Rare, Candid Photos of Princess Diana
So much is known about the late Princess Diana. She lived much of her life in the public eye and spoke about it with remarkable candor, from her marriage to then-Prince Charles to the instability she experienced as a child of divorce.
Even so, there are still aspects of her life that are less explored—like her childhood and her early jobs before becoming the Princess of Wales. These images share another side of Diana, the private person underneath the beloved public figure.
1962
On the occasion of her first birthday, a newly one-year-old Diana Spencer was sat on a blanket at her home at Park House, Sandringham. So while she wasn't born into the Royal Family, she was a member of British nobility and grew up very near to them.
1963
Peering out from an old-fashioned pram at Park House, Sandringham, Diana would only have been one or two years old here. She was the fourth of five children (her older brother, John, died shortly after he was born; her younger brother Charles was born in 1964).
1963
According to the original caption, "Princess Diana aged two at Park House in Sandringham, July 1963." There was substantial strain between Diana's parents due to their desire for a male heir, which would later contribute to their eventual divorce (even though they eventually did have a son).
1964
A toddler Diana pushed a pram wearing a red quilted hooded jacket and blue trousers (as well as some darling checkered socks and matching red shoes). Fun fact: the Spencers leased their house from Queen Elizabeth, whom Diana called "Aunt Lillibet" from childhood onward.
1965
A portrait of the young Diana, who would have been roughly four when this photo was taken, showed the young future royal as a self-composed child. Like many of the nobility, Diana was first home-schooled by a governess before she was sent to school several years later.
1969
This photo was taken in 1969, when Diana would have been around eight. She was only seven when her parents divorced, and custody of the children was a particular source of contention between the acrimonious couple (including Diana's father refusing to let her go live with her mother).
1970
Per the caption, "In this picture, taken in summer, 1970, a barefoot Lady Diana poses with a croquet mallet while on holiday in Itchenor, West Sussex." Probably unsurprisingly, Diana excelled at many things, including piano and ballet, but she actually wasn't an A-grade student.
1971
Informally among the family, Diana was referred to as "Duch" for her duchess-like attitude from childhood onward (which would prove to be quite prophetic, all things considered). This was taken while her family was on summer holiday in 1971 in Itchenor, West Sussex.
1974
Diana, on the Isle of Uist in the Western Isles of Scotland, began to take on the grown-up appearance that we would recognize in the adult princess. She worked various jobs; at this point she was likely doing voluntary work at the psychiatric Darenth Park Hospital.
1974
Some family photos show Diana's love of animals, including this photo of her being kissed by her pet pony "Scuffle." Interestingly, she was not an avid horse-rider, although after she became a member of the Royal Family she sometimes partook in the activity.
1980
These photos served as many people's introduction to the future Princess Diana. In 1980, she was working as a nanny for an American family as well as nursery teacher's assistant at the Young England School, while living with three roommates in a West London flat.
1980
Once Diana's and Charles' relationship became public knowledge, the paparazzi began aggressively snapping photos of her (which was a practice that would continue her whole life). Before their marriage, many photos like this would be taken of Diana walking around London.
1980
Throughout her life, Diana could be seen attending the Wimbledon tennis tournament with other family members and royals. In 1980, when this was taken, public attention had increased about her relationship with Charles (the pair would subsequently get engaged in February of 1981).
1980
Here, Diana and Charles held hands while walking around London. They first met in 1977 when he was dating her sister (Sarah Spencer); they were, by this stage, in the official "courting period" before they became engaged in February and wed in July 1981.
1980
I just enjoy this caption: "In this photo [Diana] is leaving the Young England kindergarten...She is giggling and blushing after having gently reversed her car into a tree, whilst trying to drive and shield her face from the photographer at the same time."
1980
This photo said it all, really. Here she was "surrounded by press photographers and reporter Howard Foster shortly before the announcement of her engagement to Charles, Prince of Wales." Even before her marriage, the attention on her grew to be nearly unbearable.
1980
Despite the attention, Diana did attempt to live a semi-normal life before her marriage officially began. As the caption read, "Lady Diana Spencer wearing a green v-neck sweater over a white blouse, carrying a tote bag in her arms, possibly London, England."
1980
Diana's expression here of unbridled astonishment is delightful. Per the caption, "Lady Diana Spencer is startled after stalling her new red Mini Metro outside her Earls Court flat in London just days before her engagement to Prince Charles was announced."
1980
Weeks before her engagement was announced, "Lady Diana Spencer takes her young charge Patrick Robinson for his daily outing in the Eaton Square district of London during her time as a nanny, November 1980." Per the caption, she wore a green Loden wool coat.
1981
With engagement ring visible, Diana attended the 1981 races. Attention would have reached fever pitch at this point for the couple (her wedding would be watched by 750 million people on television, and 600,000 people took to the street to catch a glimpse in person).
1981
"The People's Princess" was beloved from a very early point in her public career, as evidenced by the public's displays of affection. Per the original caption, "Schoolboy Nicholas Hardy kisses Lady Diana Spencer's hand after giving her a daffodil, during her visit to Cheltenham."
1981
"British Royal Lady Diana Spencer, wearing a blue floral Bill Pashley outfit with a matching hat, and Prince Andrew in a carriage during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, England," per the caption. This would only have been a month before the wedding.
1981
What a star-studded Royal Box! Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana were photographed as they watched the historic Men's Singles final between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. Wimbledon has been a common royal activity in the summer, particularly for significant matches like this.
1981
Per the original caption, "Prince Charles and Princess Diana on board the Royal yacht Britannia as they prepare to depart from Gibraltar on their honeymoon cruise." It was perhaps not surprising, but attention on and scrutiny of the couple only increased after their wedding.
1982
Princess Diana developed hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) in her pregnancies, which meant she had to cut down on her public appearances. Here she wore a red David Sassoon maternity gown; Prince William would be born three months later.
circa 1980s
Diana loved polka dots and wore them often, although the floppy wide-brim black hat was slightly more unusual for the royal. The caption doesn't specify what procession Diana and Charles were attending. But it was smiles all round for the young couple.
1983
If that figure looks familiar, there's a good reason. "Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a blue velvet suit with a mandarin collar designed by Caroline Charles and a veiled hat by John Boyd, looks at a Royal Doulton figurine of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales playing polo, during a visit to the International Spring Fair at the National Exhibition Centre."
1984
Diana did not always wear her hair longer and pulled back, but she did begin experimenting with her style in the 1980s. This was a gray, almost menswear-adjacent Jan Van Velden coat; Diana was visiting a Dr. Barnardo's children's home in Newham, London.
1984
Diana stopped to chat with her husband as he rode by while playing polo at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor. Diana would give birth to their second child, Prince Harry, later that year in 1984. She experienced sickness for both of her pregnancies and was not seen in public as much.
1985
Even though the long, arduous history of Diana and Charles' marriage played out in the press, there were still some photographs of them in happier moments—such as this photo of the couple dancing during a formal event at Southern Cross Hotel in Australia.
1985
Diana, with Prince Edward in the background, walked past a Guard of Honour. She was known to embrace trends of the time, including wide-shouldered blazers, big patterns like stripes, and mixing and matching. She would continue to express herself more freely with fashion as she got older.
1986
Charles and Camilla restarted their affair officially in 1986. This was taken at a dinner in Vienna, with President Rudolf Kirchschläger (left) and Mayor of Vienna Helmut Zilk (right). The group might not have known they were being photographed, but still: one could sense a chill.
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