How Princess Diana's life would've changed if she remarried
Princess Diana shocked the world with her untimely death in 1997. Many people were left thinking about what her life would've become had she survived her tragic car crash. Diana had already lost certain royal privileges at the time of her death. She would've lost even more if she chose to remarry.
Princess Diana cried when she lost her 'HRH' title following her divorce from then-Prince Charles
Diana was aware of her husband's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and even confronted her about it. Eventually, the then-Prime Minister, John Major, announced the then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana's split in 1992.
Two years later, Charles admitted he'd been unfaithful to Diana on live TV. The following year, Diana did her famous interview with BBC's Panorama. She divulged many interesting details about the royal family and said "three people" were in her marriage.
Shortly after Diana's explosive interview, Queen Elizabeth requested the couple make their separation official. Buckingham Palace released a statement on Dec. 21, 1995 (per the New York Times) that said the queen wrote to Charles and Diana urging them to divorce.
On Feb. 29, 1996, Diana announced that she'd agreed to divorce Charles. A palace spokesperson then told the press that Charles had also agreed and the former couple was working through their divorce settlement.
Diana got to keep her "Princess Diana" title but not "Her Royal Highness." This one caveat upset her the most. Diana's butler, Paul Burrell, witnessed Prince William comforting his mother and promising to give her the title back when he became king.
According to Reader's Digest, the queen was willing to allow Diana to keep her "HRH" title, but Charles insisted she drop it. Losing the title meant Diana would have to bow to anyone holding it, even her sons.
Diana and Charles' divorce settlement was very specific
Princess Diana also gave up any future claims to the throne but got to keep her apartments at Kensington Palace and was given access to jets used by the royal family. The palace told her she could "use the state apartments at St. James's Palace for entertaining" (per Cosmopolitan).
Buckingham Palace also gave Diana a lump-sum payment instead of regular alimony checks. Unsurprisingly, they didn't divulge any details, but the amount was said to be $22.5 million in cash plus $600,000 a year for her office (per the New York Times).
Her staff was cut down, and she was allowed only police protection whenever she attended public events. Diana's 100+ charities were cut down to six. Finally, the couple agreed to have joint custody of Prince William and Prince Harry. However, Diana lost a great deal more than her royal perks and would have lost more had she remarried.
Princess Diana would've have lost much more if she remarried
According to royal family experts (per Reader's Digest), Diana may have had to relinquish many of the royal perks still available after her divorce if she remarried. She reportedly could have lost her home in Kensington Palace, the financing of her office, and even her title as "Princess of Wales."
It's worth pointing out that Princess Diana might have also had most of her divorce settlement benefits revoked if Prince Charles remarried too. However, unfortunately, Diana never got the chance to remarry. She came close, but it sadly never happened.