Princess Diana, before she met Charles, the future heir to the Crown, was an ordinary girl, privileged as her father was part of the English Nobility and 2nd in the line of succession to become a king or queen, but pretty ordinary nevertheless.
Initially homeschooled as a child, Diana didn’t excel academically, had a number of low-paying jobs such as a pre-school instructor, and even did some cleaning work for her sister. Who would imagine she would become a world icon.
We have selected 40 photographs that picture the life of Diana Spencer, before she became a royalty and the center of the press’ attention.
1. Dianna’s Parents
Dianne’s father was the Earl of Spencer, 2nd in line to become king, and her mother was Frances Roche, also of British Nobility. The couple married in Westminster Abbey in 1954. Frances was 18 and John was 30. You can see them in the picture above.
They had five children, Sarah, Jane, John who died at an early age, Diana, and Charles.
After John died, and the third girl was born, the Earl desperately wanted an heir which happened three years after Dianna was born and Charles was born but the strain of obtaining an heir was palatable and the couple split.
2. Early Childhood photo
Dianna grew up in Sandringham, a favorite haunt of Queen Elizabeth and many of her predecessors. She was born July 1st, 1961, and her parents, particularly her father, so much wanted a boy when Dianna was born, it took a week for them to settle on a name, Dianna Frances Spencer.
She was a lovely child, but somewhat spoiled. Her frequent nickname was Dutch in deference to her dutchess-like attitude.
Her early schooling was being home-schooled by her governess. She entered boarding school when she was nine and was not a good student. On the contrary, she did excell in some of her artistic extra-curricular activities.
3. Dianna’s Christening Dress
The future Princess of Wales was christened after she was born in 1961 at St. Mary Magdalene Church, the Queens church, which is Anglican in nature and Church of England by Denomination. Dianna wore this 19th – century gown during her christening. The gown was on display at the Earl of Spencers’ estate in 1999.
The Church of England believes in early baptism and quite naturally, Dianna’s parents followed suit. The church is part of the Sandringham Estate of Queen Elizabeth
Dianna was officially Anglican, and therefore took part in some religious ceremonies, but tended to believe more in astrologers than religion.
4. Among Royalty from and early age
Owing to her father’s status as royal nobility, Dianna was exposed to Royalty at an early age. Of course, at age two Dianna naturally just went with the flow. But her father and mother continually hosted nobility at the Sandringham estate. In fact, It’s fairly likely that Queen Elizabeth was introduced to Dianna at an early age.
How soon Dianna realized that she was born among a family of nobility is anyone’s guess, but it would be interesting to know how soon Dianna’s nickname, Dutch first propped up in the family. One could now say that is was a premonitory nickname.
5. Dianna’s Siblings
Dianna came into a decent size family. There were three girls and two boys. Unfortunately, John, the youngest son died only a few hours after his birth. Dianna was the fifth of the children and by the time she grew up, the Duke of Earl’s health and popularity had waned significantly.
Despite tabloid stories to the contrary, Dianna had a decent but complex relationship with her sibling. Her sisters Sarah and Jane were considerably older. She was closest to Charles who says she acted as a mother figure after her parent’s divorce. Indeed, they are pictured together on a lot of childhood photographs.
6. From Cherub to gangly beauty
Like most children at age three, they are often a bit chubby in the cheeks and hardly resembles the natural beauty they would elicit later. This photo, taken in 1964, shows Dianna with her cheekiest cherub looks at Park House in Sandringham.
Although she had a fairly strict governess, Park House was surrounded by lush gardens and shrubbery. Surely, Park House was a child’s delight to grow up and prosper and she probably enjoyed many pleasant games with her sisters. Park House, by the way, has now turned into a hotel.
On this picture, we can see little Diana and her brother Charles short after his birth.
7. A Swan emerges early
Although never a classical beauty, Dianna already shed her Cherup-faced stage and is emerging into a gangly beauty at age 4. And one look at Dianna’s gaze tells you that she had much more than beauty and position behind her.
Experts say from an early age Dianna was never destined to play the traditional housewife, although that’s what Charles wanted. She always believed her life was destined to be different.
Dianna picked her own wedding ring out of a catalog and wrote her own vows which did not include promises to obey. We’re betting this stubborn streak was already forming here.
8. Early Diana Drawing
Contrast the previous photo of a feisty-eyed Dianna and this drawing made by Polish society artist Aniela Pawlikowska and they are quite the contrast. We are betting that John Spencer, and perhaps his wife preferred the almost angel-like depiction shown here, where those who are rooting for the independent, feisty Dianna that we’ve come to love preferred the previous photo.
Although the drawing depicts a girl who looks sweet as an angel from heaven, child development specialists say that children at age 4 are often rowdy, energetic, and sometimes downright obnoxious. So it was not abnormal that little Diana was such an energetic child.
9. Diana and Charles playing
Diana loved her two sisters but they were quite a bit older. On the other hand, Diana absolutely doted on her brother Charles. Charles was 3 years her junior, and she absolutely doted upon him. In fact, Charles himself said after his parents divorced and his father gained custody of the children, Dianna became like a surrogate mother.
You can see Charles gushing love over his sister in this photo, it’s not faked in the least. This picture really shows their privileged relationship.
Dianna, though having an adult life, loved children and doted on her own children, William and Harry.
10. Diana and Charles posing again
Dianna and Charles continued to have a mother and son relationship for many years, and this sweet photo when Dianna was 7 and Charles was 4 is just further reinforcement.
In fact, Dianna adored children so much that before she had William, her first child at age 20, she had spent considerable time as a pre-school teacher, nursery teacher’s assistant, and worked as a Nanny.
Dianna was extremely active in her children’s lives, choosing their own first names, choosing their schools, selecting their outfits, and often taking them to school. She also spent as much of her free time as she could with her sons.
11. Cadogan Place Gardens, 1968
A part of the family album, this is not the kind of sweet selfie that we are used to seeing. Here at 8, already Dianna shows a kind of fierceness that was probably underappreciated by the family.
This photo was taken at a time when her mother Frances had already left her husband to live with Peter Shand Kydd, heir to a wallpaper fortune. Dianna had a rocky relationship with her mother which got worse over the years. Maybe this accounts for the fierce pose on Dianna in this photo.
No doubt that she grew being a very strong woman, as we might already guess from these pictures.
12. Dianna at Albert and Cynthia Spencers 50th wedding anniversary
In 1969 when Dianna was 8 she attended her grandma’s and grandfather’s 50th wedding anniversary. That’s Dianna of course in the bobby socks along with her younger brother Charles, her sisters Sarah and Jane, her father, and the rest of the family. Albert Spencer was the 7th Earl of Spencer. Dianna’s father John became the 8th Earl of Spencer, and later her younger brother Charles would become the 9th Earl of Spencer.
This photo is absolute proof that Dianna was surrounded by Royalty from an early age, long before she met and married Prince Charles in July of 1981 when she was 20.
13. Dianna playing croquet, age 9
Dianna lived a quiet life until 1969 when the divorce between her mother and father became tabloid news. Frances her mother, had actually left in 1967 to live with Peter Shand Kydd who she eventually married. But first, there was the matter of the divorce between Frances and the 8th Earl of Spencer.
The divorce made all the tabloids in England and actually tore Dianna up. Dianna, by this time, was firmly enrolled in and living in a boarding school. Both the boarding school and the divorce would explain the look. That must have been a tough period of time for her.
14. Pre boarding school, 1970
After her mother left in 1967, and after the Earl of Spencer was given custody in a bitter lawsuit, Dianna lived at home with her father, and, it is presumed, a governess. Then in 1970, she was enrolled at Riddlesworth Hall Preparatory School in Riddleston, about an hour’s drive or two from Sandringham.
Dianna was forced by her father to go, but three years later she joined her sisters at West Heath School, which concentrates on educating difficult children, so it is assumed Diana was a handful.
However she did complete her education, and she found at school that she had a great interest in music and dance.
15. Feeling Abandonded
Reputable sources have been told that not only did Diana not willingly go to boarding school but she told her father point-blank, “If you love me you won’t leave me here.”
Whether the Earl of Spencer was simply unable to take care of Diana at this age or was simply following a tradition of wealthy people sending their children to boarding school, we will never know, but it certainly must have been a traumatic time for the young Dianna, first going through the divorce of her parents and then seemingly abandoned. Even more so that she used to spend to much time with her younger brother.
16. Dianna’s play things
Dianna’s playthings like her toy pedal car, her favorite trunk, and of course her school uniform were on display at the family estate after her tragic death in 1997. Finally, in the year 2014, the exhibit was closed and these items were passed down to family members, especially to her sons William and Harry.
When a loved one passes away so young, its quite common to commemorate such items, and they often serve as a greater memorial than more recent items.
Dianna certainly was, as Elton John put it, “A candle in the Wind,” and her death was a great tragedy.
17. Diana as a Student
This photo shows the young 10-year-old Diana, already exhibiting her radiant beauty. Dianna was not a good student, particularly as she got older, but she loved piano, and ballet, in particular. In fact, Dianna dreamed of becoming a ballerina, not a princess, but when she reached a height of 5 feet, 10 inches, of course, that dream pretty well went down the drain.
Later on, at West Heath Girl’s school, she won an award for her community spirit. Although shy at times, she could really turn on the charm when appropriate, had a great team spirit and the will to help others.
18. Diana on Vacation in Scotland
By the time she was 13, as this photo attests, Dianna was already emerging into her swan stage. Though she was somewhat gangly, she still exhibited the type of beauty that attracted men, and eventually a Prince, as history would later show.
She was probably too shy to really express an interest in the opposite sex at this stage. However, a short three years later when her older sister Sarah began dating Prince Charles, she met him when she and her brother Charles spent a weekend at the prince’s estate, and he formed a definite interest in her. At this time, she was 16.
19. Diana and her pet pony Soufflé
More interested in pets than in boys at 13, Dianna loved animals. She had a cat named Marmalade a guinea pig named Peanuts and of course her pet pony Soufflé.
Of all her pets, Peanuts was her favorite. Winning two local pet shows, and even coming along with her to boarding school, she couldn’t live without her pets. It is reported that she spent many hours a day playing with Peanuts, perhaps to break up the loneliness of boarding school.
She kept her horse at her mother and stepfather’s house on the Isle of Seil in Scotland, and spent time there with him as often as she managed.
20. Althorp House, Northamptonshire
Diana’s father was from nobility, and when her great grandfather, Albert, 7th Earl Spencer passed away in 1975, her father John not only became the 8th Earl Spencer, but inherited Althorm House, a huge estate that housed 31 bedrooms, and had 100,000 square feet of interior space. Althrop House also has 13,000 acres of land.
After Dianna’s father became the earl, the family, including Diana, moved into the house in 1975. The original Althorp House, which was later replaced, was originally built in 1508.
The Althorp Estate is now owned by Dianna’s brother Charles, who is the 9th Earl Spencer.
21. Dianna as bridesmaid, 1978
Dianna’s older sister Jane Spencer, after finishing high school, attended a Swiss Finishing School in Switzerland, just as Lady Di had done so.
In 1978 Jane formed a relationship with a distant relation, Robert Felloes, then assistant private secretary to Queen Elizabeth. They were married in Westminster Abbey in April of 1978, and among the ceremonial guests, Dianna served as bridesmaid. It should be noted that by the time of this photo, Dianna has already met Charles who originally began dating her other sister Sarah.
On this photograph, Diana’s parents are pictured on the right, and second from left is Sarah, one of Diana’s sisters.
22. The Future Pricess at work.
After she finished her own finishing school in Switzerland in 1978, Diana returned to England and took up a number of low-paying jobs. She was a preschool teacher, a nanny, and a part-time dance instructor for kids. She hosted parties and even served as a cleaning lady for one of her sisters.
She enjoyed most working with children, and would later be very happy to become a mother. This photo shows her with a couple of her kindergarten students.
Not to worry though, Dianna had plenty of money to get by on thanks to both of her rich parents. Nice work if you can get it.
23. Shy Dianna in the spotlight
Dianna met Charles in 1977 when she was 16, and Charles was dating her older sister Sarah though, apparently let leak to the press that she wouldn’t marry Charles if he were either a dustman or the king of England.
Two years later, at 18, Charles and Dianna went on a few dates. Dianna said that Charles was all hot and heavy for her but she didn’t know what to think, having never had a serious boyfriend.
This photo shows shy Di hiding from the press when word got out. We can imagine how her life suddenly changed, when the press focused on her all of a sudden.
24. Dianna Continues to hide
As the word got out that Dianna and Charles were dating, the paparazzi hounded Dianna relentlessly. This photo shows Dianna from her very early days of dating Charles in her London Flat. The paparazzi were waiting in front of her appartement to photograph her.
In actuality, the press probably spent more time with Dianna than did Charles. Dianna recollects to the best of her knowledge, she and Charles only had around 13 dates in total.
Certainly, Dianna was unprepared for the avalanche of the press who stalked her round the clock as any 19-year-old would be overwhelmed. But her privacy was never the same.
25. Dianna continues to work, but not unfettered by the press
Diana tried to have a normal life once the word got out that she and Charles were dating and she continued to work during that time. But wherever Dianna went, the press were not far behind.
Sensational journalism has been part and parcel of the press in Great Britain for well over 100 years and in modern times especially, the sensationalism of the British press has often been pointed at the crown and the Royal family, and it didn’t stop or end with Diana.
With the readers’ interest in her and her relationship to Prince Charles, the press would just follow her even more.
26. Inching closer towards engagement
Toward the end of 1980, the noose was sort of closing in on Dianna, who was still somewhat bewildered and at times amused by the whole thing. Diana had already met the queen before, and Queen Elizabeth heartily approved of Charles persuing Diana. Eventually, the queen extended an invitation to Diana to come to visit at her house in Sandringham.
Diana’s formal visit to meet the Queen for an extended period of time sent the rumors of Charles and Dianna’s impending engagement into extreme overdrive, and it was at the time the main conversation topic.
The photo shows Diana one week prior to her engagement.
27. From ordinary to fashion icon
This photo shows Dianna wrapped in a plain brown coat atop an evening dress as Princess Margaret, the Queens only sibling, celebrated her 50th birthday party.
Dianna certainly didn’t wear rags but this plain wool coat was more the norm before she was married to Charles than afterward when a designer in London and the world over would give their right arm for the privilege of wrapping Dianna in one of their designs.
As Princess Dianna, she had hundreds of designer dresses and became a world-famous fashion icon. Indeed, even walking on the streets or playing with her kids, most of her looks were to become iconic.
28. Dianna looking pensive at 19
On this group picture with her work colleagues, Diana looks somehow pensive. The photograph perhaps shows her level of confusion at the whole fame thing. Diana, although from a noble family herself, never experienced the pressure that she felt when she was dating Charles.
As indicated earlier, Charles was Diana’s first real boyfriend and the 19-year old Dianna must have surely had her doubts. In fact, she nearly called off things with Charles several times, as she was feeling overwhelmed.
However, Charles was very persistent, as was the rest of the Royal Family, and Dianna pretty well succumbed to the flow.
29. Fireworks with Camilla?
This photo shows the Amateur Riders Handicap Steeplechase that took place in 1980. Camilla Parker-Bowles and Dianna were watching Steeple Chase, in which Charles was one of the competitors.
Dianna actually loathed Camilla who had been a previous lover with Charles, and even after their engagement, Charles gave Camilla extravagant gifts. Charles and Camilla never got married earlier in life because of the Queen’s disapproval.
Anyway, this picture shows a smiling and coy Camilla and seemingly an embarrassed, bite-your-lip Dianna. Dianna’s feminine intuition proved true, however, when after their marriage, around 1986, Charles resumed a close, intimate relationship with Camilla.
30. Dianna Makes History
Photographed outside her flat in England, Dianna was soon able to lay claim to several historical firsts. First, she was the first in centuries to be betrothed to an heir apparent. Secondly, she was the first woman in Royal history to have a paying job.
The latter should have been a clue to Charles that Dianna was not some ordinary royal. In fact, she flouted many royal traditions. For example, rather than having a custom-made wedding ring, she ordered one out of a catalog that she liked. She also fashioned her own wedding vows. She broke up with tradition, leading her couple to be more modern.
31. Diana, post engagement
Dianna was anything but traditional. But Charles, smitten by Dianna, proposed to her in February of 1981 when she was still just 19 years old.
Dianna may have been caught up in the whirlwind of the Royal Fantasy, but as indicated in previous photos she held her own jobs and owned her own flat.
She did in fact pick her wedding ring out of a catalog and did her best to maintain her own independence. Dianna may have become a royal fiancee, but she was no cookie-cutter Barbie. Here, the engagement ring is almost the main interest of the picture, as it stand right in the middle.
32. Uncomfortable in the Spotlight
This post-engagement photo taken at Buckingham Palace reveals from her body language just how uncomfortable Dianna was. Indeed,
In fact, Dianna almost called off the wedding entirely, and when Charles took off on a 5-week tour in March of 1981, most believed Dianna’s tears were due to being separated from Charles. In fact, she had recently discovered that Charles was cavorting with Camilla behind her back, and the news almost destroyed her.
Charles had second thoughts too. He thought he could learn to love Dianna but Camilla was his first love, and he was still thinking about her, and about how their relationship could have been.
33. Diana’s ring
Dianna’s engagement ring was certainly stunning, but the queen was not impressed that Dianna selected the ring out of Gerrad’s, the crown jewelers catalog. The queen was aghast that anyone with money could buy the same ring, stock from Gerrard’s.
Dianna however, didn’t care and selected a 12-carat oval sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds. The ring cost a modest $60,000 which was a pittance of Prince Charles’s $100 million dollar fortune. Estimates are today the same ring would be valued at around $400,000.
The ring is now with Prince Williams’s bride, Kate Middleton, and stayed in this way within the family.
34. Diana in Casual duds before the wedding
This photo taken several months before the wedding shows Dianna in casual clothes at the Royal Scottish residence in Balmoral. They almost look like a normal family, who owns a house and a family dog.
People assume Dianna was a fashion icon 24 hours per day, but in casual clothes, and away from the spotlight of the paparazzi, Dianna was completely relaxed and comfortable.
Here she wears rubber boots, a casual sweater, and corduroy pants. Note though her ambivalent pose as she turns her head away from an adoring Prince Charles. There are many photos of the couple where Dianne turns her head away.
35. Smile for the Crowd
Despite her ambivalence in getting married and her dislike of the paparazzi, Dianna could really turn on the charm when faced with ordinary British citizens who came out by the thousands in May of 1981 when she visited Tetbury, a historic wool town.
Despite her inner turmoil, Dianna really seemed to love and adore ordinary British citizens, and they certainly loved her. She was in the center of their attention during all this time.
Perhaps because she was mostly called on to relax and give a good show, Dianna was perfectly relaxed at events such as this, before and after the royal wedding.
36. Exhausted from the press
The press’s fascination with Dianna never ceased to let up, and playing hide and seek with them proved to be totally exhausting for the young 20-year-old. Here she is shown immediately after the Ascot races in Windsor.
Particularly leading up to the wedding, not a day went by that Dianna was relentlessly hounded by the press. This must be especially uncomfortable, when one did not grow up in the spotlight.
In actuality, after she became queen, Dianna had a love/hate relationship with the press. She hated having little or no privacy but used the press whenever she could to address issues dear to her heart.
37. Pre-wedding cry
This photo, taken a few days before Dianna was married, shows her at a polo match. Moments later, according to the Washington Post, Dianna began sobbing emotionally.
Although most media critics blamed the paparazzi which indeed were relentless, insiders also report that Dianna was in emotional turmoil over the wedding itself. She was indeed very young and surely she felt a moment of doubt and even panic, as the wedding came closer.
When she hooked up with Charles, and in particular became engaged, the fairly shy Dianna was totally unprepared for the tsunami of change that would confront her at age 20.
38. Dianna’s Wedding, July 29th, 1981.
Dianna and Charles were married at Westminster Abbey in July of 1981. And most people would assume that being married to the future King of England would be a dream.
In fact, a 1997 TV biography which used audio transcripts taken in 1991 reveals that Dianna viewed her wedding day as the worst day of her life. Dianna was torn to bits with doubt about the wedding and would have called it off were it not for her sisters. Dianna was most conflicted about Charles’s relationship with Camilla.
We can also imagine, that with the lack of privacy that she had on that day, she felt a lot of pressure.
39. Off to the honeymoon
This photo shows the new royal couple right after their honeymoon, in the royal Balmoral estate. And by the way, Dianna does not look particularly happy. In many of the pictures that were taken on that day, she does look away from her new husband Prince Charles.
Dianna served as a loyal royal for many years before separating from Charles in 1992. The British public overwhelming blamed Camilla for the breakup of the fairy tale divorce and continued to love her long after she and Charles were divorced,
Of course, after her death, Dianna obtained near saintly status. The whole country was sad.
