Royal Author Claims Diana Once Soured Christmas Dinner With the Most Forbidden Question
The rude question reportedly left the Queen and Prince Charles believing Diana had gone totally ‘mad.’
Princess Diana's private letters and leaked recordings have revealed her profound loneliness within the royal family. Behind the glitz and the glamor of the royal fold, Diana often felt isolated and out of place. Renowned royal writer Andrew Morton recounted her moment of despair during a royal Christmas dinner, when Diana questioned the monarchy’s relevance. The rude question reportedly left the Queen and Prince Charles believing she had gone ‘mad.’
Morton in his best-selling work, Diana: Her True Story, penned, “She is believed to have raised the question as to whether the royals would remain pertinent in a federal Europe, leaving the likes of the Queen and husband Prince Charles shocked.” Morton also detailed the family's reaction: “The Queen, Prince Charles, and the rest of the royal family looked at her as if she were mad and continued with their debate on who shot the last pheasant of the day, a discussion which occupied the rest of the evening,” the Daily Express reported.
Morton added that Diana’s question wasn’t a spontaneous remark, but stemmed from a deep-rooted discontent with the monarchy. According to her close friend, she believed the royals were too disconnected from the public and couldn’t see how they were contributing to society. The Princess’ already awkward Christmas dinners became even more strained following her separation from Charles. Despite the turmoil of their 1992 split, she reportedly continued to attend Christmas dinners with the royal family for the sake of her children, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Princess Diana famously didn’t enjoy spending Christmas with the royals, yet always turned up impeccably dressed. Revisit Princess Diana’s best Christmas Day outfits to date. https://t.co/1RBsR3sJlA
— Vogue Runway (@VogueRunway) December 25, 2024
As per the Daily Mail, royal expert, Richard Kay, also described Diana's awkward festive despair. He shared that in 1993 when Diana attended the Sandringham Christmas Eve, she skipped lunch and made her way back to Kensington Palace alone. A friend of the Princess allegedly told Kay, “Diana didn't feel welcome at all. She could see how her being there just made everyone so tense and uneasy. She'd joined them for the sake of the boys, but it wasn't really working.” In her infamous Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, Diana spoke candidly about her strained relationship with the royal family and her decision to skip their celebrations.
Diana’s death on August 31, 1997, remains one of the most tragic moments in history. Even more heartbreaking is how she reportedly spent her last Christmas. According to royal chef, Darren McGrady, her sons celebrated Christmas with the Queen, leaving Diana by herself. As per the Daily Express, McGrady recalled, “She insisted that the staff spend time with their families for Christmas and that we leave the food in the refrigerator.” Just eight months later, Diana passed away in Paris.
