Diana's Styles and Titles

[Queen Claude]

I know this is a random question but is an example that I could think of related to Diana’s status after her divorce. The question is whether Diana after her divorce would still be seated in the front row of the Royal box at Wimbledon if she attended like she was during her marriage to the Prince of Wales?

This is off topic but I will answer any way. Even though it is called the royal box, the seating in that section is governed by the All England Club and all sorts of celebrities and dignitaries sit in the royal box.



Diana was arguably the most famous woman in the world. If it was known that Diana was attending Wimbledon on a given day, there is no way she would have not been offered a seat in the royal box.

 

[Osipi]

Just another blip to add onto what Queen Claude has explained. It was announced by the palace at the time of the divorce that Diana would be "regarded as a member of the royal family" and "will from time to time receive invitations to state and national public occasions".

Hope that helps.

 

[royal_enthusiast]

Thank you all for your help. You all have been very helpful and it has been much appreciated.

 

[royal_enthusiast]

Hi I thought I would ask this question on this thread. Does anyone know if after her divorce the bells on Westminster Abbey would ring on Diana’s birthday and if the Union Jack would be flown from UK government buildings?

This is because Diana was said to be still regarded as a member of the royal family after her divorce so I just wondered if these customs was still given to her following her divorce.

 

[tommy100]

When the palace announced at the time of her divorce that Diana would receive invitations to state and national occasions. Would this have meant that Diana would have been invited to the recent RAF Service?

I would it was likely, and especially more so if she was an Honorary Air Commodore for any RAF base. She was Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Wittering.I'm not sure if she gave these up after her divorce but if she didn't then I'm sure she would have attended.

 

[cepe]

Diana gave up her military appointments at the time of the divorce (Source Daily Telegraph)

 

[Iluvbertie]

Even though she had given up her military appointments they may have invited her as a 'former' Honorary Commodore. With other military events over the years 'former' honourary military holders have been invited to the church service.

After her divorce the bells, I believe, didn't ring as she was no longer a senior royal.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I would it was likely, and especially more so if she was an Honorary Air Commodore for any RAF base. She was Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Wittering.I'm not sure if she gave these up after her divorce but if she didn't then I'm sure she would have attended.

In the Netherlands there is a Regiment Fuseliers Princess Irene, named after Queen Juliana's second daughter. Like Diana, also Irene ceased to be a member of the Royal House. But of course this did not stop the military to invite their old lady patronesses. At present Princess Irene still is invited for special occasions. I am sure that would still have been the same for Diana today.

 

[Spheno]

In the Netherlands there is a Regiment Fuseliers Princess Irene, named after Queen Juliana's second daughter. Like Diana, also Irene ceased to be a member of the Royal House. But of course this did not stop the military to invite their old lady patronesses. At present Princess Irene still is invited for special occasions. I am sure that would still have been the same for Diana today.

It would depend on Diana's reputation at the moment.

 

[Denville]

It would depend on Diana's reputation at the moment.

Or whether sehe was likely to want to go...

 

[Denville]

Just another blip to add onto what Queen Claude has explained. It was announced by the palace at the time of the divorce that Diana would be "regarded as a member of the royal family" and "will from time to time receive invitations to state and national public occasions".

Hope that helps.

I beleive it was out of courtesty, they treated Diana as a member of the RF to an extent, so she was invited to weddings and state occasions at times but I think that she herself wasn't always that keen to go. Her relatiosnhp iwht the RF, was tense.

 

[Lee-Z]

In the Netherlands there is a Regiment Fuseliers Princess Irene, named after Queen Juliana's second daughter. Like Diana, also Irene ceased to be a member of the Royal House. But of course this did not stop the military to invite their old lady patronesses. At present Princess Irene still is invited for special occasions. I am sure that would still have been the same for Diana today.

P.Irene was a born royal, Diana wasn't... Irene might have ceased to be a member of the royal house, but she is still a member of the royal family, Diana ceased to be both..

 

[Osipi]

I would imagine that had Diana lived and remarried again, things would have changed for her. Although the British royal world would still be part and parcel of her life because of her sons, I think she would have become more of a private public figure continuing to advocate for things she fought for and most likely would have reverted to using Lady Diana (Surname) as her form of address. At royal gatherings, its possible that it would be stated that Mr. and Lady (Surname) attended.

Just my fanciful thinking.

 

[royal_enthusiast]

Am I right in saying that Diana was not a working Royal following her divorce?

 

[Osipi]

After the divorce, Diana no longer worked for the "Firm". All her public engagements were of her own interest and goals.

 

[royal_enthusiast]

That explains why all her engagements she did after her divorce are not listed in the court circular.

 

[QueenEmpath]

After her divorce, Diana lost her title of HRH but remained Princess of Wales

 

[Lee-Z]

After her divorce, Diana lost her title of HRH but remained Princess of Wales

if i'm not mistaken before her divorce she was "HRH The Princess of Wales", after her divorce her title became "Diana, Princess of Wales" (so not "The")
So her title as such did change afaik, and the "HRH, The Princess of Wales" would be Camilla's title now, except she doesn't use it..

Maybe someone can say it better than me

 

[Osipi]

With the styling of Diana, Princess of Wales, it denotes that she was once *a* Princess of Wales. All of Diana's brother's wives could legally use the styling (Firstname), Countess Spencer (until they remarried) as they were once married to Earl Spencer.

As HRH, The Princess of Wales, Diana was *the* Princess of Wales. With the divorce, she was simply *a* former Princess of Wales. If Charles had married 5 times and divorced 4 times, there would be 4 (Firstname), Princess of Wales (until they remarried) and one HRH, The Princess of Wales (his current wife)

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

With the styling of Diana, Princess of Wales, it denotes that she was once *a* Princess of Wales. All of Diana's brother's wives could legally use the styling (Firstname), Countess Spencer (until they remarried) as they were once married to Earl Spencer.

As HRH, The Princess of Wales, Diana was *the* Princess of Wales. With the divorce, she was simply *a* former Princess of Wales. If Charles had married 5 times and divorced 4 times, there would be 4 (Firstname), Princess of Wales (until they remarried) and one HRH, The Princess of Wales (his current wife)

The best example to illustrate the difference between being the actual holder of a peerage (The Princess of Wales) or a former holder (Diana, Princess of Wales) was Diana's own stepmother Raine McCorquodale. She married for the first time with Gerald Legge to become Lady Legge, later Viscountess Lewisham, later Countess of Dartmouth. After divorce she remarried John Spencer to become the Countess Spencer. After the Earl's death she became the Dowager Countess Spencer. Her third marriage with Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun made her the Comtesse de Chambrun. After divorcing him she opted to return to the style of a former Countess Spencer: Raine, Countess Spencer. That last is the same as Diana using the style for a former Princess of Wales: Diana, Princess of Wales.

 

[Denville]

That explains why all her engagements she did after her divorce are not listed in the court circular.

Yes, she did do charity work but was not considered a working royal or representing the queen/RF. She had an office and retained some charities that were special interests of hers, but she was only part of the RF to a limited extent, and no longer a "working Royal..."

 

[Osipi]

Its pure speculation and has nothing to do with titles and styles which is the subject of the thread but I imagine that she would be on social media somehow related to her public life if she decide to have one.

Reminds me of a story I heard of Granny getting an Iphone (?) for Christmas one year and William and Harry set it up for her. The message went something like this (paraphrasing) .....

"Hi. This is Liz. I cannot come to the throne right now. Please press #1 for my people. Press #2 for Philip and press #3 for the corgis.

 

[tommy100]

Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie all have instagram/twitter accounts so she would be allowed to have one, she might not have been able to post everything she wanted and W&K and H&M seem quite private so I can't imagine them wanting pictures of private time posted everywhere but I could see her having an 'official' account for whatever activities she would be doing.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

if i'm not mistaken before her divorce she was "HRH The Princess of Wales", after her divorce her title became "Diana, Princess of Wales" (so not "The")
So her title as such did change afaik, and the "HRH, The Princess of Wales" would be Camilla's title now, except she doesn't use it..

Maybe someone can say it better than me

You said it very well.

 

[Osipi]

You said it very well.

Therein lies the differences between titles and styles. Camilla is The Princess of Wales but *chooses* to be known as The Duchess of Cornwall. She could have also chosen to be known as The Princess Charles if it suited her fancy.

Diana lost her HRH status at the time of her divorce and was relegated to using Diana, Princess of Wales denoting she was a divorced wife of the title holder.

How someone is styled as a form of address makes a difference. If you see a first name, that's the biggest clue you can get. Princess Beatrice of York will not change no matter who she marries.

 

[royal_enthusiast]

When Diana got divorced did the Queen allow Diana to live in Kensington Palace for the rest of her life or was it just until her boys became of age?

 

[QueenEmpath]

If Diana was alive and William had become king, would she got a different title?. I know she wouldn't be Queen mother since she and Charles divrced

 

[Mbruno]

If Diana was alive and William had become king, would she got a different title?. I know she wouldn't be Queen mother since she and Charles divrced

When William became king, he could give his mother whatever title he wanted. That would be his prerogative as sovereign, although I am pretty sure he would consult his ministers and seek their approval first as Queen Elizabeth II did with Prince Philip's title.



I don't think William would make Diana "Queen Mother" , as she would never have been the wife or widow of a king and, therefore, the designation of "queen" would be inappropriate. I suspect he would make her an HRH again though, i.e. a princess in her own right, but that is also speculative, There is no way to know it and pointless to speculate as it is a situation that will never come to pass now.

 

[Ish]

I don’t think he could have simply given her whatever title he wanted to, simply that he could have given her a title. Some titles have rules about them - actually, a lot of titles do.

He couldn’t, for example, have made her HRH Princess of Wales again, or HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, as those are titles associated with rules (both belonging to the wife of the man who fits the rules associated with them).

He also couldn’t have made her Queen Mother, as that one has rules too - a Dowager Queen who is the mother of the current monarch. Diana wouldn’t be a Dowager Queen, so she couldn’t be Queen Mother.

I suspect that if she had been given a title, they would have pulled out the title The King’s Mother, last used in the reign of Henry VII, and created specifically for the purpose of titling a woman who held no other titles, but was the King’s mother.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I don't remember anything in the divorce agreement about Diana having to leave Kensington Palace once the boys reached the age of majority.

When Diana got divorced did the Queen allow Diana to live in Kensington Palace for the rest of her life or was it just until her boys became of age?