The late Princess Diana reportedly spent her last Christmas alone whilst the rest of the Firm enjoyed their traditional celebrations at Sandringham House.


Diana, Princess of Wales (Image: WireImage)

Princess Diana heartbreakingly spent her last Christmas alone after a Royal festive tradition meaning she spent the day away from her two sons.

Prince William and Prince Harry enjoyed a Christmas feast at Sandringham, whilst newly divorced Diana reportedly spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone, dismissing her staff so they could enjoy quality time with their own families.

Christmas of 1996 saw Diana and Charles divorced for some time, already formally separating back in 1992, meaning she was therefore no longer under any obligation to spend the holidays at Sandringham House in Norfolk.

 

During an interview with French magazine Gala, royal chef Darren McGrady gave an insight into how the much-loved ‘peoples Princess’ lonely Christmas, sharing: “It was always pretty sad when you worked with the Princess on Christmas Eve.”

Britain's King Charles (formerly Prince Charles) (background, L), Princess Diana (C) and their sons, William (R) and Harry, leave the church of St. Mary Magdalen near Sandrigham House 25 December.

Princess Diana spent her final Christmas away from Princes William and Harry (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Recalling her generosity, he continued: “William and Harry were going to Sandringham and Princess Diana was there, alone. She insisted that the staff spend time with their families for Christmas and that we leave the food in the refrigerator.”

According to McGrady, staff prepared meals in advance that Diana could reheat herself during what was a solitary time.

It’s believed that Diana disliked spending Christmases at Sandringham – where she’d reportedly received a ‘frosty reception – following her split from Charles.

 

In 2015, a close friend of the late Princess gave an insight into what these awkward visits were like for the mother-of-two.

According to Daily Mail Editor at Large Richard Kay, in 1993, one year after her highly publicised separation from Charles, Diana “did join the family at Sandringham on Christmas Eve, stayed overnight, and went with everyone to church.” He added: “But she didn’t stay for lunch. Instead, she went home alone to Kensington Palace and spent the rest of the day there before flying to Washington to stay with friends. The same thing happened in 1994, but Diana felt she was given a ‘frosty’ reception by the other royals.”

Queen Elizabeth II is presented with a bouquet of flowers, watched by, left to right, Princess Diana, Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Margaret, at St Mary Magdelene Church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Christmas Day, 1991.

Diana had reportedly long felt unwelcome at Sandringham (Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)

A source told Kay: “Diana didn’t feel welcome at all. She could see how her being there just made everyone so tense and uneasy. She’d joined them for the boys’ sake, but it wasn’t working.” In tape recordings presented to Andrew Morton for his bestselling biography Diana: Her True Story, the princess recounted feeling like an ‘outsider’ during her trips to Sandringham, which she described as being “terrifying and so disappointing’.

She recalled: “No boisterous behaviour, lots of tension, silly behaviour, silly jokes that outsiders would find odd but insiders understood. I sure was [an outsider].” The 2021 film Spencer, set during Christmas 1991, delves into Diana’s anguish during such ‘highly fraught’ visits, with the story centred around a turning point in her long-fractured marriage.