Throughout her life, Princess Diana was known for her down-to-earth approach to parenting, especially when it came to raising her two sons, Prince Harry and Prince William. Unlike many royal parents, Diana wanted to ensure that her children experienced aspects of life that were not confined to the grandeur of the palace.
This included her efforts to allow them to taste what she considered to be a more "normal" lifestyle, which included everything from theme parks to fast food. However, her desire for her sons to experience such everyday pleasures often clashed with the more formal tastes of her husband, Prince Charles.
Growing up at Kensington Palace, Prince Harry and Prince William were accustomed to the finest meals prepared by a team of chefs. Yet, according to Mervyn Wycherley, a palace chef who worked for 33 years, Princess Diana was eager for her children to break away from the traditional royal dining habits.
Diana believed that, despite the palace's abundance of luxury, it was important for her sons to experience the types of foods that were popular with everyday families. She wanted them to see that life beyond the palace walls could involve things like burgers, pizza, and other casual dining experiences that many people enjoyed.
This desire for normalcy was highlighted in comments from former royal protection officer Ken Wharfe. According to Wharfe, Diana was always keen to give Harry and William experiences that were far removed from the formal life they led at Kensington Palace.
"Diana really wanted to experiment away from Mervyn’s food at the palace at that time," Wharfe explained, suggesting that she encouraged her children to step outside the culinary bubble of the royal household.
Princess Diana was known to enjoy dining out in London with her friends, often frequenting restaurants that served more casual fare, which is something she wanted her children to embrace as well. Former BBC reporter Jennie Bond recalled how Diana once confided in her, saying that she hoped to raise her sons in a way that was different from other royal children.
"I remember William's mother, Diana, telling me that she wanted her two boys to be brought up in a way no other royal princes had been," Bond wrote. Diana’s approach to parenting, especially in terms of food, was based on the idea of making Harry and William aware of the world outside their privileged royal life.
One of the most notable ways Diana introduced her children to a more "normal" life was by taking them to theme parks, and perhaps most famously, treating them to McDonald’s. This casual dining experience stood in stark contrast to the strict food preferences of Prince Charles, who had his own ideas about what his family should eat.
According to Wharfe, Charles was very "peculiar about the food that he wanted his family and the staff to eat," and he held the belief that "the army marches on its stomach." This view was reflected in the family’s meals, which were often meticulously prepared by a team of chefs.
A particular incident, as shared by Wharfe, highlighted the tension between Charles’s more formal culinary tastes and Diana’s more relaxed approach. As Prince William grew older, he began to show more interest in fast food, such as burgers and pizza.
Wharfe recalls a moment when William returned home after enjoying a burger at a local establishment, excitedly telling his father about the experience. “We just had these amazing burgers!” William shared with enthusiasm.
However, Wharfe noted that Prince Charles was not pleased by this revelation. "There was this sort of look of disdain across the prince's face," Wharfe remembered, as Charles responded, "I don't know why you eat that food when I have this marvelous army of chefs at Kensington Palace."
It was a clear example of how the prince’s preferences for gourmet meals clashed with his sons’ more laid-back tastes.
Despite Prince Charles’s disapproval, Diana continued to encourage her sons to embrace more casual food choices. She also gave them access to foods that were more familiar to regular families.
According to Wycherley, the princes would often opt for "real nursery food" like treacle tarts and other comfort foods, which were a stark contrast to the more refined dishes served at the palace. This kind of food was a reminder of the life Diana wanted her children to lead—one that was not confined by royal protocol.
Prince Charles, who has long been passionate about organic gardening and the farm-to-table philosophy, was known for his more formal approach to food. His stepson, Tom Parker Bowles, has even suggested that if Charles weren’t the king, he could have easily been a food writer due to his love for fresh, sustainable produce.
However, despite these more formal tastes, Diana’s efforts to give Harry and William a sense of normality never wavered.
Princess Diana’s connection with food was also reflected in her relationship with the palace staff. Wycherley, who worked closely with Diana in the kitchen, shared that she would often spend time there, reading the Sun newspaper and engaging with the staff in a friendly manner.
This informal approach was a stark contrast to the often distant and formal image associated with the royal family, further emphasizing Diana’s desire to create a more relatable, grounded experience for her sons.
In the end, Diana’s approach to food and family life served as an extension of her broader philosophy on parenting. She wanted Harry and William to grow up with a sense of balance, understanding that while their royal status granted them privileges, there was still value in experiencing the simple joys of everyday life—whether that meant eating burgers, enjoying theme parks, or spending time with ordinary people.
Her legacy continues to inspire a sense of normalcy and relatability, even within the context of the royal family.
