Princess Diana 'Couldn't Sleep' After William's Birth, Her Teacher Reveals: "She Wanted To Keep..."

Princess Diana, loved by millions for her compassion and humanity, endured immense pressure in her personal life, even during some of her happiest moments. Following the birth of her first son, Prince William, Diana found herself unable to sleep— not just because of the typical challenges of new motherhood, but over profound emotional distress related to her relationship with Prince Charles. 

When Diana welcomed William in June 1982, she experienced a mix of relief and joy. Having 'done her duty' by producing an heir to the throne, she met the expectations placed upon her as the Princess of Wales. However, Diana’s transition into motherhood was far from a fairy tale. She confessed to a close confidante, dance instructor Anne Allan, that her maternal instincts were so strong she couldn’t sleep. Allan wrote in her memoir, Dancing With Diana, “Diana told me she absolutely adored her son and wanted to spend all her time with [baby Prince William], that she couldn't sleep because she wanted to keep checking on him," as reported by The Express.

As per People magazine, the immense media scrutiny surrounding Diana’s first pregnancy had already taken a toll on her well-being. In Andrew Morton’s biography Diana: Her True Story, Diana revealed that the constant pressure from the press became 'unbearable,' nudging her to agree to an induced labor. In a bittersweet remark, she noted, “When we had William, we had to find a date in the diary that suited Charles and his polo…we had found a date where Charles could get off his polo pony for me to give birth. That was very nice, felt grateful about that!”

Diana’s sleepless nights were not only fueled by maternal concerns but also by the emotional void in her marriage. While she basked in the joy of motherhood, her relationship with Charles grew strained. Diana often felt isolated, exploring her new role with little emotional support from her husband. The birth of their second son, Prince Harry, only deepened this divide. Diana revealed that Charles had long wished for a daughter.

Upon Harry’s arrival, Charles reportedly expressed disappointment, saying, “Oh God, it’s a boy,” followed by a comment on Harry’s red hair, a Spencer family trait. Diana recalled that Charles expressed his disappointment during Harry’s christening, lamenting to her mother, “‘We were so disappointed – we thought it would be a girl.’” Her mother sharply rebuked Charles. She recalled, “Mummy snapped his head off, saying, ‘You should realize how lucky you are to have a child that’s normal.’ Ever since that day, the shutters have come down, and that’s what he does when he gets somebody answering back at him.” This moment marked a turning point in Diana and Charles’s deteriorating relationship.