Princess Diana's one daily habit that clashed with Royal Family traditions
Princess Diana's one daily habit that clashed with Royal Family traditions
Aditi Rane, Hollie BealeSat, July 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC
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Princess Diana reportedly preferred to be in bed by 8pm, unlike the rest of the Royal Family. (Image: Getty)
Princess Diana was celebrated for her compassion, elegance, and contemporary take on royal duties, but one everyday routine quietly distinguished her from other members of the Royal Family.
According to her former personal chef, Darren McGrady, the late Princess of Wales maintained a strict early bedtime, retiring hours before her royal relatives.
McGrady, who served Diana until her tragic death in 1997, disclosed that the princess preferred to be "in bed at 8pm at the latest" and generally rose around 7 am.
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"The princess was also an early bird, so she liked to get up early," McGrady said. "Dinner for her was 6.30pm, but if the Royal Family were dining, she couldn't go to eat or go to bed at her usual time."
Her inclination to retire early stood in stark contrast to royal custom, especially during the family's yearly summer residence at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
3. Diana's preference for quiet nights and family time set her apart from traditional royal life (Image: Getty)
According to McGrady, royal gatherings frequently lasted well into the evening, with family members returning from outdoor pursuits as late as 11 pm.
"She didn't like Balmoral at all," he remembered, noting that Diana found the late-night schedule challenging.
Former Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary, Sir William Heseltine, also revealed that Diana sometimes departed from royal convention by excusing herself and retiring before the late Queen.
"For Diana, the long royal evenings were agony," Heseltine said, noting that departing before the monarch's retirement was broadly viewed as a breach of etiquette within royal circles. McGrady recalled Diana's evenings as relaxed and low-key.
Before dinner, she would frequently inform him she was drawing a bath, later appearing in the kitchen wearing a white toweling robe with damp hair.
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"She looked stunning and amazing," he remembered.
Instead of attending glittering late-night functions, Diana favored peaceful evenings, particularly when with her sons, Princes William and Harry.
"On a Saturday night, you'd see Diana sitting down in front of the TV, eating dinner with her boys. It just made everything so normal," McGrady previously stated.
Even prior to marrying into the Royal Family, Diana was candid about her preference for early nights. During an interview on the eve of her wedding to then-Prince Charles in 1981, she joked that she would miss a fireworks display because she intended to be "tucked up in bed."
She also purportedly described her honeymoon aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia as the ideal chance to catch up on sleep.
Diana's schedule contrasted sharply with that of then-Prince Charles, who has long been recognized for working late into the evening.
Lady Frederick Windsor, Sophie Winkleman, has stated the King frequently works until the early morning hours after a brief evening meal, while Prince Harry has also discussed his father's tendency to fall asleep at his desk after working deep into the night.
The differing lifestyles underscored another distinction between Charles and Diana throughout their marriage: the princess preferred low-key family evenings and turning in early, rather than adhering to the Royal Family's customarily late-night routine.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
