50 Ways Princess Diana Broke Royal Protocol

Let’s celebrate the original royal rebel.

A dedicated humanitarian, a fashion icon, and a loving mother — Princess Diana has left a long-lasting impact on the world. While the public fell in love with the vulnerable young woman they met when she became Prince Charles’ fiancé — as she came into her own, we learned that Princess Di wasn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers. While royal protocol may seem silly and outdated to us commoners (why can’t they eat shrimp, again?), the royal family takes even the most antiquated aspects of their social code very seriously — except for, on occasion, Princess Diana.

By standing up for herself and living her life her way, Diana becomes a royal rebel in the best way possible. Some of the most important aspects of Diana’s legacy were in her acts of defiance against tradition (and, as you’ll read, her daughters-in-law are certainly taking her lead). Here, we celebrate the princess for all the ways she flouted tradition and set a new precedent for Prince William, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle, as well as the next generation of royals.


She had a job before she got married.

Diana worked as a part-time kindergarten teacher in London. At the time, she was the first royal to have a paying job before getting engaged.