These Photos Give a Glimpse at What Princess Diana Was Like Before Royal Life
She had a pet pony named Scuffle?!
· archived 5/18/2026, 12:39:31 AMscreenshotcached html 39 Photos of Princess Diana Before Royal Life - Lady Diana Spencer's Childhood Search Subscribe GH+ Member Portal Product Reviews GH Seal Spotlight GH Tested Appliances Home Products Cooking Tools Beauty Products Health & Fitness Products Children's Items & Toys Cars & Travel Products Clothing Electronics Food & Drink Products Holidays Gift Ideas Thanksgiving Christmas Valentine's Day Easter Mother's Day Father's Day Halloween Home Ideas Decorating Ideas Crafts & DIY Projects Cleaning Organizing Gardening & Outdoors Renovation & Repair Bedroom Ideas Living Room Ideas Bathroom Ideas Kitchen Ideas Join the GH Stitch Club Food & Recipes Quick & Easy Recipes Healthy Recipes Dinner Recipes Dessert Recipes Cooking Tips Party Ideas Chicken Recipes Soup Recipes All Recipes Beauty & Style Hair Ideas Makeup Tips Skincare Nails Hair Colors Fashion Health Fitness Wellness Diet & Nutrition Life Entertainment Money Parenting Relationships Pets Travel Career Inspirational Stories Join the GH Book Club About Us Awards Events Newsletter Follow Instagram Facebook Pinterest Twitter YouTube TikTok Shop Low Calorie, Big Flavor Book Editors' Picks Sale For the Home Health & Wellness Food & Recipes Water Test Kits Hand Sanitizer Promotions United States US UK Do Not Sell My Personal Information Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection Terms of Use Editions: US UK Product Reviews Life Food Beauty Health Subscribe Sign In My Account Sign Out Type keyword(s) to search Today's Top Stories 1 65+ Best New Year Sales of 2023 2 12 Best Yoga Pants of 2023 3 40 Easy Make-Ahead Meals You'll Love 4 The Best Weighted Blankets to Buy 5 35 Must-Try Healthy Smoothie Recipes We’ve been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. Life The Royal Family 39 Photos That Show What Princess Diana Was Like Before Royal Life 39 Photos That Show What Princess Diana Was Like Before Royal Life See photos of Princess Diana as a child, with family, and with her many precious pets. By Caroline Picard Updated: Oct 5, 2020 Getty Images Engaged at 19 and married at 20, Princess Diana's childhood ended much sooner than the average woman's in England and Wales. But before her fairytale wedding, Lady Diana Spencer lived a relatively quiet life that involved piano lessons, odd jobs, precious pets, and a very '70s bridesmaid dress. Browse our collection of rarely-seen photos to get a glimpse into the icon's life and legacy, including life as a child, time spent with her family and more right through her engagement to Prince Charles. View Gallery 39 Photos Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Terry DisneyGetty Images 1 of 39 1954 Here are Diana’s parents, Viscount Althorp and the Honorable Frances Roche at their wedding at Westminster Abbey. Their marriage later ended in divorce in 1969. Getty Images 2 of 39 1962 Born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961, the future royal grew up in a noble family on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Jason Bye - PA ImagesGetty Images 3 of 39 1961 Diana wore this 19th century gown for her christening. It was displayed in summer 1999 at Althorp, the Spencer family’s estate near Northampton. Getty Images 4 of 39 1963 Located on the Queen's own property, Diana's childhood home of Park House put her in elite circles from an early age. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 5 of 39 1963 Her parents Frances and Edward Althorp had three other children: daughters Sarah and Jane, and son Charles. They also had a son named John who died shortly after his birth. BettmannGetty Images 6 of 39 1964 In this picture from her family album, a cherub-faced Diana, age 3, is at Park House, her birthplace in Sandringham. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 7 of 39 1965 "From her childhood, Diana had had the feeling that she was destined for something special," wrote biographer Sarah Bradford. "There was never a chance that she would have, as people have surmised, settled down and led the life of a country gentleman's wife." PA ImagesGetty Images 8 of 39 1965 This sweet drawing shows little Lady Diana in November 1965, drawn by society artist Aniela Pawlikowska, who frequently drew her and her siblings as children. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 9 of 39 1967 Diana plays with her brother Charles, now Viscount Althorp, at Park House. Getty Images 10 of 39 1968 The siblings pose for a picture at their home in Berkshire. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below PA ImagesGetty Images 11 of 39 1968 This family album picture of Diana shows her in Cadogan Place Gardens, London, in the summer of 1968. Getty Images 12 of 39 1969 In a picture taken at her grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, Diana (in the knee-high socks) stands with her brother, sisters and father, "Johnnie" Althorp (back right). Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 13 of 39 1970 Diana lived a very quiet life until her parents' bitter 1969 divorce made tabloid headlines, the Washington Post reported. Here, the 9-year-old enjoys a game of croquet while on vacation in West Sussex. Getty Images 14 of 39 1970 She continued to live in Park House with her father until she left for boarding school in the fall of 1970. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 15 of 39 1970 Described as a "shy and quiet" child, Diana allegedly told her father upon their separation, "If you love me, you won't leave me here," according to the new book Remembering Diana. Princess Diana ArchiveGetty Images 16 of 39 1970 Diana’s school uniform, toy pedal car, and trunk were later displayed at the family estate after her death. The memorial was closed in 2014, when the items from the exhibit were passed to her sons, William and Harry. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 17 of 39 1971 As a student, Diana particularly excelled at piano and ballet, and received a special award for community service, the Royal Household website states. PA ImagesGetty Images 18 of 39 1974 This family album picture shows Diana on the Isle of Uist in the Western Isles, Scotland. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 19 of 39 1974 The teen (with some very '70s denim!) kept a pet pony named "Scuffle." By 1975, she would become Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below David LevensonGetty Images 20 of 39 1975 Althorp House, built in 1508, was Diana's family’s estate in Northamptonshire. She moved here in 1975 when her grandfather died, and her father inherited the Earldom. Getty Images 21 of 39 1978 Right around the time she attended a Swiss finishing school, Diana served as a bridesmaid at her sister Lady Jane Spencer's London wedding. At this point she had already met Prince Charles — when he was dating her other sister, Lady Sarah. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 22 of 39 1980 In 1980, the heir apparent started taking a serious interest in the 19-year-old as a potential bride. Diana was living in London at this point, intermittently working as a dance instructor, nanny and nursery assistant. Here she is at her job with Young England Kindergarten school in Pimlico. David LevensonGetty Images 23 of 39 1980 The press caught wind of their budding relationship by the fall of that year. When this picture was taken in September, "Shy Di" had allegedly "gently reversed her car into a tree, whilst trying to drive and shield her face from the photographer at the same time." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below KyprosGetty Images 24 of 39 1980 The paparazzi continued to hound Diana from her earliest days of dating Prince Charles. Here, she’s seen inside her London flat. Princess Diana ArchiveGetty Images 25 of 39 1980 It didn’t matter where she was; the press wasn’t far behind. Diana continued working as a nursery school teacher while dating Prince Charles. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images 26 of 39 1980 By November, Diana received an invitation to the Queen's own house at Sandringham, sparking further engagement rumors. Here she is leaving her London apartment the week before. Getty Images 27 of 39 1980 Before she earned the status of fashion icon, the future bride topped her evening gown with a plain wool coat at Princess Margaret's 50th birthday party. Of course she would soon own hundreds of designer dresses. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Tim GrahamGetty Images 28 of 39 1980 Diana looks pensive in this portrait of her at age 19, when she was still a teacher The Young England Kindergarten Nursery School in Pimlico, London. PA ImagesGetty Images 29 of 39 1980 Camilla Parker-Bowles and Diana watch the Amateur Riders Handicap Steeplechase in which the Prince was competing in October 1980. Getty Images 30 of 39 1980 Photographed outside of her flat in December, Lady Diana Spencer was about to become the first Englishwoman in centuries to marry an heir apparent, and the first one in all of royal history to have a paying job before the engagement. Next Here's How Princess Diana Broke Royal Protocol Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Caroline Picard Contributing Writer Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. More From The Royal Family 45 Cheap Beauty Products Meghan Markle Swears By 9 Genius Royal Beauty Hacks Advertisement - Continue Reading Below What Happened When the Queen's Father Died King George VI's Heartbreaking Letter to Elizabeth Here's Where Queen Elizabeth Will Be Buried What Religion Is the Royal Family? What Happens After Queen Elizabeth II Dies? Inside Queen Elizabeth's Life at Balmoral Castle How King Charles Chose His Official Title Who Is the Longest-Reigning Monarch in History? 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