Princess Diana Never Had A Happy Christmas Again After Marrying Into The Royal Family

Joining the royal family sounds like a dream come true, but thanks to royal wives like Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and the late Princess Diana, fans know it can be anything but happy-go-lucky — which, unfortunately, includes Christmastime. 

The royals are known for having weird family holiday traditions, but for Diana, the holidays were just depressing. According to her former butler, Paul Burrell, Diana loathed celebrating the holidays at Sandringham in Norfolk, England, but knew it was expected for her to attend while she was still married to Charles. "It's like a pressure cooker, Sandringham at Christmas, of people and emotion," Burrell told Marie Claire. "Some can stand it, some can't. Diana couldn't stand it."

Diana married King Charles III in 1981, and their divorce was finalized in 1996, a year before she died in a tragic car accident. It was not a loving marriage — something Diana's son William, Prince of Wales, is actively working hard to avoid in his relationship with Catherine, Princess of Wales. Not only was Diana's marriage going up in flames — she and Charles separated in 1992 — she then had to spend what should've been a happy day with in-laws who didn't really like her, and vice versa, all while acting like she was having a nice time, especially for her children's sake.

After Princess Diana and King Charles III's marriage dissolved, she didn't have to attend the festivities at Sandringham anymore. Unfortunately, William, Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex, did go with their father, which left Diana all alone during what many treat as the happiest time of the year. Because she would die before Christmas in 1997, Christmas 1996 was her final one, and it was extremely heartbreaking. Instead of being surrounded by loved ones, Diana was surrounded by loneliness and despair, and probably a microwave or oven for reheating food.

Darren McGrady, a royal chef, told the French magazine, Gala, that even though Diana couldn't spend Christmas with her family, she didn't want the same for the people working for her. "She insisted that the staff spend time with their families for Christmas and that we leave the food in the refrigerator," McGrady said (via The Mirror). Apparently, food was prepared for Diana to reheat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, lonely meals for one. "It was always pretty sad when you worked with the Princess on Christmas Eve," McGrady admitted.