Here’s What Princess Diana Got After Divorcing Prince Charles

Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981 was one of the grandest affairs in recent times that it was dubbed as the wedding of the century. But their union was not meant to last, and an equally high-profile divorce soon ensued under the watchful eyes of the world’s media outfits.

Even for royals, divorces are messy affairs. Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ camps had to go through numerous negotiations before things were ironed out. The couple, who announced their separation in 1992, would need another four years before a divorce settlement was finalized in 1996.

As far as the divorce settlement details are concerned, it can be considered that Diana got a mixed bag. She gained a substantial sum and wonderful perks in the process but had to give up something very valuable as well.

Perhaps one of the biggest items Princess Diana got out of the divorce settlement was a reported lump sum amounting to $22.5 million. In addition, she got another $600,000 for running her office.

While she had to move out of her St. James’s Palace office, the royal family opened up another space for her to use. She was allowed to set up a new office at Kensington Palace.

The divorce settlement also allowed Diana to keep the jewelry pieces she accumulated while she was married to Prince Charles. However, she had to return the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara given to her by Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present since it’s part of the royal family’s private collection.

One of the pieces she got to keep as part of the settlement was her engagement ring from Charles. Prince William gave this engagement ring to Kate Middleton when he proposed to the duchess.

But more importantly to Diana, Prince Charles agreed to a joint custody arrangement for Prince William and Prince Harry. Thus, the Princess of Wales still got to spend time with her kids despite her divorce.

But Princess Diana did not get all that she wished for. One of the most important things she lost upon divorce is Her Royal Highness title. At that time, Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly okay with Diana keeping the HRH title. However, Prince Charles was adamant that it must be removed.

This meant that when she met other royals with the title, Diana had to curtsy. This was a major blow to Diana as this meant that her status was demoted and that she also had to curtsy to her ex-husband and even her own sons.

It was reported that upon seeing her mother distraught over the matter, the young Prince William promised that he’ll get the title back for her when he becomes king. Sadly, William would never be able to fulfill that promise since his mother died a year after.

Another important thing that Diana lost was the police protection that accompanies an HRH title. “Losing her HRH status also meant losing the Royal protection that went with it, which may have prevented the Princess from being in a speeding car being pursued by paparazzi on that fateful night,” Mirror wrote.