Details About Princess Diana's Feud With Princess Anne

Part of the friction between Princess Diana and Princess Anne stemmed from media coverage. Anne, who consistently earns the accolade of "hardest working royal," was just as diligent back in the 1980s. At the time, Anne was making four times as many royal appearances as Diana. However, when Anne was busy with a royal tour of the U.S., Diana was about to give birth to Prince William, and royal baby fever was at its peak.

The press was more interested in asking the Princess Royal about Diana than learning about Anne's royal work. When William was born on June 21 1982,  Anne learned of his arrival from a news crew. "I didn't know she'd had one. Oh, good," Anne commented, per Newsweek. Anne's reaction was likely in keeping with her straightforward personality, and she became frustrated when the media pressured her to reveal her feelings about being an aunt. Although Anne has a strong relationship with William today, after she brusquely claimed there was "too much fuss" over the new baby, the Daily Mirror wrote that according to Americans, "[Anne] is a sourpuss."

In contrast to Anne's abrasive interactions with the media, Diana's heartfelt, humanistic approach to royal duties earned her lots of positive press, particularly when she was seen comforting AIDS patients and holding their hands. The press even proposed that Anne should emulate her sister-in-law, increasing Anne's ire, especially since she allegedly thought Diana was seeking too much media attention.