Princess Diana and Prince Charles married in their spectacular royal wedding in July 1981. They announced their engagement in February that year, and the 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer made her first appearance alongside the Royal Family at the world-famous race meeting.  However, the week of horse racing proved to be an ordeal for her as she faced the “withering disdain” of Princess Anne, according to a royal author. 

Biographer Ingrid Seward, in her 1995 book “Prince Edward”, delves into the Royal Family’s relationships behind the scenes. 

Ms Seward writes: “Anne was indifferent to Diana from the very beginning.

“She treated the woman, who by marriage to her elder brother might have become her Queen, with withering disdain.

“She called her ‘a silly girl.’”

She continues: “The situation came to an early head at the end of Ascot week in June 1981, barely a month before Diana’s marriage.”

The author describes how Diana stayed at Windsor Castle for the race meeting, which is one of the most important sporting events in the Royal Family’s calendar.

Ms Seward continues: “Sensing Anne’s apathy towards her and wanting to ingratiate herself, she ventured up to the nursery in the Queen’s Tower where Anne was settling in with her son Peter, who was three, and her four-week-old daughter, Zara. 

“Diana, still only a Lady, gave the Princess the benefit of a full curtsey and declared: ‘Ma’am, how wonderful to see you.’

“Anne is contemptuous of pretension at the best of times.

“When she was struggling with two small children she had no time for it at all.

“She looked up at Diana – and looked straight through her.

“Diana, confronted by the searing force of Anne’s scorn, fled the room.”

Ms Seward’s view is backed up by veteran royal reporter Richard Kay, who said that Anne “did not have time for Diana”.

Speaking in February’s Channel 5 documentary “Paxman on the Queen’s Children”, Mr Kay said:  “Princess Anne, she had no time for Diana.

“She didn’t like the way she went about her duty and the way she used the cameras and the media to promote herself, in her eyes.

“Anne had a much more traditional approach to monarchy and royal duty.”

Diana did not have a happy time at her very fist royal engagement with Prince Charles either, when her husband-to-be took her to Royal Opera House Gala.

Biographer Andrew Morton writes how Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, had some chilling words of advice for the young Diana. 

Mr Morton added: “Sensing her discomfort, Princess Grace took her aside and listened as she poured out her heart.

“‘Don’t worry,’ Princess Grace had joked, ‘it will get a lot worse.’”

Mr Morton reported how the Princess of Wales later told him: “It was a horrendous occasion.

“I didn’t know whether to go out of the door first.

“I didn’t know whether your handbag should be in your left hand not your right.

“I was terrified, really – at the time everything was all over the place.”

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