Prince William’s christening in 1982 may have seemed like a royal affair, but Princess Diana viewed the formal event differently. She called the day one that “couldn’t have been worse,” a heartbreaking memory that has now been revisited as fans continue to celebrate her legacy following her 65th birthday on July 1.
Why Princess Diana’s reaction at Prince William’s christening is resurfacing
William’s royal christening took place at Buckingham Palace on August 4, 1982, shortly after his arrival on June 21, 1982. At the time, the young royal couple was in their early years of marriage, with Diana aged 21 and Prince Charles aged 33, reports RadarOnline.
The ceremony took place in the Palace’s Music Room on the Queen Mother’s 82nd birthday, following royal tradition. William wore an antique christening gown commissioned by Queen Victoria and was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. Despite the formal appearance of the occasion, Diana later opened up about experiencing postpartum depression and feeling left out of the event’s planning and proceedings.
In Andrew Morton’s book Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words, the princess opened up about those moments. She stated, as per DailyMail, “Nobody asked me when it was suitable for William. 11 am couldn’t have been worse. Endless pictures of the Queen, Queen Mother, Charles, and William. I was [totally excluded] that day.” “I felt desperate because I had literally just given birth. William was only six weeks old and it was all decided around me. Hence the ghastly pictures. I wasn’t very well, and I just blubbed my eyes out. William started crying too. Well, he just sensed that I wasn’t exactly hunky dory.”
According to InStyle, Diana and Charles were already facing difficulties in their marriage. Royal biographer Katie Nicholl noted that Diana hoped welcoming Prince Harry on September 15, 1984, would bring the couple back together. However, Diana and Charles’ marriage came to an end with their divorce in 1996.
Looking back on their troubled relationship, Diana said she felt her struggles were misunderstood within royal circles. “Charles told a lot of people the reason why the marriage was so wobbly because I was being sick the whole time. They never questioned what it was doing to me.”
The following year, Diana died at the age of 36 on August 31, 1997, after a fatal car crash in Paris. The accident occurred in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel when the car, driven by Henri Paul, struck a pillar while fleeing pursuing paparazzi.
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Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta on Reality Tea
