Was Princess Diana Really Afraid To Do This In Front Of The Queen?
When Lady Diana Spencer married Britain's Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, she seemed to be welcomed into the royal family with open arms. After all, Queen Elizabeth II had been wanting her son to wed for years, as the Prince of Wales was already in his 30s at the time, and the young Diana seemed like the perfect match. While it might not have been a love connection, the marriage seemed like it would be free of scandal, which is exactly what the Queen wanted.
According to Biography, things went downhill for Diana and the Queen from there. Her mother-in-law wasn't sure what to do with Diana's constant outpouring of emotions, something the Queen didn't even show with her own children. That may have made the relationship between the two women tense, with Diana often on guard and wondering what the Queen thought of her.
In fact, Diana was apparently so nervous in front of the Queen that there was one thing she would never, ever do in her royal presence.
Princess Diana never asked for more when having a meal
Princess Diana's eating disorder has been well documented through the years. She suffered from bulimia, which began while she was still engaged to Prince Charles, she said, according to Elle. While Diana later shared that she had recovered from the eating disorder, the simple act of having a meal with the Queen reportedly left her uncomfortable.
Diana's chef, Darren McGrady, worked for the Queen at Buckingham Palace for 11 years and later cooked just for Diana after she separated from Charles, via Insider. (He's also fictionalized in the new movie, "Spencer," starring Kristen Stewart.) McGrady recently shared a YouTube video in which he discusses what it was like cooking for the People's Princess. In it, he revealed the one thing she would never do when eating with her mother-in-law because it made her too stressed.
"I knew the princess would come down to the kitchen for seconds," McGrady said, explaining that he often made sure there were leftovers of her favorite dessert, crepe souffle. "She was too scared to ask for seconds in front of the Queen."
When Diana's private dessert time in the kitchen came, McGrady said that he and the princess would sit, eat, and discuss two of their favorite topics — the musicals "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables."