Princess Diana is one of the four children of Frances Shand Kydd and John Spencer, Viscount Althorp.
Princess Diana became part of the British Royal Family in 1981. Following her marriage to Prince Charles, she became the subject of many headlines during that time.
The world focused on her lifestyle and deeds for years as the Princess of Wales. However, there was little interest in her childhood until her marriage reached rock bottom.
Several royal experts and biographers said that her childhood became a factor in the downfall of her marriage. But, her former nanny seemingly claims otherwise, according to the Daily Express.
Princess Diana and her “happy” childhood
Mary Clarke was only 21 when she became a nanny for the Spencers. The publication said that she had to beat more than 60 applicants to land the role.
She started working for the family in 1971. Clarke first met Princess Diana when she picked her up from school.
Speaking to reports, the Spencers’ former nanny described the late Princess as “lovely.” Despite receiving warnings from the other house staff about the young one’s “mischievous tricks,” Clarke did not seemingly find it true.
Instead, she deemed her “shy” at first but, soon would warm to people. She added that the young Diana “excelled” when her surroundings gave her confidence.
She continued that Princess Diana was a “happy” child. Aside from loving to have her friends around, she also loved the outdoors, along with all of her pets.
The custody battle and its impact
Mary Clarke took on the nanny role for four years. Reports said that she left after Princess Diana’s mother left the patriarch of the family. The aftermath of the separation revolved around two “bitter” custody battles, according to Cheat Sheet.
In his bombshell material, Diana: Her True Story, Andrew Morton claimed that the Princess of Wales grew up in “trauma” caused by their mother’s “disruption” of the family. The claims, later on, strengthened its stance when the late Princess’ brother reportedly described their mother as “not cut out for maternity.”
Gwilym Lee from the Royal House of Windsor then claimed that Princess Diana always remembered the “acrimonious divorce.” She added that the late royal even admitted that it haunted her.
As a result of their mother’s departure, she became “needy.” Lee stated that this all stemmed from a “troubled childhood.”
Clarke’s shocking claims about Frances Shand Kydd
Despite the popular belief that Princess Diana’s childhood affected her marriage to Prince Charles, Mary Clarke seemingly had a different opinion. She said that the former matriarch of the Spencer family was a “lovely person.”
She went on to open up about how Shand Kydd used to spend a lot of time with the kids. Moreover, she described how the young Spencers had “wonderful times” with their mother.
Clarke, later on, noted that Princess Diana’s mother loved her kids, adding that she would not have gone through the “horrendous” court cases if it were not for her love for the kids. They gave the kids a “wonderful life,” she said.
Featured image courtesy of South Shields/Visits/Princess Diana Collection via Newcastle Libraries/Flickr