Why Queen Elizabeth "Was Furious" With Princess Diana Following One "Private Conversation," According to a Royal Expert
"I can state categorically it is not true."
It's hard to believe that Princess Diana died almost 30 years ago, on August 31, 1997, following a devastating car crash in Paris. Following her divorce from King Charles, Diana's relationship with the Royal Family reportedly wasn't always straightforward. And according to one royal expert, Queen Elizabeth became "furious" with the former Princess of Wales after one particular conversation.
According to respected royal author and editor Ingrid Seward, the allegedly tense conversation between Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, and Princess Diana took place on February 28, 1996, before the divorce was finalized.
"The discussions were supposed to be private, but immediately afterwards Diana issued a statement saying she had agreed to the divorce, that she would continue to be involved in all decisions pertaining to William and Harry—and that under pressure she would be giving up her HRH [title]," Seward shared in the Daily Mail.
"The discussions were supposed to be private, but immediately afterwards Diana issued a statement."
According to Seward, "The Queen was furious at Diana leaking details of their private conversation." As a result, the monarch decided to share her own version of events with the public.
"She immediately countered with a statement of her own," Seward noted. "Her press secretary, Charles Anson, announced: 'The decision to drop the title is the princess's and the princess's alone. It is wrong that [Queen Elizabeth] or [King Charles] asked her. I can state categorically it is not true."
The statement continued, "The palace does not say something specific on a point like this unless we are absolutely sure of the facts."
"She immediately countered with a statement of her own."
In spite of Queen Elizabeth's statement, Princess Diana "continued to insist she had been pressured into relinquishing her title," Seward wrote.
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Unfortunately, this appears to have been one instance in which Diana and Elizabeth couldn't agree.
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.