Celebrating Diana’s 60th: The Background Of Diana, Princess Of Wales' Parents

Jul 01, 2021 by apost team

Princess Diana was adored for her kindness and humanitarian work, and she was universally loved by not only the British public but by people the world over. She used her influence to enact good, spending much of her time campaigning for humanitarian causes that improved the lives of others. She sat with people who were ill, helping to break the stigma of the then-new diseases HIV and AIDS. These are the reasons she became known as the "People's Princess" — she was a shining beacon of light in the royal family. 

Today, on what would have been her 60th birthday, her legacy still lives on. Her sons Prince William and Prince Harry have done an incredible job, especially in the last couple of years, of honoring their mother's legacy. Today marks the day that William and Harry will unveil the first official statue in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales, which will be located at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. The tribute to the late princess was announced back in 2017 on the 20th anniversary of her death but was pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic. Unveiling the statue together, Harry traveled to the U.K., especially for the event. 

But while much is known about Diana and her sons, as well as the rest of the royal family, her parents have not been written about as much. Born on July 1, 1961, Diana Frances Spencer was the fourth of five children born to John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Frances Spencer, Viscountess Althorp, maiden name Roche. In fact, her parents had ties to the royal family before Diana even married Prince Charles. Let's take a look at John and Frances and who they were.

Born on Jan. 24, 1924, Edward John Spencer was a nobleman upon birth, as his father was Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, and his mother was formerly Lady Cynthia Hamilton, the daughter of the 3rd Duke of Abercorn. She was in fact appointed the position of Queen Elizabeth's Lady of the Bedchamber in 1938, a role she upheld even after Queen Elizabeth became The Queen Mother in 1952. She kept her post until her own death in 1972.

Coming from nobility, John was well educated, attending Eton, the Royal Agricultural College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He used his military training when he took part in World War II, serving as a Captain from 1944–45 in the Royal Scots Greys. He even landed in France the day following D-Day as part of an operation to liberate the French towns La Neuve-Lyre and La Vieille-Lyre. In the years from 1947 to 1950, John was the Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby Norrie while he was the Governor of South Australia.

John was initially engaged to Lady Anne Coke, the debutante of the year in 1950, but his father disapproved of the union, leading him to marry Frances on June 1, 1954, at Westminster Abbey. Members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, were in attendance, as John had been an equerry to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. Unfortunately, however, their union didn't last, as they divorced in 1969. Then in 1976, John remarried, with his new wife Raine McCorquodale, who had previously been married herself to the 9th Earl of Dartmouth. She was also the daughter of British Army Officer, Capt. Alexander McCorquodale.

John had a major stroke in 1978, however, he recovered. He later died in March 1992 from a heart attack, aged 68.

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Born Frances Ruth Roche on Jan. 20, 1936, Frances' birth actually coincided with King George V's death on the same day. Also born into nobility, Frances' father was Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy, who was a friend of King George VI. Her mother, Ruth Roche, was a lady-in-waiting and confidante to Queen Elizabeth, who would later become The Queen Mother.

After marrying John, Frances set a record as the youngest woman to get married in Westminster Abbey in the previous five decades, as she was only 18 at the time. Together she and John had five children — Sarah (b. 1955), Jane (b. 1957), John, who sadly died within 10 hours of being born, Diana (b. 1961) and Charles (b. 1964).

But by 1967, Frances had left her marriage to John to be with Peter Shand Kydd, who himself was married. This led to Frances being labeled "the other woman" in his divorce. Nevertheless, she and Peter married in May 1969. However, Frances' own mother testified against her in her own divorce, leading John to win custody of the children.

Sadly, it's believed that Frances wasn't on speaking terms with her daughter Diana at the time of her death. Frances' later years were split between London, Scotland, and a sheep farm in Australia. She died following a long battle with Parkinson's disease and brain cancer aged 68 in June 2004 while at her Scotland home. Prince William and Prince Harry attended her funeral alongside her own children, while William even gave a reading. Prince Charles was not in attendance as he was leading the British delegation to former US President Ronald Reagan's state funeral. 

Did you know about Princess Diana's parents? If you learned something from this article, be sure to pass it on to those you know.