Diana's age at time of marriage.

[Peedoffo]

I'm in my 20s so I really don't remember Diana. I did more reading on the subject and I can't believe the establishment thought it was ok to marry a 19 year old off to a man 13 years older than her who had no interest in her. No wonder she struggled this was the 1980s as well not the Victorian times! Could anyone around then tell me , why did her family back/support the marriage? Was there any concerns from the public ? I would be horrified at the thought of marrying my DD off at 19 to a much older man who wasn't really interest.

There’s a story that when she got engaged she went into Harvey Nicks to buy something and they didn’t recognise her and had no idea who she was so she just bought what they suggested , which was of course far too old and frumpy for her.

The engagement announcement was a rushed job. Diana and her mother dashed into Harrods and purchased an outfit that 'would do' as the announcement and photo call was happening a couple of hours later.

Diana wanted to be a princess. She wanted to be Charles' princess. That's why she dressed in such a dowdy style. To keep in with him.

The more outlandish outfits we her worst fashion fails !

It wasn't dowdy then.

Just a thought, Rose Hanbury (Wills alleged affair partner) married someone 23 years her senior (although she was older), and that was in more recent times.

And that marriage is allegedly a lavender marriage.

Poor Rose Hanbury. Not treated as a human being, a private citizen, a wife, a mother, someone who has feelings of her own. She’s just a name people weaponise because they don’t like William and Kate. It’s very telling.

Weaponise? Do you mean post facts?

Helpful tip, antelopevalley. A sentence that contains the word “allegedly” is not a fact.

@Serenster Helpful tip. If various sources are saying that you are allegedly having an affair with a Prince, then the public will talk about it.

What sources have said she and William are having an affair?

I thought the various sources admitted they made it up for a laugh.

IT's been discussed many many times on MN.

(In other words I don't think that tripe - or allegations- ought to be repeated on MN. )

@OP You're entitled to not being a virgin, infact every woman is entitled to exercise their right to a sex life whenever they want but why is being a virgin 'Yuck'? have we gone so far with women's liberation now that someone wanting to remain a virgin until they are married is considered gross/obscene by other women?

I don’t think punks now in their sixties had hippy parents, hippies were less than a decade before punks. Most people in their sixties now had parents born in the 1930s.
Anyway I am two years younger than Diana, and the coverage at the time didn’t focus on the age gap, more her fresh youthful sweetness, her shyness etc, the picture of her with her skirt against the sunlight , showing her legs, while holding a toddler on one hip, was much publicised and then criticised as very unfair on her, as she couldn’t have known her skirt would appear see-through.
The romance of it all was very hyped up. She was arguably posher than Charles, but not clever, and her family wanted to ensure a “good” marriage for her I think. Hence both their grandmothers wanting the match.
She was young, but not unusually so, only a year or two younger than the average debutante would have been getting married in the previous generation.

Until someone pointed it out earlier on this thread I had not realised that there were 12 years between Diana's parents, so not a strange notion to Diana or her siblings.

(Also, I had not realised that Diana's mother was born at Park House, although I knew that Diana was.)

Most people in their sixties now had parents born in the 1930s.

I’m 69 and my parents were born in 1916 and 1918.

It isn’t a fact at all. If it is, show us .

Mine late parents were born in 1928 and 1929 (they had us in their 30s as indeed did my mother's mother). I was the outlier in marrying at 21 in the 80s and having a first baby at almost 23.

Similar, and mine even older than that!

She was as old as many who got married and I bet Diana thought she was old enough to decide. Young woman through the ages have had many more responsibilies than Diana did when first married. How old was the Queen? How old were your grandparents? I believe that both Charles and Diana married in good faith and then the reality of their personalities soon made life remote and difficult. Many people divorce.

This Spencers line is illegitimate offspring of the last Charles with Barbara Villiers, he had no legitimate male heirs I believe. Di and her offspring was their chance to get the throne.

Diana was also a descendant of Charles II through another mistress, Louise de Kérouaille. The next king will be a descendant of all three Kings named Charles.

If you loved the country you should support whatever the RF chose to do is the usual spin.
Many members of her family were unhappy about it and even she was unsure but the responsible and dutiful thing they were manipulated to think was to let the Queen and Charles have their way so the crown remained in Charles's lineage. Even though His great uncle could've done the same but he didn't. Instead he abdicated and pursued his love. He didn't change the law or manipulate a young naive woman.

The Queen was married at 21, only a year older. Her age wasn’t unusual, it was the fact that she had had a difficult childhood with little real stability , no close relationship with her parents, two much older sisters and no life experience to fall back on. She didn’t even know Charles and had spent very little time with him when they married. She was a young inexperienced girl who didn’t know what love was . She thought she was in love and even before she married realised she had made a mistake .
No doubt her family and the RF believed there was a good chance that they would make a go of the marriage . She was a beautiful young woman and he was a Prince, even if much older. I saw him very close up the same year he got engaged. He was much better looking than I expected in person.
In aristocratic circles at that time , marrying young to an older man was not unusual, especially for women who didn’t go to University.

Sorry, can't read the thread but...
I'm in my 20s so I really don't remember Diana.
Fabulous. You are blessed.
I can't believe the establishment thought it was ok to marry a 19 year old off to a man 13 years older than her
Perfectly normal. Times have changed. His mate Gerald Grosvenor had married a younger woman and seemed happy.
who had no interest in her.
This was a royal marriage, not a love match. Her role was to look acceptable, produce children, support her husband. She managed two out of three, but otherwise was a complete disgrace.
why did her family back/support the marriage
Because it is a great honour to marry a future king.
Was there any concerns from the public ?
Oh yes. About the age difference, about her suitability. But he needed to marry a virgin or a young woman with few former lovers, to avoid scandal. And he was getting on in years, he needed to marry quickly.
I would be horrified at the thought of marrying my DD off at 19 to a much older man who wasn't really interested.
If he was rich, famous, offered her a life of luxury, brought further prestige to your already high-status family? Don't think so.

He must've been the only guy in the world to not be interested in his young beautiful wife but wanted the experienced woman in her 30s. Men these days will have you think no man would ever pick anyone over 30 if he could have someone much younger instead.

I don't think it's that big a deal though, she was well past the age of consent. My mum first met my dad at 18 and he was 27, back in the 60s though. I can't believe my very overprotective grandfather didn't say anything but apparently he was fine with it. Apparently my dad did lie at first about his age so maybe he felt a bit weird about it....