Princess Diana may have been a very well-loved person after her demise. But while alive, she was trolled and mocked heavily by British media. She was chased around towns and cities. Even during holidays, she was not free from the paparazzi, so much so that she was killed in a paparazzi chase.
Yet, some people in Britain understood her plight and challenging life. She was a very naïve 19-year-old who got married to the most powerful and very visible family in the UK.
It must have been very difficult for her to adjust to the demands and callings of being married to the crown prince. Her every move was scrutinized so much that every step was published in tabloids.
Yet she always showed grace and attended as many public events as possible. Princess Diana was well-known for her attentive, kind, compassionate public persona. However, one picture from 1981 seemed extremely different from the Princess’s image.
Diana was caught sleeping in the middle of the event. Initially, people were outraged, but when it was revealed why Princess Diana was so exhausted, it turned into a happy moment for everyone.
There is a joyful explanation for this. At 20, Diana was pregnant with the her and Prince Charles‘s first child, Prince William.
Lady Diana falling asleep during an official royal engagement, 1981. She was actually pregnant with Prince William at the time, but her pregnancy had yet to be announced. pic.twitter.com/EDMaLwl2xe
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) November 1, 2024
Photographer Tim Graham took what is now known as Diana’s “Sleeping Beauty” portrait. The camera caught her dozing off on a soft red chair, demonstrating that Diana was almost human beneath the glamour and gloss.
Diana looked straight out of a Disney film because of her gorgeous flowing chiffon dress by Bellville Sasson. She was attending the Splendours Of The Gonzaga’s Exhibition Gala at the Victoria & Albert Museums.
Once the picture was clicked and everyone caught this very young Princess dozing off, they assumed that royal duties had caught up to her. However, Buckingham Palace made the royal announcement of her carrying the next generation of monarchs the next day, November 5, 1981.
Thirty-six-years-ago today, Prince William was born at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London – the same place where all three of his children have been born. 🎂👶👑🎉🎁
Here’s how ITV News and @alstewitn reported the royal birth at the time: pic.twitter.com/q20z0Zocwq
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 21, 2018
The public couldn’t help but coo at the images published in the newspaper, and Diana’s fatigue was understandable, of course. Palace insiders revealed that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip personally congratulated her on her pregnancy announcement. These kinds of wishes were always private and never made public. However, the royals made an exception for Diana.
In an interview with Reader’s Digest, royal expert Marlene Koenig, author of Queen Victoria’s Descendants, asserted that Diana married young. Two months after the wedding, she became pregnant with Prince William. She didn’t have time to get used to her new life because she was constantly in the spotlight.
She could never get used to the public attention until both her sons were born. When William was due, thousands of excited admirers gathered outside London’s St. Mary’s Hospital.
After 24 hours, in a polka-dot dress, she looked stunning as she presented her firstborn to the world. The moment repeated itself when Kate Middleton was blessed with Prince George. She walked out of the same doors of the same hospital with him, honoring her late mother-in-law in a similar dress.
Those who lived enough to remember Diana swore she would have been a hands-on granny. Princess Di was the queen of hearts.
