Princess Diana was technically a commoner when she married then-Prince Charles in 1981, and although some people might have let his title get to their heads, Diana wasn’t too fussed about it. In fact, it sounds like she was prouder of the family she was born into, according to what author Edward White wrote in his new book, Dianaworld: An Obsession.
Despite the fact that Diana obviously had a very different upbringing from the man she married, Edward wrote in the book that she was still “exceptionally proud of her heritage” as a Spencer, including the “centuries of inherited specialness which supposedly was the very thing that allowed her to relate to everyone.”
Even today, White wrote, “the Spencers are as close to being the people’s aristocrats as it’s possible to get – and Diana remains at the center of it all.”
As we know now, her marriage to Charles wasn’t easy, ultimately ending in divorce in 1996. But even during the most difficult times, it was Diana’s family roots that helped keep her grounded, as her friend Rosa Monckton told Edward.
“Whenever things got too much for her, she would say to herself: ‘Diana, remember you’re a Spencer,'” Rosa said, per the author.
Rosa wasn’t the only one who spoke to Edward about how proud Diana was to be a Spencer; another friend named Elsa Bowker also confirmed that Diana felt that way – and she wasn’t afraid to remind Charles of that when they butted heads before finally deciding to go their separate ways.
In fact, during one of their arguments about their divorce, Diana reportedly said to Charles, “When I came here, I had my title. I don’t need your title.”
Knowing King Charles, there’s no doubt that a comment like that would get under his skin!
Edward added that, at the end of the day, Diana would tell people that she felt “closer to people at the bottom than to people at the top,” which truly may have been a big part of why people loved her – and still love her – so much.
