Princess Diana may have an angelic face but she was often recognized as a royal rebel. The Princess of Wales was not keen on following strict Royal Family rules as she was known for doing her own thing.
Now, an unearthed biography has revealed a possible reason as to why Princess Diana “lacked discipline.” The Royal family expected more from the People’s Princess but she defied most of the mantra of The Firm.
Howard Hodgson revealed the key difference between Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s childhood in his 2007 biography “Charles: The man who will be King.” He shared that while both of them didn’t like the fact that they were sent to boarding schools, the way that they dealt with the situation said a lot about their personalities.
“Unlike the Prince of Wales, Diana was also quick to bombard her parents with pleading letters saying how unhappy she was and begging them to take her away without delay,” Howard Hodgson wrote. “The fact that they acquiesced after just one term is in stark contrast to the years of misery suffered by Charles at Gordonstoun and perhaps offers more than a little explanations to why, in her later role, she often lacked the discipline that her husband and his family expected of her.”
Prince Charles complained about his situation at the time but his complaints were ignored. Prince Philip reportedly hoped that his eldest son would “toughen up” and become more stoic. The Prince of Wales eventually accepted his fate and appreciated his boarding school experience.
“I am glad I went to Gordonstoun,” he said in a 1974 interview. “It wasn't the toughness of the place… I didn't enjoy school as much as I might have, but that was only because I'm happier at home than anywhere else."
As for Princess Diana, she was sent to a finishing school in Switzerland after failing her O-levels twice. The lessons were taught in French and she had a hard time with the language, leading her to become more timid so she wouldn’t embarrass herself.
“The result was that she had difficulty fitting in socially and her classwork — which she had always found difficult enough in her native tongue — was now nothing short of pathetic,” Howard Hodgson shared.
After a term, Princess Diana’s parents gave in to her complaints and she moved in with her mother in Knightsbridge.
