Princess Diana maintained unique dinner routine during royal marriage

Princess Diana maintained a unique daily schedule and early dinner routine that differed significantly from the rest of the royal family during her marriage to the former Prince of Wales.

A Royal Duty, a book written by former royal butler Paul Burrell, and previous comments from former royal chef Darren McGrady detailed the late royal's personal life and domestic habits. McGrady revealed that Princess Diana preferred an early schedule, frequently waking up early in the morning and scheduling her evening meal for 6:30pm. However, when the broader royal family gathered for official dining, she could not adhere to her preferred dinner time or retire to bed at her usual hour. On Saturday nights, Princess Diana regularly ate dinner in front of the television with her two sons to create a normal environment.

Beyond her daily domestic schedule, Burrell wrote about Princess Diana's internal struggles during her marriage to King Charles. Burrell stated that Princess Diana wanted the British public to understand the difficulties she faced, noting that she learned from her personal suffering. He explained that her low self-esteem originated during her childhood, where she formed negative ideas about herself that she subsequently carried into her royal marriage.

Burrell noted that Princess Diana sought validation from Charles to boost her ego and feel recognised for her personal achievements. When that recognition was not provided, she expressed feeling rejected by her husband. Princess Diana later died in a car accident in Paris in 1997.