Princess Diana's Lesser-Known Connection to Charles and the Queen That Dates Back to Her Childhood

Princess Diana tied the knot with Prince Charles in 1981, but her link to the Royal Family dates back to her childhood. Diana was born at Park House, a private nine-bedroom mansion rented by the Spencers, located on Queen's Norfolk estate in Sandringham. The house was constructed in 1863 by King Edward VII to provide additional accommodation for guests at Sandringham House. After her parents divorced, her father took custody, and she continued to live in the Park House until 1975, before moving to Altrop, Northamptonshire. In 1987, the property was converted into a three-star hotel designed for travelers with disabilities. According to a review, it still houses the bedroom where Diana was born.

Diana’s mother, Frances, was also born at Park House. The Spencer family’s proximity to the royal estate meant that Diana and her siblings were often visited by members of the royal family, including Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, who swam in the family’s pool. According to writer Sarah Bradford in her 2006 book Diana, the late princess and her siblings often played with the young princes when the Royal Family visited Sandringham. Charles also became part of their shenanigans occasionally. As mentioned in Tina Brown’s The Diana Chronicles, 17-year-old Charles once interrupted five-year-old Diana’s 'tea party.'

According to Hello! Magazine, the Spencer family's close relationship with the Royal Family extended to several generations. Diana’s father, the eighth Earl Spencer, was Queen Mary’s godson, and her brother Charles Spencer was Queen Elizabeth II’s godson. Additionally, her grandmother, Lady Fermoy, was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother. Earl Spencer was also an equerry for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. As per Oprah Daily, the Queen was also invited to John and Frances' wedding as a guest of honor in 1954.

Interestingly, while Diana and Charles' relationship was consummated in marriage, she was not the first Spencer Charles dated. Prince Charles was initially involved in a courtship with Diana's older sister Sarah, but their relationship suffered a setback when Sarah publicly stated, "I am not in love with Prince Charles." Diana, on the other hand, had admired Prince Charles from a young age, reportedly keeping a picture of him above her bed at boarding school.

She once told a classmate, "I would love to be a dancer – or Princess of Wales." In the summer of 1980, when Diana was 19 and Charles was 31, their relationship began to take shape. Diana attended a country weekend where Charles was playing polo, and from there, he invited her to several royal events, including a sailing trip aboard the royal yacht Britannia and a visit to Balmoral Castle, the family’s Scottish home. It was during these events that their relationship deepened.