of her father), Alexander Gilmour
(her father's cousin), Lady Mary Colman (the
former Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, later Lady Colman,
wife of the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, and
niece of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and
later a lady-in-waiting to Princess Alexandra,
Hon. Lady Ogilvy), Mrs Michael (Sarah) Pratt
(daughter of a former Dean of Hereford, and
friend and neighbour of Diana's parents), and
Mrs William (Carol) Fox (another friend and
neighbour of Diana's parents).
3.
Was Diana always a "Lady"?
No,
she wasn't. As the unmarried daughter of someone
who by courtesy used the style and title of
a Viscount, Diana bore the courtesy style of
'The Honourable' before her Christian name and
surname (that is, 'The Honourable Diana Spencer')
from the time of her birth until 1975. Her father,
Viscount Althorp, first son and heir apparent
of his father the 7th Earl Spencer, succeeded
to the title on 9 June 1975. At this point,
Diana, as the unmarried daughter of an Earl,
had the courtesy style of 'Lady' before her
Christian name and surname (that is, 'Lady Diana
Spencer').
4.
Who are Diana's relatives (parents, siblings
and close relatives)?
Diana's
parents were John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer
(1924-1992) and Honourable Frances Burke Roche
(1936-2005). John and Frances married at Westminster
Abbey in 1954 and divorced in 1969. Frances,
who married Peter Shand Kydd later that year,
divorced him some years later. John married
Raine McCorquodale in 1976; she was previously
married to the 8th Earl of Dartmouth.
Diana
siblings are:
•
Elizabeth Lavinia Sarah (b. 19 March 1955),
married on 17 May 1980 Neil McCorquodale (b.
10 April 1951), a second cousin once removed
of Raine; they have three children: Emily Jane
b. ca August 1983, George b. 17 November 1984,
and Celia b. ca February 1989
•
Cynthia Jane (b. 11 February 1957), married
on 20 April 1978 Sir Robert Fellowes (later
Baron Fellowes) (b. 11 December 1942), formerly
Private Secretary to HM The Queen; they have
three children: Laura Jane b. ca June 1980,
Alexander Robert b. April 1983, and Eleanor
Ruth b. 20 August 1985
•
John (b. and d. 12 January 1960)
•
Charles, 9th Earl Spencer (b. 20 May 1964),
married on 16 September 1989 Victoria Lockwood
(b. 1965); they divorced on 3 December 1997;
they have four children: Lady Kitty Eleanor
b. 28 December 1990, twins Lady Eliza Victoria
and Lady Katya Amelia b. July 1992, and Louis
Frederick, Viscount Althorp b. 14 March 1994;
Charles married secondly on 15 December 2001
Caroline Hutton (b. 1967; Caroline was previously
married to Matthew Freud, a great-grandson of
Sigmund Freud, by whom she has two sons)
5.
Where did Diana spend her early years?
Diana's
early years were spent at home cared for by
her nanny at Park House. When she was older,
Diana was taught by a governess at home. Later,
she attended a day school and then was sent
to a boarding school, Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk.
In 1973, Diana attended her sisters' alma mater,
West Heath at Sevenoaks, Kent. Until 1975, the
family lived at Park House but shortly before
turning fourteen years old, Diana's grandfather
died and her father became 8th Earl Spencer.
At this point, the family moved to their sixteenth-century
ancestral home, Althorp House in Northamptonshire.
6.
Was one of Diana's sisters a girlfriend of Prince
Charles?
Yes,
Diana's eldest sister, Sarah, was a girlfriend
of Prince Charles. Sarah and Charles met at
Ascot in June 1977. They parted ways some time
after February 1978.
7.
What kind of work did Diana do before she met
Prince Charles?
Diana
left West Heath in December 1977. She finished
her schooling at the Institut Alpin Videmanette,
near Gstaad, Switzerland. She was there for
only a short time, however (from about January
to March 1978). Later that year, Diana worked
at various occupations: as a mother's helper
in Hampshire, as well as doing occasional babysitting
and cleaning work. In early 1979, Diana became
a student teacher, helping young children with
their dancing lessons. That summer, Diana and
some friends moved into a London apartment bought
with money left to her in a trust fund by her
American great-grandmother. In the fall of 1979,
Diana found work as an assistant teacher at
London's Young England Kindergarten. Some time
later, she looked after a young American boy
who lived with his parents in London.
8.
When did Charles and Diana's romance begin?
In
November 1977, Charles and Diana met at a shooting
party one weekend at Althorp. However, it wasn't
until July 1980 that Charles invited Diana to
a polo match in Sussex. This was the start of
their romance. More invitations followed that
year: Cowes in August, Balmoral in September,
dinner with Charles at his friends' the Parker
Bowles in October, Princess Margaret's belated
birthday party in November.
9. When did Charles and Diana become
engaged?
Charles
proposed to Diana during the evening of 6 February
1981 while at Windsor Castle: they were in the
nursery when Charles "told her how much
he had missed her while he was away skiing and
then asked her simply to marry him". (Contrary
to what has been reported in certain sources,
Charles did not propose to Diana in January
1981, nor did he propose at Buckingham Palace
during a "candlelit dinner in his three-roomed
bachelor apartments".) Diana "broke
into a fit of giggles", but replied "Yes
please". Their engagement remained a secret
until after Diana's return from a family holiday
in Australia and Prince Andrew's 21st birthday.
At 11:00 a.m. on the 24th of February, Buckingham
Palace's Press Office released a brief statement
announcing the engagement of Charles and Diana:
"The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are
pleased to announce the engagement of His Royal
Highness, the Prince of Wales, to the Lady Diana
Spencer, daughter of Earl Spencer and the Honorable
Mrs. Shand-Kydd."
10.
When and where did Charles and Diana marry?
Charles
and Diana were married on 29 July 1981 at St.
Paul's Cathedral, London. Their honeymoon began
at Broadlands (in Romsey, Hampshire), the home
of Charles's late great-uncle Lord Mountbatten,
and continued on a Mediterranean cruise aboard
the royal yacht Britannia. The honeymoon finished
at Balmoral, the Queen's Scottish estate.
11.
Who designed Diana's wedding dress?
Diana's
wedding dress was designed by David and Elizabeth
Emanuel. The former students at the Royal College
of Art, David and Elizabeth had previously designed
for HRH the Duchess of Kent before being chosen
by the then Lady Diana Spencer to design her
wedding gown. Diana had worn one of their outfits
(a pale pink blouse and a pale pink taffeta
skirt) when she was photographed by Lord Snowdon
for Vogue magazine, but had not used them as
designers until her engagement. The silk for
Diana's ivory pure silk taffeta wedding dress
was spun by the only silk farm in Britain, the
Lullingstone silk farm; the embroidery was done
by Elizabeth and her mother; the lace panels
were formed from Carrickmacross lace which belonged
to Queen Mary (it formed the 'something old'
part of Diana's outfit); the 25-foot detachable
train, as well as the whole dress, featured
10,000 mother-of-pearl sequins and pearls. The
dress also featured a tiny horseshoe studded
with diamond (for good luck) and a tiny blue
bow (for 'something blue') sewn into the folds
of the skirt. Diana's wedding shoes were created
by Clive Shilton, and featured an embroidered
lattice pattern with center lace heart shaped
applique and 24-carat gold trim on the low wooden
heels. The bridesmaids dresses, similar to the
wedding gown, were trimmed with sashes of old
gold velvet. The Emanuels also created a parasol
(in case of rain) and small purse to match the
gown. After the wedding, the gown, the Spencer
tiara, a bridesmaid's dress and a page's uniform
were put on tour throughout Great Britain, along
with a selection of wedding gifts - when the
tour was completed, the gown was returned to
the Princess. It is now on display at Althorp
House, along with being a main feature of the
traveling exhibit, "Diana-A Celebration".
12.
What was some of the music played at Charles
and Diana's wedding?
The
music played at Charles and Diana's wedding
were the following fanfares, hymns and anthems:
•
the first piece of music was 'Fanfare Royale',
by Major W. Jackson (played by the State Trumpeters)
•
during the bridal processional: 'Trumpet Voluntary
(The Prince of Denmark's March)', by Jeremiah
Clarke
•
during the ceremony: 'Christ is made the sure
Foundation', by Henry Purcell; 'I vow to thee
my country', words by Sir Cecil Spring-Rice,
music by Gustav Holst; 'I was glad', by Sir
Hubert Parry; and 'Let the people praise thee',
by William Mathias (specially composed for Diana
and Charles's wedding)
•
during the signing of the register: 'March from
the Overture to the Occasional Oratorio', by
Handel as well as 'Let the Bright Seraphim',
sung by Dame Kiri te Kanawa and 'Let their celestial
concerts all unite', performed by the Bach Choir
•
during the recessional: 'Fanfare, Rejoicing',
by Major A. Richards and 'Pomp and Circumstance,
March No. 4 in G', by Edward Elgar
13.
When and where were Diana's children born?
Diana's
first child, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis
of Wales, was born on 21 June 1982 at St. Mary's
Hospital, Paddington (London). Her second child,
Prince Henry Charles Albert David (Harry) of
Wales, was born on 15 September 1984 at the
same hospital.
14.
Where did Diana live during her marriage and
after her divorce?
Diana,
Charles and their sons lived in a three-story
apartment at Kensington Palace, London. They
also lived at their country home, Highgrove
(a nine-bedroom Georgian house on 350 acres
of land), near Tetbury, in Gloucestershire.
After
her divorce, Diana continued to lived at Kensington
Palace with their children, while Charles moved
into St. James's Palace.
15.
When did Charles and Diana separate and subsequently
divorce?
Charles
and Diana's official separation was announced
on 9 December 1992 by Prime Minister John Major.
On 15 July 1996, a decree nisi was granted and
was made absolute on 28 August 1996. Charles
was represented by Fiona Shackleton of the firm
Farrer and Co, while Diana was represented by
Anthony Julius of the firm Mishcon de Reya.
Diana received a financial settlement, retained
her apartment in Kensington Palace and continued
to share equal responsibility for their sons.
16.
What was Diana's title during her marriage and
after her divorce?
As
wife of HRH The Prince of Wales, Diana became
HRH The Princess of Wales upon her marriage.
By virtue of being the wife of the heir to the
Throne, she was also Countess of Chester, Duchess
of Cornwall and Rothesay, Countess of Carrick
and Baroness of Renfrew. Following her divorce,
Diana was known by the name Diana, Princess
of Wales.
Despite
what was reported by the press then and to this
day, Diana was never entitled to be known as
HRH Princess Diana, or HRH Princess Diana of
Wales. The first form would indicate that Diana
was a princess from birth, and the second form
would indicate that Diana was a daughter of
the Prince of Wales; she was neither of these.
17.
Was Diana stripped of "HRH" following
her divorce?
When
Diana married HRH The Prince of Wales in 1981,
she became automatically HRH The Princess of
Wales. Following her divorce, Diana ceased to
be a Royal Highness because she was no longer
married to a prince who was a Royal Highness.
(The entitlement to the style 'Royal Highness'
was hers only by marriage, not by birthright.)
Shortly
before Diana and Charles's decree absolute,
HM The Queen issued Letters Patent dated 21
August 1996 (published in the London Gazette
of 30 August 1996 ) which established new guidelines
for the style of royal divorcees. The Letters
Patent stated that any woman divorced from a
Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland with the style 'Royal Highness'
would no longer be entitled to this style. (It
does not appear that the divorced wife would
lose the dignity of "Princess of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland",
however.) Accordingly, Diana was no longer known
as 'HRH The Princess of Wales', but known as
'Diana, Princess of Wales'.
The
Queen had set a precedent for her action by
denying Sarah, Duchess of York the title "Her
Royal Highness" following her divorce from
Prince Andrew. However, the Queen could
have allowed Diana, as the mother of the future
King, to retain the title-but chose to issue
the Letters Patent instead. This is supported
by the fact that Prince William has stated publicly
that he will restore his mother's title of "Her
Royal Highness" following his ascension
to the throne.
18.
Does anyone have the television interview Diana
gave prior to her divorce?
The
full transcript of Diana's BBC Panorama television
interview which was transmitted on 20 November
1995 can be seen here.
19.
When and where did Diana die?
Diana
died at the Pitié Salpétrière
Hospital, Paris, France on 31 August 1997. She
had been involved in a car accident which left
her companion, Dodi al-Fayed, and the chauffeur,
Henri Paul, dead. The only survivor was the
bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones.
20.
When and where were Diana's funeral and burial?
Diana's
funeral was held at Westminster Abbey on 6 September
1997. Her coffin was covered with a Royal Standard
which was not the Sovereign's Royal Standard
but one that was slightly different (that is,
it was edged with ten ermine tails on a white
background). This particular version of Royal
Standard is one that is reserved for members
of the royal family who are styled 'Royal Highness',
but HM The Queen gave permission for its use
on Diana's coffin.
Diana's
brother, Charles, wanted a private funeral for
his sister and his and the Spencer family's
wishes were taken into account by the royal
family and the government. Diana's funeral was
not a State Funeral (accorded to the sovereign
and on rare occasions to national heros like
Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir
Winston Churchill), nor was it a Ceremonial
Royal Funeral (accorded to the sovereign's consort
and to members of the royal family who hold
high military rank), nor was it a Private Royal
Funeral (accorded to those who hold the rank
of Royal Highness). Diana's funeral was a "a
unique funeral for a unique person", in
the words of Buckingham Palace. It was both
a public yet private funeral. It was a state
event but did not have all the pomp and ceremony
of a State funeral. (One of the features of
a State Funeral is the lying in state, but since
neither the royal family nor the Spencer family
wanted Diana's body to lie in state, no lying
in state was organized.)
Diana
was buried later that day in sanctified ground
on a small island in a lake on the Althorp estate,
her family's ancestral home. The publication
of Diana's burial certificate, dated 12 September
1997, states that she was buried 'in an extra-parochial
place, namely at Althorp Park in the County
of Northamptonshire in the grave previously
consecrated by the Bishop of Peterborough on
the Island in The Oval (lake).
21.
Where can I find a copy of Earl Spencer's Funeral
Address?
The
Order of Service for the funeral of Diana, Princess
of Wales, including Earl Spencer's Tribute (the
Funeral Address), can be seen here.
22.
Where can I see a copy of Diana's last will
and testament?
The
full text of Diana's last will and testament
can be seen here.
23.
Where can I see the final report by the Paris
prosecutor's concerning the Diana crash inquiry?
The
"Final report by Paris prosecutor's office"
concerning Diana's death is available here.
The
Operation Paget Report can be seen here.
(PDF File)
24.
Who was taller, Charles or Diana?
Diana
was taller than her husband. Charles is 5' 9
1/2" tall, while Diana was 5' 10".
(Other sources state that Charles was 5'10"
and that Diana was 5'11".) Charles looked
taller on occasion but that was either because
he was standing on a step behind his wife, or
because Diana was wearing flat-heeled shoes.
As time went on and Diana gained more confidence,
she gradually took to wearing shoes with slightly
more heels, such as low leather pumps, moving
on to court shoes with heels of about 1 1/2",
to the more daring and fashionable high heeled-shoes
by Jimmy Choo or Manolo Blahnik.
25.
Did Diana receive any Orders during her marriage?
Diana
received the Royal Family Order shortly after
her marriage. She wore it for the first time
at the state opening of Parliament in 1981.
It was her only English Order. Diana received
two foreign Orders: The Order of Al Kamal (Egypt),
in 1981, and the Grand Cross of the House of
Orange (The Netherlands), in 1982. (It is also
possible that Diana received the Order of the
Daughters of the British Empire - under research).
26.
Did Diana receive any international awards?
Diana
received the Humanitarian of the Year Award
presented to her December 1995 in New York City.
She was honoured for her charity work with children
by the judges of the United Cerebral Palsy charity.
Diana had been Patron of the Foundation for
Conductive Education in Birmingham, England
since 1990. (The Foundation promotes a form
of teaching for children with cerebral palsy.)
The following year in October 1996, Diana received
a humanitarian award from the Pio Manzu Centre.
The Centre is an international organisation
headed by Mikhail Gorbachov, former President
of the Soviet Union. Diana travelled to Rimini,
Italy where she was presented with a gold medal
for her 'social concern for those in need'.
27.
Are there any flowers named after Diana?
Yes,
there are two British roses named in Diana's
honour. The first one is 'the Princess of Wales'
rose and it was named for Diana a few months
before her death. During a visit to the British
Lung Foundation in the spring of 1997, Diana
(formerly Patron of the Foundation) was presented
with a bouquet of the roses. Brothers Robert
and Philip Harkness specially bred the rose
over a ten-year period. The flower is described
as a white rose with a delicate cream centre
with an abundant spicy scent. Available for
purchase at Harkness.
The second one is 'England's Rose' and was named
by the Royal National Rose Society. The rose
was introduced to the public in the fall of
1999 and was created by David Austin Roses Ltd.
The flower is described as creamy pink with
a gentle apricot blush and has a delicate yet
powerful scent. Available for purchase at England's
Rose. Hart Canna also named
a canna lily for Diana - a creamy blossom with
a delightful scent. Available for purchase at
Hart
Canna.
28.
What were some of Diana's hobbies?
Some
of Diana's interests and hobbies included tennis,
swimming, skiing, tap dancing, playing the piano,
listening to music and enjoying the ballet.
29.
What were some charities with which Diana was
associated?
Since
her marriage in 1981, Diana became president
or patron of many charities. See our Charities
page for a complete list.
30.
How is Diana related to royalty?
Diana
has many lines of descent from royalty. She
descends from some of the natural children of
King Charles II and King James II, sons of Charles
I, King of England. Some of these lines of descent
are from her paternal grandfather, the 7th Earl
Spencer while the other lines are from his wife,
Lady Cynthia Hamilton. As well as being a descendant
of Kings of England, Diana can claim descent
from the Kings of Aragon, Cyprus, France, Jerusalem,
Portugal, Scotland; the Holy Roman Emperors;
the Dukes of Bavaria; the Dukes of Savoy; and
a variety of other sovereigns.
31.
How were Charles and Diana related to each other?
Charles
and Diana are related to each other through
different lines, but their closest relationship
is that of seventh cousins once removed: they
are descendants of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke
of Devonshire (1698-1755) through his children
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (Charles's
ancestor) and Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (Diana's
ancestor).
32.
How was Diana's sister Sarah's husband related
to their stepmother, the former Raine McCorquodale?
Diana's
eldest sister Sarah's husband, Neil McCorquodale,
is the second cousin once removed of their stepmother,
Raine McCorquodale.
33.
Who were Diana's godchildren?
A
list of Diana's godchildren can be seen
here.
34.
Did Diana suffer from Borderline Personality
Disorder?
In
the absence of a formal diagnosis, we do not
wish to speculate. The definition of Borderline
Personality Disorder, as set forth in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV,
can be seen here, and
we leave it to the reader to draw his/her own
conclusion.
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you have a question that you would like to see
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