When Princess Diana said she'd never become the queen

As King Charles's coronation inches closer, we recall Princess Diana's heartbreaking claims

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, Charles III became King of the United Kingdom, however, his official coronation is yet to take place. As the world gears up to accept Charles in his new role with his now wife, Camilla as Queen Consort, it's befitting to look back at what the king's first wife, Diana, the Princess of Wales, thought of him being crowned with the same title.

In an infamous BBC Panorama interview in 1995, the late Diana claimed she could not see herself becoming queen of the United Kingdom because the "establishment" she married into didn't desire that. She further commented that her then-husband Charles would also find the title of the king "suffocating" and "bring enormous limitations to him."

"Do you think you will ever be queen?" asked the host, Martin Bashir, to which Diana let out a nervous chuckle. "No, I don't," she replied. "Why do you think that?" he cross-questioned the princess. "I'd like to be the queen of people's hearts, but I don't see myself being the queen of this country," she explained. "I don't think many people will want me to be queen, and when I say 'people,' I mean the establishment I married into because they have decided I'm a non-starter."

She further added, "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. But someone's got to go out there and love people and show it."

Upon being asked if she believes that her behaviour prevents her from becoming queen, she said, "Yes, well not precluded me. I wouldn't say that. I just don't think I have as many supporters in that environment as I did. They see me as a threat of some kind, and I'm here to do good: I'm not a destructive person."

Diana then elaborated on how many "strong women," in history received the same treatment as her. "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. Why is she strong? Where does she get it from? Where is she taking it? Where is she going to use it? Why does the public still support her? When I say public, you go and do an engagement and there are many people there."

Interestingly, Diana also shared her view on Charles becoming king, claiming that she doesn't know if he "could adapt" to the title. "There was always conflict on that subject with him when we discussed it, and I understood that conflict, because it's a very demanding role to be Prince of Wales, but it's an equally demanding role to be King. And being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being King would be a little more suffocating. And because I know the character, I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don't know whether he could adapt to that."

As per Variety, Buckingham Palace announced on October 11, 2022, that the much-awaited coronation will take place on May 6, 2023. And as the date inches closer, many sources confirm that Queen Consort Camila will also be crowned alongside the monarch, as it was Queen Elizabeth II’s declaration in 2022 that it was her “sincere wish” that the former Duchess of Cornwall take the title of Queen Consort when Charles accedes to the throne.

Although it has been 25 years since Lady Diana's untimely death in a car crash in 1997, many adoring fans to date remember her charismatic personality. Given the recent controversy regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Diana's criticism of the media outlets and "treatment" by the British royal family remains as relevant as ever.

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