39 Photos That Show What Princess Diana Was Like Before Royal Life
39 Photos That Show What Princess Diana Was Like Before Royal Life
Engaged at 19 and married at 20, Princess Diana's childhood ended much sooner than the average woman's in England and Wales. But before her fairytale wedding, Lady Diana Spencer lived a relatively quiet life that involved piano lessons, odd jobs, precious pets, and a very '70s bridesmaid dress. Browse our collection of rarely-seen photos to get a glimpse into the icon's life and legacy, including life as a child, time spent with her family, and more right through her engagement to Prince Charles.
1954
Here are Diana’s parents, Viscount Althorp and the Honorable Frances Roche at their wedding at Westminster Abbey. Their marriage later ended in divorce in 1969.
1962
Born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961, the future royal grew up in a noble family on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
1961
Diana wore this 19th century gown for her christening. It was displayed in summer 1999 at Althorp, the Spencer family’s estate near Northampton.
1963
Located on the Queen's own property, Diana's childhood home of Park House put her in elite circles from an early age.
1963
Her parents Frances and Edward Althorp had three other children: daughters Sarah and Jane, and son Charles. They also had a son named John who died shortly after his birth.
1964
In this picture from her family album, a cherub-faced Diana, age 3, is at Park House, her birthplace in Sandringham.
1965
"From her childhood, Diana had had the feeling that she was destined for something special," wrote biographer Sarah Bradford. "There was never a chance that she would have, as people have surmised, settled down and led the life of a country gentleman's wife."
1965
This sweet drawing shows little Lady Diana in November 1965, drawn by society artist Aniela Pawlikowska, who frequently drew her and her siblings as children.
1967
Diana plays with her brother Charles, now Viscount Althorp, at Park House.
1968
The siblings pose for a picture at their home in Berkshire.
1968
This family album picture of Diana shows her in Cadogan Place Gardens, London, in the summer of 1968.
1969
In a picture taken at her grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, Diana (in the knee-high socks) stands with her brother, sisters, and father, "Johnnie" Althorp (back right).
1970
Diana lived a very quiet life until her parents' bitter 1969 divorce made tabloid headlines, the Washington Post reported. Here, the 9-year-old enjoys a game of croquet while on vacation in West Sussex.
1970
She continued to live in Park House with her father until she left for boarding school in the fall of 1970.
1970
Described as a "shy and quiet" child, Diana allegedly told her father upon their separation, "If you love me, you won't leave me here," according to the new book Remembering Diana.
1970
Diana’s school uniform, toy pedal car, and trunk were later displayed at the family estate after her death. The memorial was closed in 2014, when the items from the exhibit were passed to her sons, William and Harry.
1971
As a student, Diana attended first a prep school and then a boarding school. She particularly excelled at piano and ballet, and received a special award for community service, according to the Royal Household website.
1974
This family album picture shows Diana on the Isle of Uist in the Western Isles, Scotland.
1974
The teen (with some very '70s denim!) kept a pet pony named "Scuffle." By 1975, she would become Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer.
1975
Althorp House, built in 1508, was Diana's family’s estate in Northamptonshire. She moved here in 1975 when her grandfather died, and her father inherited the Earldom.
1978
Right around the time she attended a Swiss finishing school, Diana served as a bridesmaid at her sister Lady Jane Spencer's London wedding. At this point she had already met Prince Charles—when he was dating her other sister, Lady Sarah.
1980
In 1980, the heir apparent started taking a serious interest in the 19-year-old as a potential bride. Diana was living in London at this point, intermittently working as a dance instructor, nanny, and nursery assistant. Here she is at her job with Young England Kindergarten school in Pimlico.
1980
The press caught wind of their budding relationship by the fall of that year. When this picture was taken in September, "Shy Di" had allegedly "gently reversed her car into a tree, whilst trying to drive and shield her face from the photographer at the same time."
1980
The paparazzi continued to hound Diana from her earliest days of dating Prince Charles. Here, she’s seen inside her London flat.
1980
It didn’t matter where she was; the press wasn’t far behind. Diana continued working as a nursery school teacher while dating Prince Charles.
1980
By November, Diana received an invitation to the Queen's own house at Sandringham, sparking further engagement rumors. Here she is leaving her London apartment the week before.
1980
Before she earned the status of fashion icon, the future bride topped her evening gown with a plain wool coat at Princess Margaret's 50th birthday party. Of course she would soon own hundreds of designer dresses.
1980
Diana looks pensive in this portrait of her at age 19, when she was still a teacher The Young England Kindergarten Nursery School in Pimlico, London.
1980
Camilla Parker-Bowles and Diana watch the Amateur Riders Handicap Steeplechase in which the Prince was competing in October 1980.
1980
Photographed outside of her flat in December, Lady Diana Spencer was about to become the first Englishwoman in centuries to marry an heir apparent and the first one in all of royal history to have a paying job before the engagement.
1981
Prince Charles proposed to the 19-year-old in February 1981. She picked her engagement ring—an 18-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds—out of the Gerrad jewelry catalog.
1981
When the engagement was formally announced, this famous photo of Diana and Charles on the grounds of Buckingham Palace was released. It’s obvious by her somewhat awkward body language that she wasn’t all that comfortable in the spotlight.
1981
Her beautiful ring became iconic, and was later passed to Prince William's wife, Kate.
1981
With a wedding set for July, Lady Diana Spencer kicked back in rubber boots and a casual sweater while at the Scottish royal residence Balmoral.
1981
Crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the future princess during a visit to Tetbury on May 22, 1981.
1981
The media frequently followed Diana in the summer days leading up the wedding. Here she is in Windsor after the Ascot races on June 16, 1981.
1981
The constant press attention wore down on Diana. At one polo match that July, "the persistence of the paparazzi" caused the 20-year-old to start crying, the Washington Post reported at the time. With her wedding only a few days away, her life in the spotlight had officially begun.
1981
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer wed at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981.
1981
Diana's official life begins. Here, the newlyweds head off to their honeymoon to Gibraltar on the Royal Yacht Brittania.
She had a pet pony named Scuffle?!