Before she garnered the love and attention of the world, young Princess Diana was just a regular person like the rest of us
30 Photos of Young Princess Diana—Before She Became the People’s Princess
1962
The Spencer family welcomed their fourth child, Diana Frances Spencer, on July 1, 1961, in Sandringham, Norfolk. In 1962, young Princess Diana celebrated her first birthday at Park House, where she was born.
1963
Seen here in a pram fit for a princess, Diana spent much of her childhood in Sandringham, where she often played with Queen Elizabeth II’s two younger sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
1963
A young Princess Diana makes the “terrible twos” look delightful! “From the moment I met her and worked with the family, I saw she was helpful, laughing, exuberant, loved by both her parents and the apple of her father’s eye,” Mary Clarke, Princess Diana’s former nanny, wrote in her book, Little Girl Lost: The Troubled Childhood of Princess Diana by the Woman Who Raised Her. Clarke was young Princess Diana’s caretaker from 1971 to 1976. Clarke, 21 at the time, met 10-year-old Diana when picking her up from Riddlesworth Hall School in Diss, Norfolk.
1964
Practicing for her future role as a mother, young Princess Diana spent time pushing prams and playing at home with friends and family. Who knows, she might have already been dreaming of her future as a princess, including her royal wedding dress. Diana was 3 years old here and lived at Park House, Sandringham.
1964
Not only was Princess Diana known for her iconic haircut as an adult, she pulled it off as a toddler too! From bangs to a bob, nothing was stopping Diana from taking on the world.
1965
In this photo, young Lady Diana Spencer looks just about ready to head out the door in her cute-as-a-button coat. Despite being described as shy and reserved, young Princess Diana had a fondness for animals, along with a love for music and dancing.
1967
Lady Diana is seen here playing with her younger brother, Charles Spencer, who is now the 9th Earl Spencer. Young Princess Diana also grew up with her two older sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes. Diana’s older brother John Spencer died just hours after his birth, in 1960.
1968
Young Princess Diana is pictured here with her brother Charles. They had a close sibling relationship, even as they got older. Charles even delivered Diana’s eulogy at Westminster Abbey after her death.
1968
In the summer of 1968, Diana was just an ordinary kid—ready to play in the sun at Cadogan Place Gardens in London! She was 7 years old at this time. Despite being known for her iconic fashion moments as an adult, young Princess Diana was reportedly a tomboy and enjoyed playing with her future brother-in-law Lord Robert Fellowes.
1969
At her grandparent’s 50th anniversary celebration, young Princess Diana and members of her extended family came together for a portrait. Can you spot her? We’ll give you a clue: She’s wearing knee-high socks! This was also the year her parent’s marriage officially dissolved and her mother, Frances Roche, married businessman Peter Shand Kydd.
1970
Looks like young Diana was no stranger to croquet, judging from her tight grip on that mallet! Despite looking happy in this photo, Diana’s brother Charles described their childhood as “agonizing and ruptured.” In an interview with Sunday Time Magazine, Charles explained how their father “was a quiet, constant source of love, but our mother wasn’t cut out for maternity.” “She couldn’t do it. She was in love with someone else, infatuated really.”
1970
After Diana’s parents divorced in 1969, she spent holidays split between her parents. In this photo from 1970, Diana was spending her summer holiday in Itchenor, West Sussex.
1971
Young Princess Diana, pictured here at age 10, smiled and posed for the camera while on holiday. At this time, she was a student at Riddlesworth Hall School, a preparatory boarding school in Norfolk.
1974
In 1974, Diana switched from her preparatory school to West Heath, a boarding school near Sevenoaks, Kent. “At school, she showed a particular talent for music (as an accomplished pianist), dancing and domestic science, and gained the school’s award for the girl giving maximum help to the school and her schoolfellows,” according to royal.uk.
1974
Splitting time again between her mother and father, Princess Diana spent some of her summer holiday at her mother’s home in Scotland with this adorable Shetland pony named Souffle.
1978
Sister duties for the Fellowes wedding! Diana served as a bridesmaid for her sister Jane during her wedding to Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes. Despite being close when young, Jane and Diana barely spoke during the last year and a half of Diana’s life. After Jane’s husband was promoted to the queen’s private secretary in 1990, Diana came to resent her brother-in-law, believing he was helping to monitor her phone calls. This put a strain on Jane and Diana’s once strong sisterly bond.
1980
Prince Charles and Diana started dating in 1980. However, they first met in November 1977 at Althorp House, when Charles came to visit for a grouse hunt. He was dating her sister Sarah at the time. In this photo, Princess Diana is talking briefly to reporters about her new adjustment to life in the public eye. At the time, she was also working as a nursery school assistant at the Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico in London.
1980
We all remember Princess Diana’s revenge dress, but when it comes to color, everything she wore just seemed to work! Nineteen-year-old Diana pulls off a monochromatic moment in purple—something that would change as the soon-to-be Princess of Wales would later be styled in various shades of pink.
1980
Not only did Diana have a teaching job, but she also spent time working as a nanny for an American couple. This would make Diana the first person to ever have a paying job before marrying a royal heir apparent.
1980
While getting in and out of cars may seem like an easy task, it wasn’t for the soon-to-be princess, labeled “Shy Di.” Life as she knew it would change drastically as she became the center of media attention and her every move was closely watched—even getting into her red Mini Metro! It wasa gift from Prince Charles after he test-drove it at its launch, and Princess Diana is said to have had the car just a short time, until the summer of 1981.
1980
Before being styled by the British royal family, Diana had her choice of clothing and accessories. Following her marriage, her style had to change, but this didn’t stop Diana from keeping some of her tried-and-true favorites. “She had an ‘official’ wardrobe and a private wardrobe,” according to designer David Sassoon.
1980
Diana embarks on an outing while catching the attention of the media outside her London home. The future Princess of Wales was often seen wearing purple, and it was quite a fitting color, as purple is known to represent royalty, nobility, wisdom and peace. She also photographed beautifully in it!
1980
Seen here leaving her London flat, the future Princess of Wales flashes a friendly smile to the media. Her apartment was located at Flat 60, Coleherne Court in South Kensington, London. Diana purchased the three-bedroom home in 1979, when she was just 18 years old.
1981
Princess Diana wasn’t the only thing popular in the 1980s—so was polo! Here, Diana watches a polo match in Hampshire. This is reportedly the same match where she had to be escorted from the field after crying and being overwhelmed by the media.
1981
Life’s a blur when you’re about to become engaged! A month before her engagement in February 1981, Diana was the center of attention, as the media grew even more fascinated with her relationship with Prince Charles.
1981
Let the race begin. On March 13, 1981, Princess Diana is pictured here at Sandown Park Racecourse—and she made sure we all knew brown was the new black. Diana was a trendsetter in this earthy ensemble.
1981
Diana is seen smiling and laughing at the Cartier International polo match on Smith’s Lawn, Windsor. Commonly known as the Cartier Queen’s Cup, the polo tournament is considered one of the most important polo tournaments in the world and is hosted by the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park, England.
1981
Pictured here following the Ascot races, young Princess Diana reminds us of her teenage years in her monochromatic purple ensemble.
1981
Diana is a lady in red during her visit to the town of Tetbury in Gloucestershire following her engagement, on May 22, 1981.
1981
In this photo, Diana and Sarah Ferguson, the future Duchess of York, enjoy a day of relaxing and catching up at the Cowdray Park Polo Club in England, before either of them had a royal title. This was in July 1981, the same month Princess Diana and Prince Charles officially married, on July 29.
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Sources:
- Brittanica: “Diana, princess of Wales”
- Page Six: “Brother: Princess Diana suffered greatly from our parents’ divorce”
- Biography: “Princess Diana”
- LA Times: “Little Book Lost: Little Girl Lost: The Troubled Childhood of Princess Diana by the Woman Who Raised Her”
- Royal.uk: “Diana, Princess of Wales”
- Washington Post: “From Sheltered Life to Palace Life, To a Life of Her Own”
- Best Life: 23 Facts About Princess Diana Only Her Closest Friends Knew
- The Sun: “HEIR ABOUT THAT: Was Princess Diana a nursery school teacher before becoming a full-time royal?”
- BBC: “Coventry: Diana’s Mini Metro and Barbie’s Jaguar displayed”
- Architectural Digest: “All the Homes Princess Diana Lived in Throughout Her Lifetime”
- Express: “Princess Diana heartbreak: Royal ‘escorted out in tears’ once wedding ‘illusion’ destroyed”
- Guards Polo Club: “Guards Polo Club: Cartier Queen’s Cup 2025”
