Princess Diana ditched ‘traditional’ Royal approach to make staff happy

Princess Diana was very particular about her conduct towards staff.

The former Princess of Wales, who passed away in 1997 after an accident in Paris, insured her staff was treated with the utmost respect at Kensington Palace.

Former Royal protection officer, Ken Wharfe, told The Mirror: “Unlike the more traditional approach—where staff were addressed by their surnames—Diana insisted everyone was called by their first name. That was something quite new within the Household.” There was a “real sense of normal family life” at Kensington Palace, he continued.

“I remember one occasion when the nanny dragged me in because William and Harry wanted someone to have a pillow fight with,” Wharfe recalled. “Before I knew it, I was being battered with cushions. Suddenly, I became aware that the Prince of Wales [Charles] was standing in the doorway watching, rather embarrassingly so.”

“I said, ‘I’m terribly sorry about this, Your Royal Highness,’” Wharfe said. “He smiled and said, ‘I hope they’re not beating you up.’ Which, of course, they were.”

“If Diana ever heard them make a rude comment to anyone, she’d immediately say, ‘Go and apologize,’” Wharfe said.