She may have married into the royal family, but Princess Diana still played by her own rules. That was evident from the moment she said I do to the current King Charles in 1981.
Instead of following some royal norms ahead of the big day, Diana took a non-traditional approach. She chose to forego one common royal custom. In doing so, a source says that she “smashed The Firm’s rules.” What she went with instead had much more than sentimental value for her.
Princess Diana chose a $500 million family tiara over a royal heirloom for her wedding
Princess Diana may have committed her life to the royal family, though that doesn’t mean she would do everything their way. On her wedding day, she made a bold statement by wearing a $500 million tiara rather than a royal heirloom. Normally, royal brides borrow from the Crown’s collection.
The move reportedly set Diana on a collision course with palace tradition. The tiara may have been a Spencer one, but it held much more than just personal weight. An expert tells RadarOnline that her wearing that tiara was a clear statement that she would “not dissolve entirely into the machinery of the monarchy.”
Diana was prepared to honor her birth name but also assert her individuality, according to a source. That Spencer tiara dates in its modern form to the 1930s. It’s believed to have been gifted to Lady Cynthia Hamilton, Diana’s grandmother. An insider says the move was emblematic of how Diana would live her royal life.
She kept wearing the item at several appearances following her wedding. It’s something that she reportedly gravitated towards as it carried emotional weight, says an insider. When she died in 1997, it was displayed at a travelling exhibition called Diana: A Celebration before disappearing from public view. That’s not the only thing about Diana that’s being locked away. Under French law, files on her death must remain sealed until 2082.
The last time Diana was seen publicly with the tiara was in 1993 at a Malaysian state banquet at London’s Dorchester Hotel. It’s currently in the possession of her brother Charles Spencer.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK DIANA’S INDIVIDUALITY MAY HAVE MADE HER AN ENEMY WITHIN ROYAL CIRCLES?
