What was the Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana beef all about?
On September 8, 2022, the whole world mourned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Her majesty was the Queen of the United Kingdom since February 6, 1952. She peacefully passed away at Balmoral Castle and was 96 years of age. Her more than 70 years of reign was the longest of any British monarch, second only to King Louis XIV of France who ruled for over 72 years from 1643-1715.
Just like Princess Diana’s death, thousands grieved and paid tribute to the Queen. A large crowd showed up shortly after the palace announced her majesty’s passing. Reminiscent of Diana’s death, there was an outpouring of love and support, flowers, letters, and memorabilia in remembrance of a beloved Queen and esteemed ruler. But at the same time, people can’t help but recall the controversial relationship between these two powerful women.
Was there any truth to the rumored Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana beef? And what happened behind the Palace’s closed doors?
The Backstory
To this day people are wondering, how did Queen Elizabeth feel about Diana? Was their relationship always complicated? The way it was portrayed in the news and the rumors that hounded them until their passing? Not exactly.
Who is Diana to Elizabeth? An asset to the monarchy, at least during the early years of her marriage to the Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Charles. But as the years passed, the events that followed did not prove to be conducive to their marriage, let alone her relationship with her majesty, the Queen.
On July 29, 1981, Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles. It was clear from the beginning that the Queen then had a very special new member of her royal family. The whole world was charmed by the dazzling 20-year-old. Bright and beautiful, she helped lift the otherwise slightly boring and traditional British monarchy.
The Wedding of the Century
Diana and Charles’ wedding was a magnificent event, witnessed by an estimated global audience on television of about 750 million people. She was undoubtedly an instant celebrity. The wedding ceremony featured plenty of unforgettable ceremonial aspects. These included state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. It was a gigantic moment in society, much bigger than that of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding. It was dubbed as a “fairytale wedding” and the “wedding of the century.”
Young girls idolized the beautiful Princess, so much so that they wore the same dress and styled their hair exactly the way Diana wore it at their weddings. The Queen was clearly pleased with such a warm and thunderous welcome for her new daughter-in-law. She believed Diana had what it takes to become the perfect Princess.
Walking On Eggshells
Many people are curious of what would Diana’s title be today if she was still alive. Eight months following her divorce from Prince Charles, Diana gave up her right to be the next Queen consort of England. She also had to surrender the title of “HRH” (Her Royal Highness). After their divorce, it was agreed that her new title would become Diana, Princess of Wales.
Even though Diana was very young, she came from an aristocratic dynasty. The Spencers go way back in history. Her family and the monarchy have known each other for many years and she has been around them since childhood.
She was the virgin bride that Prince Charles needed for providing an heir to seal the future succession. Thus, Diana became the great hope of the royal family. She did not disappoint as she got pregnant very quickly, giving birth to Prince William within a year, and Prince Harry soon after. Diana was very happy fulfilling her wifely duties until she discovered evidence that her husband, Prince Charles was having an affair.
Diana was reportedly somehow hoping that the Queen would intervene to help mend things in her marriage. But there was a communication problem between them partly because of the huge generation gap. These are two very strong yet very different women who had opposing opinions about marriage and the duties that come with being part of the royal family.
The End of the Line
Diana was adamant about not following the monarchy’s traditional royal thought. Elizabeth believes Diana should keep her marital problems private and do everything in her power to protect the reputation of the House of Windsor. The Queen believes in the sanctity of marriage and was dead set on preserving the future of the throne.
But Diana refused to be hushed, ignored, and swept under the rug. The Queen was appalled when a tell-all book came out about what was happening in their marriage behind the palace’s closed doors. Rumor has it that Diana was the source. She denied this but said she allowed her family and friends to speak freely about what they knew about the matter. Diana wanted the outside world to know what was the reality of her marriage.
This was when the Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana beef came to its peak. Shortly after, Queen Elizabeth wrote to Charles and Diana, instructing the couple to divorce, stripping Diana of her title. The Palace was eerily quiet after her death. But after five days the people’s grief turned into anger, prompting the Queen to address Diana’s passing, and what her life meant to the world who loved her dearly.
Now that both of these magnificent women are gone, here’s to hoping that peace and forgiveness reign over the hearts and minds of the people they touched all over the world.
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