Queen Elizabeth "Couldn't Understand" One Thing About Princess Diana and "Struggled" to Welcome Her Into the Family, Per Royal Biographer

"Prince Philip made a concerted effort to help Diana adjust to life as a princess."

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Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana attending a wedding on July 30, 1988
(Image credit: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

When Princess Diana married King Charles on July 29, 1981, she became part of the British Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II was Diana's mother-in-law, and according to some royal experts, the pair didn't always have the easiest relationship.

In the book The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Queen Elizabeth II, royal author Ian Lloyd explored the sometimes challenging relationship between the monarch and Princess Diana.

"The Queen and [Prince Philip] welcomed both women [Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson] into the family in their own, no-nonsense way," Lloyd shared in the biography.

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The author continued, "Elizabeth, however, struggled to find much in common with the new Princess of Wales and admitted she couldn't understand her personality."

According to Lloyd, Prince Philip made more of an effort with Princess Diana, despite his wife's alleged aversion to her new daughter-in-law.

Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth attending the wedding of Viscount Linley and Serena Stanhope, at the Church of St Margaret in October 1993

"Elizabeth, however, struggled to find much in common with the new Princess of Wales."

(Image credit: Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

"Prince Philip, on the other hand, was one member of The Firm who made a concerted effort to help Diana adjust to life as a princess, mindful of his own uncomfortable welcome from courtiers and family friends," Lloyd shared. "At one full family gathering, he helped her overcome her insecurity by playfully waltzing her into dinner when she appeared nervous."

Prince Charles and Princess Diana waving on their wedding day next to Prince Philip

"Prince Philip...was one member of The Firm who made a concerted effort to help Diana adjust to life as a princess."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Diana's preference for a city lifestyle apparently caused a divide, too.

"Diana was used to the traditional hunting, shooting, fishing lifestyle of the Royal Family from her own upbringing, but she much preferred life in the city and in the later stages of her marriage would leave family gatherings at Balmoral and Sandringham and head back to London," Lloyd explained.

According to the royal author, having "broken her arm" after falling off a horse when she was young, Princess Diana didn't share Queen Elizabeth's passion for riding. "[W]hile she once or twice rode one of The Queen's ponies, she was never happy in the saddle," Lloyd shared.

Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.