Why Princess Diana Would Always ‘Lead From the Heart, Not the Head’ in Everything She Did

Princess Diana is now known as the most photographed woman in the world, but she was so much more than that. She changed what it means to be royal. She was ahead of her time and she would have gone on to do even greater things had she lived.

The emotional Princess of Wales

Diana was known for being emotional and she seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. Royal fans only adored her more for it and Princess Diana developed a loyal following. She realized that her true calling was to help people in any way she could, and she did just that.

Even though she somehow knew that she would never do Queen, Princess Diana did her duty as the Princess of Wales. She went to the engagements and she did the royal tours. Throughout it all, she wasn’t happy. Her marriage was miserable and things seemed to get worse as time went on.

Princess Diana knew she’d never be Queen

Eventually, Diana spoke out in a very public way with Martin Bashir in the BBC’s Panorama Interview in 1995 in which she detailed her desire to be in people’s hearts instead of being the Queen. She never thought she would be Queen and she instead looked for the adoration of the people.

“I’d like to be a queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being Queen of this country,” Diana said. “I don’t think many people will want me to be Queen. Actually, when I say many people I mean the establishment that I married into, because they have decided that I’m a non-starter.”

Diana was so different from any royal that came before her

When asked why people might think that about her, Diana explained it’s because she does things so differently from the establishment. It’s one of the reasons why people adored her so much. She was so different from any royal the people had ever seen before. She was mesmerizing and people couldn’t get enough Diana.

‘I lead from the heart, not the head’

“Because I do things differently, because I don’t go by a rule book, because I lead from the heart, not the head, and albeit that’s got me into trouble in my work, I understand that,” Diana continued. “But someone’s got to go out there and love people and show it.”

Princess Diana knew she was seen as a threat to the way things have always been done and that attracted enemies. “They see me as a threat of some kind, and I’m here to do good: I’m not a destructive person,” Diana revealed.

Diana was a strong woman

Diana clearly had a good head on her shoulders because she correctly deduced that strong women throughout time have had difficult paths they had to traverse on their own without the help of others. Princess Diana had to do the same. She made her own way and she found the love of the people on the other side of it all.

“I think every strong woman in history has had to walk down a similar path, and I think it’s the strength that causes the confusion and the fear,” Diana explained.

Why did she lead with her heart and not her head?

Princess Diana was an emotional person and she used that energy in everything she did. It made her stronger and a better royal because of it. She had sympathy for others and it helped her achieve a lot with her charities. She may have been emotional, but she used it to enhance everything she did. She cared deeply about other people and wanted to better the world in any way she could. Leading with her heart helped Diana become the person she was.

Although Diana died in a tragic car accident on August 31, 1997, she left a lasting legacy behind. The people that knew her are glad Diana was the way she was because it made her a better person in every way.