Her Althorp background

[LouisFerdinand]

Princess Diana would do the menus in the menu book each week. Each day she would see the butler and give him a list of what needed doing, who was coming to lunch or tea, or what appointments she or Prince Charles might have. Her Althorp background had taught her how the household should be run.       

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[TLLK]

Not surprising for the "lady of the house" to delegate specific tasks to her staff.

[amabel]

I don't know how much "housekeeping" she learned at Althorp, with Raine in charge.

[Trudie]

I agree the family didn't move there until the mid '70's Diana was in her teens and at boarding school and then sent to Switzerland to finishing school where between the two schools that is where she learned how to run a house.

[Curryong]

Actually Diana, who was then only seventeen, became terribly homesick while in Switzerland. She didn't even have time to learn French at her finishing school. She was back in England within weeks. When it was something she was interested in, Diana learned quickly. I think she learned something of the skills in running a large home by observing Raine, whom she loathed but who knew such things and by asking people like Burrell at the beginning. Burrell had, after all, worked for the royal family for years.

[TLLK]

^^^I absolutely agree @Curryong when Diana was engaged and interested then she caught on quite quickly. Her siblings spoke about her being contented with domestic chores so learning about how to manage a large household  would likely have been interesting to her.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

^^^I absolutely agree @Curryong when Diana was engaged and interested then she caught on quite quickly. Her siblings spoke about her being contented with domestic chores so learning about how to manage a large household  would likely have been interesting to her.

She got most of that at Park House, especially post Frances. I wonder if it was a way to have control over ones situation, and to have a sense of routine and normalcy in a situation in which she had little control, both with the divorce, and having to go away to school. Althorp only came into the situation in 1975, its always my litmus test for a documentary, as soon as they she "grew up" or was "raised" at Althorp, I know its gonna be shaky.

It was one of the things I loved most about her, not because one is in need of shirts ironed and such, but for a woman of her station in life to take the time and care to do that for others, says a lot about her, and why every male Diana fan should be allowed to shake Hasnat by the shoulders and say "what were you thinking, you fool".

But yes, she would have been able to have the house run properly, with possibly some input on what to do when say a head of state arrives, etc. but there would have been a lot of overlap between Park House/ Althorp and Highgrove in that respect.

[amabel]

she had a housekeeper, she didn't really need to learn how to run a house though it is problaby better if the mistress does have an input. and of course she would have to learn to manage a royal house where there were visits from other heads of state etc.  but again there would be staff to help her with that.

[LouisFerdinand]

Is it not better if the mistress of the house has full knowledge of how each household should be run?

[amabel]

at their level of wealth I should not think it matters

[LouisFerdinand]

Was there any servant at Althorp that Diana got along with very well?

[TLLK]

I believe that the children got along well with the housekeeper.

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

Diana was only there from 14 to 17-18 so she didnt have a lot of time around there.