Princess Diana was famously the wife of the heir to the throne of England, Prince Charles. After she married him, she continued to ensure that she stayed fit and healthy.
The ups and downs of her life are well known. Her days were a constant merry-go-round of royal duties, events, interviews, and fitting in time to spend with her sons – not so much with her husband.
Here's a small window into a typical day in the life of the world's most photographed woman.
Inside a day in the life of Princess Diana
Key takeaways
- Diana's daily diary was jampacked with appointments and public appearances.
- Not a great sleeper, she struggled to rise at 7 a.m. and was fortified by a cup of weak coffee.
- Swimming and exercise were non-negotiable parts of her schedule.
- Her favorite activity was spending as much time with her boys as possible.
Mornings
Everyone thinks that the life of a princess is all glitz, glamor, and courtiers waiting on you hand and foot. This could not be further from the truth.
Princess Diana had a crazy daily schedule crammed with appointments and public appearances. After downing a cup of weak coffee, she forced herself out of bed at 7 a.m. The princess was an avid swimmer and loved to swim a few laps in the pool at Buckingham Palace, followed by stretching exercises.
She preferred something light for breakfast, reportedly favoring a can of beans on a slice of toast and a pink grapefruit with orange juice.
The royal was very "into" exercising, and the results could be seen in her slim, svelte designer's dream body. She suited up for her gym routine, and the princess ran through various exercises, including step aerobics, power walks, and rollerblading. She was also seen at her local gym, the Chelsea Harbour Club, and also loved to cycle.
Afternoons
The rest of the morning and afternoons were spent fulfilling her royal duties under the watchful eye of Her Majesty the Queen. She would spend time with her beloved sons, William and Harry if their schedules aligned.
Her former head chef Darren McGrady spoke about the HRH's daily diet in an exclusive interview with Hello. McGrady says one of her favorite lunch dishes was an Egg Suzette, a "baked potato scooped out with wilted spinach in the bottom and a poached egg on top and then a little hollandaise sauce, a tiny amount, with some potato piped around the edges."
Another go-to meal for lunch was bell peppers stuffed with courgette, mushroom, rice, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese with a scoop of smoked tomato pepper sauce.
Chef McGrady added that "The Princess never ate much red meat. She never ate beef or pork; occasionally, she'd have lamb when entertaining guests, but for the most part, it was chicken, fish, or vegetarian options." She would allow herself a small portion of bread and butter pudding when the two princes, William and Harry, requested it.
Evenings
If she wasn't looking stunning and gracing any of the activities she was required to attend, the evenings would be spent watching TV.
Diana would kick back and relax with her boys, and Charles ... if he was around, before heading to bed.
