Princess di biography

Authorised biography of Diana, Princess of Wales by Andrew Morton

Diana: Her True Story (later published as Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words) is an authorised biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, written by Andrew Morton. The book was published in the United Kingdom in hardcover format on 16 June 1992 by Michael O'Mara Books. The book was controversial as it detailed out Diana's suicidal unhappiness within her marriage and her struggles with depression. At the time of publication, Buckingham Palace denied any cooperation between the princess and Morton, but it was later revealed that Diana was the main source behind the book's content.

Background and writing

In October 1986, while escorting the Princess of Wales on an official royal visit to St Thomas' Hospital where she opened a new CT scanner in James Colthurst's X-ray department, he met royal journalist Andrew Morton. Colthurst was a "middle-man" between Diana and Morton, who wrote the biography on the princess. In 1991, Colthurst conducted secret interviews with the Princess of Wales in which she talked about her marital issues and difficulties. He brought her questions from Morton and recorded tapes of her answers to bring back to him. Colthurst said of the experience, "She [Diana] was enormously enthusiastic to have her story out there, she knew exactly what she was doing. I'd cycle in, the recorder was in the briefcase, nothing surprising there. I'd go in and we'd normally have a few questions before lunch, we'd have lunch then we'd come out after lunch, I'd clip the microphone on and she'd finish them off." In 1992, shortly before Diana: Her True Story was published, the princess wrote to Colthurst, saying: "Obviously we are preparing for the volcano to erupt and I do feel better equipped to cope with whatever

Member of the British royal family (1961–1997)

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Diana Spencer (disambiguation), Lady Di (disambiguation), People's Princess (disambiguation), and Princess Diana (disambiguation).

Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her activism and glamour, which made her an international icon, earned her enduring popularity.

Diana was born into the British nobility and grew up close to the royal family, living at Park House on their Sandringham estate. In 1981, while working as a nursery teacher's assistant, she became engaged to Charles, the eldest son of Elizabeth II. Their wedding took place at St Paul's Cathedral in July 1981 and made her Princess of Wales, a role in which she was enthusiastically received by the public. The couple had two sons, William and Harry, who were then respectively second and third in the line of succession to the British throne. Diana's marriage to Charles suffered due to their incompatibility and extramarital affairs. They separated in 1992, soon after the breakdown of their relationship became public knowledge. Their marital difficulties were widely publicised, and the couple divorced in 1996.

As Princess of Wales, Diana undertook royal duties on behalf of the Queen and represented her at functions across the Commonwea

Childhood And Teenage Years

The root of Diana's insecurity lay in her upbringing, despite its privileges. Her family was living on the Queen's estate at Sandringham where her father had rented Park House. He had been a royal equerry for both King George VI and the young Queen Elizabeth II.

But Diana was only six when her parents split up. She would always remember the crunch of her mother's departing footsteps on the gravel drive. The children became pawns in a bitter custody dispute.

After school, she worked in London, first as a nanny, occasionally a cook, and then as an assistant at the Young England kindergarten in Knightsbridge.

1961-1997

Who Was Princess Diana?

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Prince Charles, the future king of the United Kingdom, and was the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. Born Diana Frances Spencer, she became Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. She married Charles on July 29, 1981, and after a largely unhappy union under constant scrutiny from the media, they divorced in 1996. Diana died on August 31, 1997, from injuries she sustained in a car crash in Paris. She is remembered as the “People’s Princess” because of her widespread popularity and global humanitarian efforts.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Diana Frances Spencer
BORN: July 1, 1961
DIED: August 31, 1997
BIRTHPLACE: Sandringham, England, United Kingdom
SPOUSE: King Charles III (1981-1996)
CHILDREN: Prince William and Prince Harry
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Early Life and Family

Diana was born on July 1, 1961, near Sandringham, England. Diana was the daughter of Edward John Spencer, the Viscount Althorp, and Frances Ruth Burke Roche, who was later known as the Honorable Frances Shand Kydd. Diana had two older sisters, Jane Fellowes and Sarah McCorquodale, and a younger brother, Charles Spencer, 9 Earl Spencer. Another brother, John, died in infancy a year before Diana was born. Her grandmothers Cynthia Spencer and Ruth Roche were both ladies-in-waiting to Queen Mother Elizabeth.

When Diana was young, her parents divorced. There had been great strain on their marriage due to the pressure to produce a male heir prior to Charles’ birth, with Diana’s mother being sent to clinics to determine why she had not yet delivered a boy. Charles later said he believed this strain was “the root of their divorce,” according to Andrew Morton’s book Diana: Her True Story. Diana’s father won custody of the children following the divorce. He later married Raine, Countess of Dartmouth, with wh