Princess Diana only ever wanted 'affection', royals misunderstood her: Aide

Princess Diana royal rebellion was triggered by ill-treatment from the royal family, says former employee.

The Princess of Wales former private secretary Patrick Jephson believes the mother-of-two would not have spoken up against the royals, had she been nurtured with love and attention.

Speaking to Royally Obsessed, the secretary began: "I was in no doubt, in my own mind, [that] had she been treated with respect, affection, had she been encouraged and guided in a positive way, there is no way she would have been a rebel against the royal establishment."

He added: "But she was, she wasn't just the girl next door, she was a very proud aristocratic woman.

"She was informal, in many ways, and approachable, relatable, but she was no push-over."

Mr Jephson said: "She had real steel, in her soul as a lot of her critics discovered to their embarrassment."

"She sometimes was a little too impetuous for my liking.

"She could be defiant, to the point of recklessness."

He added that these traits probably "contribute" to the fact that we still "remember her".