Why Princess Diana Felt ‘Inadequate’ During Prince Charles Honeymoon Due To Royal Family

Princess Diana was welcomed warmly by the royal family into their home after she wed Prince Charles. But it didn’t take very long before the late royal lost her confidence while in the presence of her ex-husband’s relatives.

In the book “The Queen and Di: The Untold Story,” royal author Ingrid Seward said that during Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s honeymoon, the latter developed feelings of inadequacy.

“The Royal Family had gone out of their way to welcome her back to the castle which she had always professed to adore and which, if the fates had been kinder, would one day become her home. But for the moment, this was her mother-in-law’s house, governed by her mother-in-law’s rules, and instead of settling back and enjoying her good fortune, Diana felt like an outsider who was about to be swallowed up by a family which bewildered and soon overawed her,” she said.

During her conversation with the Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry’s mom described her memory of that day not as an exhilarating and joyous occasion, but as a moment where she felt inadequate.

When Princess Diana was still alive, she also expressed her negative feelings about the royal family by saying that they made her feel isolated. In a letter she wrote in 1991, Princess Diana also said that Prince Charles’ family constantly misunderstood her.

In the beginning, Queen Elizabeth was still very sympathetic towards Princess Diana especially after she saw how difficult things were for her. But over time, the Queen’s perception and feelings toward her daughter-in-law also changed.

After breaking tons of royal protocol, a number of times and after hosting an interview about the royals, the Queen started distancing herself from Prince Charles’ ex-wife.

During the fallout of the couple’s marriage, Princess Diana consulted with the Queen on what she should do but the monarch failed to give her a piece of advice. Instead, Her Majesty also said that she has no idea what Princess Diana should do to save her marriage.