In the collective memory of the people, Diana, Princess of Wales was everything a royal should be. She was beautiful, composed, and full of compassion for those in need. And when she died in 1997, it was a horrific tragedy that shook the world. She had been robbed of a future that was looking incredibly bright, and her sons would forever be without a mother. But the dark secrets of Diana's life prove "all that glitters is not gold." Some people believe that her death was no accident, and that it was actually an elaborate conspiracy designed by the royal family to silence her.

Early Life

Diana was born on July 1, 1961, to John and Frances Spencer. It had been tradition for members of the nobility to marry one another for centuries, and her parents were no exception. Together with her two older sisters and two brothers, they lived in a mansion called Park House in Norfolk, England. As you can imagine, Diana grew up with the best things that money could buy, and she went on playdates with children in the royal family. But all of the money in the world can't buy happiness. John and Frances had a toxic marriage ... All her life, Diana's parents never said "I love you" to one another, or their children. They pushed off most of the parental duties on nannies and governesses.

At age 9, her father sent her to boarding school. Her mother remarried a man named Peter Shand Kydd, who was the heir to a successful wallpaper company. Her father married a woman named Raine McCorquodale, who was the daughter of a famous romance novelist. The children were not present at their father's second marriage, and they had to find out about it through in the newspaper. Diana and her siblings deeply resented Raine as an "evil stepmother", and blamed her for tearing their happy family apart. Diana was a shy girl, and she struggled in school. She was labeled as "the thick one" by her family, and this was enough for her to end up crying in school every time she got a bad grade. Deep down, all she really wanted was to be loved and accepted for who she was, and dreamed of a prince taking her away to live happily ever after.

Becoming a Princess

When she was just 16 years old, Diana met Charles, Prince of Wales, for the first time. He was 29 and dating her older sister, Sarah. The relationship between Sarah and Charles never went anywhere, so they went their separate ways. However, Charles said that Diana made a big impression on him, because he thought she was very cheerful and beautiful. When she came of age, Diana could have chosen to party like a socialite or travel the world with her family's wealth. But when she was 18, she chose the very normal life of working as a kindergarten teacher. She used her own paychecks to share an apartment with a few friends. Diana loved taking care of children, and it made her very happy to give them the love and encouragement that she never got as a little girl. At that time, Diana was filled with a lot of hope about her future. She said that she felt this deep sense of destiny, and that one day, she would grow up to do great things.

Prince Charles had been dating several women over the years, including Camilla Rosemary Shand. Camilla was not wife material in the eyes of the Queen, so she abruptly married a multi-millionaire named Andrew Parker-Bowles, instead. But Charles and Camilla had never actually broken off their relationship, and they continued having a secret affair the entire time she was married. Charles was now in his 30's, and under a lot of pressure from his mother to settle down and produce an heir. He needed a wife that was a member of the aristocracy, and Diana had all of the qualifications of a perfectly acceptable bride. After going on only 13 dates, Charles proposed to Diana when she was a barely-legal 18 year old. Even though they hardly knew one another, Diana felt as though becoming the princess was that sense of destiny that she had been feeling all along.

A couple weeks after their engagement, the couple was interviewed by the press. Towards the very end, the reporter said that they were both very much in love. Diana replied, "Of course!" Charles laughed, saying, "Whatever 'in love means'." Watching the tape, you can clearly see that Diana was heartbroken. In later interviews, Diana defines that instant as the moment she knew that marrying him would be a huge mistake. However, the entire world had their eyes on her, and she knew it was her duty to go through with the marriage.

Even to this day, Diana and Charles still go down in history for having one of the most expensive weddings. Experts estimate that today, their wedding would cost anywhere from $70 to $100 million. From the perspective of the people watching the wedding on TV, it seemed like a dream come true. Diana later said, "It was the worst day of my life." Their honeymoon was on the Royal Yacht Britannia, where Diana reportedly spent most of the time sleeping.

In 1982, Charles and Diana had been married for less than a year, and she had already discovered Charles' secret relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. He started to gaslight her, saying that she was paranoid. This made her so devastated, that she threatened to kill herself. Charles ignored her, and started to leave to go on a horseback riding trip. Diana threw herself down the stairs. The Queen rushed to her aid, screaming for a doctor. While all of the attendants surrounded the princess, Charles kept walking.

To the outside world, the marriage between Diana and Charles seemed like a fairytale had come to life. For the first time, people all around the world were fascinated and invested in the royal couple. No matter what was going on behind closed doors, she had to smile, wave, and pretend that everything was fine.