Princess Diana was known as the ‘people’s princess’ not because she liked the nickname.
No, thanks to her charitable work and warmth, she became an important figure for the British people, someone they could rely on and be inspired by in difficult times. As she herself once said, she wanted to be queen not on paper, but in people’s hearts.
The tragic accident in Paris that caused her death is one of the most shocking events in modern British history. However, to this day, Princess Diana’s legacy lives on not only through her sons William and Harry, but also, most importantly, in the hearts of the people.
Over the years, we have seen many stunning photos of Diana, but there are other images that have not been so widely circulated.
However, this does not make them any less amazing…
Princess Diana died too young, and her life was complicated by all kinds of trials and misfortunes. Unfortunately, she was hounded wherever she went, and after she became a member of the royal family, her personal life became turbulent.
Princess Diana — raising Harry and William
Despite all this, Diana was a loving mother. She always put William and Harry first — the mother of two wanted their childhood to be as normal as possible.
Princess Diana often took William and Harry with her to theme parks and other places of entertainment. Of course, she knew what royal life was like, including the fact that they were constantly being served food and expected to behave as befits royal children.
But she also understood how important it was for William and Harry to be able to be like other children. So she would sometimes sneak them out of the palace to fast food restaurants.
“I remember once the princess came into the kitchen and said, ‘Cancel dinner for the boys, I’m taking them out, we’re going to McDonald’s,'” Diana’s former personal chef Darren McGrady told Marie Claire.
“And I said, ‘Oh my God, Your Royal Highness, I can do that, I can make burgers. And she replied, “No, it’s the toy they want.””
William and Harry naturally loved spending time with their mother. She raised them to feel like they were just like any other children, which in many ways they were!
Not long ago, Prince William also talked about how Diana used to drive, which shows that she and her boys were much like any other members of an ordinary family.
According to William, he often listens to Tina Turner to preserve his memories of his mother, Princess Diana. William said that the song The Best reminds him of his childhood and how his mother would play it in the car to help him cope with his nerves.
‘When I was younger, Harry and I went to boarding school. My mum would play all sorts of songs to distract us from the anxiety of going back to school,’ said Prince William.
‘And one of the songs that I remember very well and that has stayed with me throughout my life, and which I still enjoy in secret, is Tina Turner’s “The Best”, because sitting in the back seat and singing along, I felt like it was a real family moment.’
‘My mum, sitting behind the wheel, sang at the top of her voice. And even the policeman was in the car; he sometimes sang along too.’
The future king added: “You sang and listened to music on your way to school when you were dropped off. When I listen to it now, it takes me back to those car journeys and brings back lots of memories of my mum.”
Diana always strove to be the best mum she could be and knew that the brothers could and would argue with each other from time to time.
She wanted her sons to always be best friends.
Royal historian Robert Lacey once revealed details about Harry and William’s childhood and how their mother wanted the brothers to make an important promise to her.
In his book The Battle of the Brothers, Lacey writes about how William and Harry were close during their early childhood and teenage years. Princess Diana was keen for them to remain close throughout their lives — she wanted the boys to promise that they would always remain ‘best friends.’
In the book, Lacey quotes psychic Simone Simmons, who counselled Diana.
‘You must promise me that you will always be each other’s best friends,’ Simmons claims Diana told her sons. ‘And never let anyone come between you.’
‘Both boys promised they would,’ Simmons recalls. “They patted each other on the back and hugged their mother tightly.
‘Anyone would have melted at the sight,’ she says. ‘Then they went off to play football.’
From the beginning, it was clear that royal life was not the end of the world for Diana. Her children always came first, and she wanted to protect them from anything that might come between them.
This even applied to the royal family itself — rumour has it that Diana was concerned that the Queen and Charles were plotting to separate her from her children.
William and Harry may have made the aforementioned promise to Diana, but in recent years their relationship has been rather poor, starting with Harry’s decision to leave the royal family in 2020.