It is widely reported that Queen Elizabeth II did not dislike Princess Diana, but rather the two women had a complex relationship marked by differences in personality, approach to royal duty, and Diana's public airing of the marriage struggles. The perception of dislike stemmed from the Queen's reserved nature clashing with Diana's emotional openness.
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.
"First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.
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.
But because of the public's affection towards Diana, the Queen realised she had to pay her respects properly to win back the support of the people.
Royal family. Queen Elizabeth II expressed her dismay at Diana's death. Then-Prince Charles woke his sons before dawn to share the news.
I omitted obey from my vows.
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
Camilla did not attend Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997.
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.
Princess Diana shocked the Royal Family and the world when she took part in her candid Panorama interview. But according to reports, Princess Margaret saw Diana's interview as a "betrayal," and she urged other Royal Family members to cut off the former Princess of Wales.
Jan. 15, 2008 — -- When the people's princess died, it was ex-flame Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani surgeon, whom Diana truly still loved and not Dodi Fayed, who was just a rebound, Diana's former personal butler Paul Burrell testified Monday. "This was the man she loved more than any other," Burrell told the court.
The only way Princess Diana could have survived is if she had been wearing a seat belt. There is a lot of space in the back of a limo and she flew a long way out of her seat before hitting the back of the front seats. While she was flying the cars crumple zones collapsed, so didn't give any protecti…
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.
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.”
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,...
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.
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.
However, one member of the Royal Family decided to skip Diana's funeral, fearing their attendance would upset too many people. According to the Daily Mail, biographer Sean Smith discussed Duchess Sophie's decision to not attend Princess Diana's funeral in a forthcoming book.
In the 'Ritz' episode, The Crown recreates a little-known real event when the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, then aged just 19 and 14, 'escaped' the palace on VE Day 1945. They were granted permission by their father, King George VI, to join the crowds in London to celebrate (with chaperones).
So what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart. First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.
Diana's marriage to Charles suffered due to their incompatibility and extramarital affairs. They separated in 1992, soon after the breakdown of their relationship became public knowledge. Their marital difficulties were widely publicised, and the couple divorced in 1996.
In these moments, Diana would often keep her chin tucked and her head slightly down, making it harder for the photographers to get a clear shot. This subtle act helped her regain some control over her public image and shielded her from the overwhelming exposure that came with being part of the royal family.