A video from 1991 that shows Princess Diana breaking royal rules and convention has surfaced. In the delightful clip, Diana is seen feverishly running in a Mother's Day race at Prince Harry's school. The video is being touted by Diana fans as more evidence of the kind of mother was — which was definitely a mother who defied long-established royal protocol.
There are also numerous photos from the day, including a cute set of Harry hopping around in a potato sack. That Diana participated in the event at all was a break from the way royals had previously participated in the lives of their children. The Queen and Prince Philip were notorious for not spending a tremendous amount of time with their children while they were growing up, and it is exceedingly difficult to imagine either of them racing other parents toward a piece of ticker tape.
Diana often spoke about the joy she got from motherhood in her lifetime. In November 1985, she said the role was one of her most important: "Most importantly, being a mother and a wife. That's what I try to achieve; whether I do is another thing, but I do try."
Royal fans and followers were delighted by the uncovered footage. Diana opted to run barefoot, and she reportedly came in second place. One person commented on what it must have been like for the other families, saying, "Imagine running a Mother's Day school race and you look over to see Princess Diana zooming past you."
Another person joked that this must be where Harry gets his speed from and shared a video of Princes Harry and William racing with Kate Middleton. The three participated in a race for charity back in February 2017. Harry won, and Kate gave her husband William a run for his money. He told her, "You nearly beat me!"
Princess Diana was a little fond of breaking royal rules, and this definitely was true when it came to how she raised her sons. In 1983, she and Charles were set to travel to Australia and New Zealand. Despite a royal rule that states two heirs to the throne can never travel together, Diana insisted that the pair bring then-infant William. At the time, many royal insiders were surprised that Diana had the nerve to stand her ground. Happily, William accompanied his parents on the trip.
Diana also heavily influenced the way that William and Kate are raising their own children. Much has been said about how the two regularly get down on eye level with their kids when talking to them. Guess who they learned that from? Princess Diana was often photographed engaging directly with her children, in direct contradiction with how older royals interacted with their own kids.
Diana also opted to give birth to William at a hospital, which was the first time that a royal mom had done so. She repeated this with Harry, and Kate Middleton also gave birth to her three children — George, Charlotte, and Louis — at a hospital in London. Meghan Markle was believed to have considered a home birth for Archie, but she also delivered her baby at a hospital.
Diana also gave birth how she wanted to. In a huge shift, she opted to write her own birth plan and reportedly gave birth without the aid of any medications and while standing up. For generations, royal women had opted to give birth by way of "twilight sleep." They were administered a medication that essentially rendered them totally asleep while their children were born.
In the 1990s, Diana also revealed that she struggled with postpartum depression. Admitting to any kind of mental health struggle was a huge move for a royal to make. She said, "I felt like I was the first person ever in the royal family to openly cry and nobody knew what to do. If you haven't seen it before, how do you support it?"
It's telling that both William and Harry work in mental health support regularly as adults.
Diana also didn't sweep anyone's behavior under the rug, even when the bad behavior was perpetrated by another royal — like her husband. She was reportedly honest with William about the affair that Charles had with Camilla. "I told William, 'If you find someone you love in life, you must hang onto it and look after it. And if you are lucky enough to find someone who loves you, then you must protect it.'"
Despite all of their drama and woes, Diana and Prince Charles worked well as co-parents, largely because they both recognized the importance of keeping their relationship friendly for the boys. When they weren't away at school, William and Harry alternated weekends at the homes of their parents.
