Princess Diana Found Royal Christmas Celebrations 'Relentless,' Says Her Former Butler
- - Princess Diana Found Royal Christmas Celebrations 'Relentless,' Says Her Former Butler
Shaunee FlowersDecember 22, 2025 at 5:04 AM
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Princess Dianadied nearly 30 years ago, but Royal Family fans' curiosity about her life remains. As Christmas Day approaches, we're learning more about how "The People's Princess" preferred to enjoy the holidays.
It's no secret that Princess Diana was not a fan of royal protocol, often ignoring rigid traditions like wearing gloves and even running in her sons' races, to the dismay of many.
So when it comes to Christmas, it's not a big surprise that Diana, Princess of Wales, was also not a fan of the traditional royal Christmas at Sandringham.
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Paul Burrell, who served as Princess Diana's butler from 1987 until her death in 1997, shared details about her Christmas preferences with Marie Claire, revealing that Diana would have preferred to spend the holidays "by herself."
Princess Diana at Sandringham on Christmas Day 1993. im Graham Picture Library/Getty Images
He went on to say that Princess Diana felt that the extensive list of activities felt "relentless. Burrell explained, "You had to be downstairs for breakfast, in the dining room for lunch at one o’clock, in the drawing room for tea at five, then changing again to go down for a drink before dinner at 8:15. The day flew by, yet it was all so regimented, and you always had to be dressed appropriately."
He added, "She couldn’t stand the protocol," explaining that Royal women would have three to four outfit changes in a day, and despite trying hard to fit in, "she felt trapped."
She continued to attend the traditional Sandringham Christmas festivities two years after separating from Prince (now King) Charles, before eventually giving up on making appearances. In her last years, Princess Diana spent her Christmases quietly at Kensington Palace.
Burrell explained that, prior to her death, Princess Diana's holiday celebrations "were actually very simple and never elaborate at all."
The former butler shared that before the official Royal Family celebrations began, Princess Diana and her sons would enjoy "their own small Christmas at Kensington Palace."
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
