Yes, Queen Elizabeth II was sad about Diana's death, though her initial reserved public response caused criticism; uncovered letters and her historic televised speech showed immense grief, pride in Diana's work, and deep concern for her grandsons, William and Harry, who lost their mother. She wrote that it was "dreadfully sad" and a "huge loss to the country," and later bowed her head to Diana's coffin, a significant break in royal tradition.
According to Seward in The Queen & Di, although Elizabeth was initially sympathetic to Diana, eventually the stoic monarch felt that the emotional princess was simply too much to handle. “A footman said, 'The princess cried three times in half an hour while she was waiting to see you.
Years later, a private letter she wrote at the time was published—revealing Queen Elizabeth's feelings on Princess Diana's death. "It was indeed dreadfully sad, and she is a huge loss to the country," Queen Elizabeth wrote to Lady Henriette Abel Smith, one of her ladies in waiting.
For years, she had regrets about how she treated Diana, but she never went as far as to say she was wrong about Diana.” The queen felt immense guilt, says the source. “Had she and Charles treated Diana differently, the course of history would have changed and maybe Diana would be alive today,” says the source.
Queen Elizabeth II, who was criticized for not immediately responding publicly to Diana's death, made a televised address from Buckingham Palace on September 5, in which she said: “No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
Traditionally, the monarch never bows to anyone — it's others who bow or curtsy to the sovereign. But in that moment, the Queen set aside centuries of royal custom to honor Diana, the “People's Princess,” and to reflect the nation's grief. It was a rare, human moment that said more than words ever could.
But there was one in a small mining village in south Wales that she never forgot. In fact, her reaction to the disaster in Aberfan was said to be one of the biggest regrets of her reign.
Camilla did not attend Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997.
She couldn't believe that Diana would speak out so publicly and disgrace the family in such a bold way. Margaret was deeply loyal to the monarchy and saw Diana's actions as unforgivable. In fact, according to biographers, Margaret became one of Diana's harshest critics in the royal family after that interview.
DIANA MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED IF SHE HAD USED HER SEAT BELT, EXPERTS SAY | Journal of Commerce.
“My God, what's happened?” Those were reportedly the last fours words Princess Diana ever said. This is according to firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, who gave the princess CPR, thinking at the time that he'd saved her life.
“It's clear that Charles never formally apologized to Diana for his conduct because he didn't believe that he had done anything wrong. In all his comments, he merely states that the two were incompatible,” McMahon says. “Charles did acknowledge the pain in their marriage but never claimed to be in the wrong.”
At one point, Diana called Queen Elizabeth “sobbing,” as we learned in the 2017 documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. It's because of this close-knit bond that Queen Elizabeth allowed Princess Diana to call her “Mama.”
Princess Diana's secret love affair with Hasnat Khan—her 'true soulmate,' as revealed by former butler Paul Burrell. 'Diana & Meghan: Royal History Repeating Itself' is available NOW on True Royalty TV.
The women enjoyed each other's company, and Diana is said to have enjoyed helping Camilla with her young children, Tom and Laura. Before the royal engagement was announced, Camilla provided a friendly shoulder to lean on as Diana navigated one of her first experiences with the cameras at Ludlow Races,...
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
Queen Camilla was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia following a chest infection in late 2024, which caused fatigue and led to her missing some public engagements, though she continued with indoor duties and worked towards recovery, managing lingering post-viral tiredness with rest. Her illness was initially described as a "nasty bug," but she later confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis herself, requiring a modified schedule for a period.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
The Prince and Princess of Wales remain the most positively viewed members of the family, with 76% having a good opinion of William and 73% of his wife Catherine. These figures are both largely unchanged from last month, as is the 70% with a positive opinion of Princess Anne.
Although the Queen seems to have displayed a remarkable calmness while on public duty, one of the rare occasions when she momentarily lost her composure include a photocall in 2007 with Annie Leibovitz, the American photographer.
This one is slightly more obvious. Instead of using “toilet,” royals use the word “loo” when they need to use the facilities. “'Toilet' is French by origin, so it is apparently avoided,” The Mirror writes.
She was killed by a drunken driver, but an emergency medical system that was too slow did not save her. Her chances of survival were diminished by a system that took 101 minutes to get her to a hospital that was 6 kilometers away.
Princess Diana's "dark side" involved significant mental health struggles, including depression, bulimia, self-harm, and mood swings, alongside perceived manipulative, attention-seeking, and vindictive behaviors, often stemming from insecurity and an unstable upbringing, creating deep conflict within her marriage and with royal staff, despite her public image as a compassionate figure. She confessed to these struggles, including affairs and self-harm, in her famous interview, revealing a complex, wounded individual overwhelmed by pressure and emptiness.