Before there was a Kate Middleton, Princess Diana of Wales conquered the hearts of the world with her philanthropic activities and her impeccable sense of style. The people’s Princess was born on July 1st of 1961, and to celebrate the anniversary of this wonderful event, we take a look at 5 interesting facts about Princess Diana you might not know about.
Interesting fact about Princess Diana #5: She faced many personal difficulties
Before becoming a Princess and an international symbol, Diana was just a normal girl born into a very complicated family with a history of infidelities. Diana’s parents divorced when she was only 7, and her father gained custody of her and her siblings, perhaps foreshadowing what she’d later experience during her marriage to Prince Charles.
She also grew up struggling with bulimia, with an especially noticeable episode in 1981, at the time of the Royal Wedding. After her marital problem surfaced, she also had a considerable weight loss, and she battled the effects throughout the rest of her days.
Interesting fact about Princess Diana #4: She was a poor student
Although she was very intelligent and loved to learn, Princess Diana was not a good student when she was young. She was changed from a public school to a private academy which offered courses directed to children which couldn’t relate to conventional education. However, she failed the Ordinary Level of the General Certificate of Education twice.
In spite of this, Diana was well-known for her humanitarian work and her talent for music from early on, to the point of receiving awards and recognitions for it.
Interesting fact about Princess Diana #3: She was a nanny
After moving to London in 1978, and long before becoming Princess of England, Diana had to learn to take care of herself through regular day jobs. Given her love for children, it’s not surprising that the young woman chose to work as a nanny for several neighbors and friends.
She also had other ordinary jobs, such as dance instructor, pre-school assistant, hostess and even –who could ever imagine?- as cleaning lady for her sister!
Interesting fact about Princess Diana #2: She wanted to be a ballerina
Princess Diana loved music and dance, and seemed to be quite skilled in both disciplines. She even considered becoming a professional ballerina for the Royal Ballet, and took ballet classes in order to achieve it. However, she grew too tall and eventually quit, although her passion for ballet never diminished. Diana was patron for the London City Ballet and the English National Ballet, and she had the chance of a lifetime dancing with superstar John Travolta at the White House.
Diana also had a passion for animated musicals, she loved musicians such as ABBA, Duran Duran and Tom Jones; and she was a close friend of Elton John, who dedicated his song “Candle in the Wind” to her after her fatal accident.
Interesting fact about Princess Diana #1: She was related to some celebrities
Although she was a commoner who only gained the title of “Lady” after her father inherited the title in 1975, Princess Diana’s family could be traced to several personalities of British royalty, American politics and even entertainment. She can be linked to the dukes and duchesses of Abercorn, Gloucester, Marlborough, Devonshire, Richmond, etc.; and she was also a descendant of the legendary Bourbon, Medici and Sforza families.
She was also distantly related to Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, Oliver Platt, and even American presidents such as Winston Churchill, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, amongst others.
You might also like:
