The Truth Behind Princess Diana’s Relationship With Her Sisters

Princess Diana was four and six years younger than Lady Jane Fellowes, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale. Since they were older than her, they spent much of Diana’s childhood away at boarding school. Diana spent more time with her younger brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer than her elder siblings while growing up. “Diana and I had two older sisters who were away at school, so she and I were very much in it together, and I did talk to her about it,” Charles Spencer told The Sunday Times. The elder Spencer sisters were always closer with each other than with Diana. But later, Lady Sarah had a brief romance with Prince Charles in the late ’70s—and Lady Jane's husband worked for the Queen!

Lady Sarah did not see a future with Prince Charles, even going on to reportedly say she wouldn’t marry Charles “if he were the dustman or the King of England.” After that comment got out, the brief relationship ended. Then came Diana who ended up marrying Charles. At the time of their engagement in 1981, Sarah said, “I introduced them. I’m Cupid,” according to The Guardian. After Diana married Charles, Sarah would sometimes travel with her sister. Later, they got closer towards the end of Diana's life, where at one point she even called Sarah “the only person I know I can trust,” as per PEOPLE. She was supportive during her crumbling marriage to Prince Charles.

Things were complicated with regard to her other sister, as Lady Jane Fellowes married into the royal establishment even before Diana did. She married Robert Fellowes, who was then the assistant private secretary to Queen Elizabeth, in 1978. Fellowes found herself stuck between her sister who was moving away from the royal establishment and her husband’s loyalty to it. Towards the end, there was little to no communication between Diana and Jane, reports PEOPLE. She has also refused to take part in any public appearances or documentary features about her sister’s life. However, when both sisters heard about Diana’s death in 1997, they rushed to Paris to bring back her body.

According to Town & Country, the sisters were traumatized after the death on August 31, 1997, when they brought her coffin back to the U.K. In the BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, Lady Sarah relived the horror of hearing the news of her younger sister's car crash. "She was religious in putting on her seatbelt," Lady Sarah said. "Why didn't she put it on that night? I'll never know." She also called reporters ruthless in their attempts to get quotes or interviews from her immediately after her sister’s death, branding the press “unacceptable.” Despite their relationships, both of them were there to honor Diana and her spirit which has gone on to this day. The sisters are still part of Diana's family. Harry has remained close with his aunts, even working with Lady Jane on charity work. "Harry has always kept in close touch with the Spencers and they have all received invitations," an unnamed source told Vanity Fair. "Harry gets on well with his aunts and uncle and they have met Meghan." The Spencer siblings may have been through complicated and turbulent times, but it's a reminder that one should cherish every moment with people in their lives and not hesitate to spend time with your loved ones. 

References:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/charles-spencer-and-his-wife-karen-on-diana-childhood-trauma-and-finding-happiness-h3qrr6fn2

https://people.com/royals/who-are-princess-dianas-sisters-everything-you-need-to-know-about-lady-sarah-and-lady-jane/

https://people.com/archive/cover-story-a-lesson-in-loss-vol-50-no-7/

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/04/prince-harry-wedding-princess-diana

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a12138504/princess-diana-sisters-lady-sarah-mccorquodale-jane-fellowes/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/i-took-lady-sarah-for-lunch-and-spoiled-1695706

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1981/feb/25/monarchy.alanrusbridger

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