Princess Diana had a lonely and isolated life in the Palace, says royal expert

While on the surface it may have seemed that Diana, Princess of Wales, led a charmed existence, her short time on Earth was never easy.

After enduring a turbulent upbringing, in which her parents’ marriage bitterly broke apart, she fell into a hasty union with the Prince of Wales which eventually left her feeling miserable and alone.

“She was the girl who would walk out of Kensington Palace to the cheers of the public, but inside the Palace walls, she had a very lonely and isolated life,” reveals Andrew Morton, who wrote his best-selling biography after he received top-secret tape recordings from Diana.

As her unhappiness intensified, she faced a harrowing battle with depression, bulimia and self-harm – which came to light in Andrew’s book and the controversial 1995 televised Panorama interview with Martin Bashir. Her deeply personal confessions triggered shockwaves worldwide, but also did much to help topple barriers around mental health.

Dubbed the “Diana Effect”, her impact was summed up by Jane Mendle, Professor of Human Development at Cornell University, who says, “Her honesty helped chip away at the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraged others to get help. It is not an exaggeration to say that thousands of people changed their lives because Diana talked about hers.”

One of the great tragedies of Diana’s premature demise is the fact she still had so much to achieve.

Before she died, there was speculation she would become an official ambassador for Britain, which she had discussed with then Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Her humanitarian work had also become more sharply focused. As Lizzie Robinson, Royal Producer on ITV News, tells us, “Diana wanted a more meaningful public role, so she’d really honed in on the causes she cared most about.

“For instance in January 1997, she took that famous walk in Angola to advocate against landmines.

"I think her impact in these sorts of areas would have continued, and her role as a mother, grandmother and mother-in-law would also have become increasingly prominent. Family was incredibly important to her.”

Kristen Meinzer, co-host of Newsweek’s podcast The Royal Report agrees, saying, “Had she lived, I think Diana would have picked her humanitarian efforts ever more carefully, and she probably would have had romance in her life, and plenty of travel. She might even have chosen a more conventional path, got married a second time and had another child. It’s so sad we’ll never know.”

Pick up the OK! Commemorative Collector's edition now – Princess Diana – Her Life, her legacy, which marks 25 years since the Princess of Wales' death.

READ NEXT:

• Princess Diana's brother pays loving tribute on what would have been her 61st birthday

• Kate Middleton takes inspo from Princess Diana in a daring transparent dress

• Why 'exhausted' Princess Diana 'blubbed my eyes out' at William's christening

• Kate Middleton makes broody confession as she tells a mum 'I love babies’

• For the latest royal news, sign up to our weekly Royal newsletter here

Source: Read Full Article