Princess Diana apparently found dressing up constantly ‘relentless’

(Image credit: Toronto Star 2014)

It was recently revealed that Kate Middleton was unsure about making a fashion statement when she joined the royal family, as she didn't want everyone to only focus on what she was wearing.

According to royal author Bethan Hold, who wrote The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style, Kate was ‘really careful not to dive into the fashion in the way that Diana did’.

She told 9Honey, ‘Diana really quickly became this fashion icon and everyone was going crazy for what she wore. I think Kate was a little bit more tentative because she realised she didn’t want it to just be about what she was wearing.’

And it seems that before her, her late mother-in-law had similar doubts. According to one of Princess Diana's favourite designers, Bruce Oldfield, it was all a bit 'relentless'.

The designer, who created some of Diana's most iconic looks from the 80s, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'When I look back, it was relentless for her. We did dress her up like she was going to a wedding every day.'

He also revealed that the royal stepped back from duties after leaving Prince Charles, and decided she didn't want to dress up as often, specifically saying she'd always hated Ascot and would therefore no longer need outfits for it.

There is no doubt Princess Diana is still considered a fashion icon, but it's not surprising that she found some royal events a bit too much.

It's often said that she wasn't very confident with her style when she got engaged, being only 19 at the time, though her confidence grew over time.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.

She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.