Princess Diana was well known for shaking the foundations of royal traditions, inevitably causing a strain on her relationship with her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty, according to one of her friends, thought Diana “was a misfit who didn’t quite contribute to the things they did and what they wanted her to do in the family.” Here are seven things that the Princess of Wales did that made Her Majesty describe her as “quite mad.”
1. Engagement Ring Choice
Diana immediately broke a tradition by picking out an engagement ring that was available in the Garrard catalogue. This meant that the ring was “not rare” and was immediately available to the public, causing some royals to raise their eyebrows. Royals generally have their wedding rings custom made in order for it to be truly special.
2. Diana’s Personal Wedding Vows
The princess also gave her own vows during her wedding, causing a bit of an uproar over the divergence from royal tradition. She shocked the press and royals alike by omitting the phrase where she says that she would “obey” her husband, Prince Charles.
3. “Non-royal” Parenting Style
The Queen also reportedly went crazy over Princess Diana’s hands-on parenting style. Diana insisted on taking care of her children despite having a lot of nannies around the house. “I don’t understand why Diana has to do this,” the Queen exclaimed. “There are millions of housemaids around,” she added.
4. The Kids In Public
Aside from taking personal care of their children, the Princess of Wales would often bring her kids out in public for “play days.” They would go to theme parks or even visit fastfood chains for a burger. Prince William was also the first heir to the throne to attend a public school, which was groundbreaking for a member of the royal family.
5. Refusal To Formality
The princess also reportedly refused to take etiquette lessons that were provided for her, wishing to not be too formal. She would talk to her kids and other children on eye level.
“Diana was the first member of the royal family to do this,” said Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine. “Diana said, ‘If someone might be nervous of you or you're speaking to a very young child or a sick person, get yourself on their level.’”
6. Care For AIDS And Its Awareness
Diana was also known for showing special care for those with AIDS, even shaking hands with an HIV positive patient and visiting Brazilian AIDS orphans. She wished to break the stigma and promote awareness of the reality of the sickness. The Queen — who reportedly did not understand the disease at the time — asked Diana, “Can’t you do something nice?”
7. Diana’s Kitchen Demeanor
To the Queen, a royal visiting the kitchen was a grand affair, thus annoying her when Diana would go to the kitchen to chat with kitchen staff. “Princess Diana liked to get away from the family and chat with us about the theatre, and so on,” shared a former chef of the Palace.
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