Why Did Princess Diana Hate Her Stepmother, Countess Raine Spencer?
Princess Diana was known for elegance, grace and her support for the impoverished, sick, and underprivileged. Still, despite her royal persona –the Princess of Wales was battling her own personal demons. She was stuck in a loveless marriage to Prince Charles –a man she married when she was just 20, and she felt trapped and lonely in the British Royal Family.
Still, much of the princess’ pain stemmed from a childhood that was rocky and unstable. She also had a contentious relationship with her stepmother –Countess Raine Spencer.
Why did Princess Diana hate her stepmother?
When Princess Diana was born on July 1, 1961 –her parents’ marriage was already crumbling. John Spencer, Viscount Althorp and his first wife, Frances Spencer were desperate for a male heir so when Frances gave birth to Princess Diana the couple was very disappointed. When the princess was just 7, Frances Roche and John Spencer got divorced, and John Spencer was granted custody of all of his children–ripping the Princess of Wales away from her mother.
When she was just 11, the princess’ father began a relationship with Raine, Countess of Dartmouth. The couple eventually married in 1967 when Diana was 16. Nicknamed “Acid Raine” by the press, the countess was loathed and loved in society–but the princess thought of her stepmother as a bully. The princess and her siblings often taunted their stepmother singing, “
Did Princess Diana and Countess Spencer Raine ever reconcile?
Later in life and just before her death –the princess and the countess grew to be much closer. Much of the princess’ hatred toward her stepmother was because of a childish misunderstanding and a fear that she was a threat to her mother. After her separation from Prince Charles –the princess reached out to Countess Raine, and the two became close confidants until the Princess of Wales’ tragic death in 1997.
What was Princess Diana’s relationship like with her mother, Frances Spencer?
Despite the princess ill feelings toward Countess Raine during her childhood, she also resented her mother. The late princess called her parents’ divorce a “very wishy-washy and painful experience.” Eventually, her mother remarried and moved far away from her children. The princess’ relationship with her mother was further strained in the ’90s when Frances called her daughter a “whore” for dating for “messing around with Muslim men.” Princess Diana was dating Dodi Fayed –who also died in the tragic car accident that claimed her life and she hadn’t spoken to her mother in many months leading up to her death.
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