Did Princess Diana Really Spend Her Final Christmas All Alone?

Royal Christmases are often full of fanfare. For the British royal family, they have plenty of traditions, like creating an annual Christmas card — Princes William and Harry and their families have had some really sweet options in recent years — the queen makes her annual broadcast, and much more, according to Town and Country. One of the most well-known traditions that Queen Elizabeth II's family all partakes in is the yearly trip to Sandringham Estate. The whole family goes for the Christmas holidays, where, according to Town and Country, they have a big celebration on Christmas Eve, even opening gifts then, and attending Christmas services at St. Mary Magdalene on the estate grounds.

The thing with these festivities, though, is that it's just for family. While part of the royal family, Princess Diana made her fair share of trips to Sandringham, and actually, that was the subject of the movie "Spencer," starring Kristen Stewart as Diana herself. Taking place over the course of one Christmas holiday, "Spencer" shows how difficult things got for the princess amid her tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles.

Once Diana and Charles were separated, though, her holiday plans changed. Find out why her last Christmas was spent alone.

When Princess Diana and Prince Charles divorced in 1996, she was no longer obligated to attend the royal family's Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. Royal chef Darren McGrady, who knew Princess Diana well, shared with Gala magazine, per Express, that for Christmas in 1996, Diana's sons, William and Harry, attended the holidays at Sandringham per tradition (as required), but Diana didn't. And not only did Diana not have her sons with her on her last Christmas, but she reportedly also told the staff to go home and spend their Christmas with their families, too. "She insisted that the staff spend time with their families for Christmas and that we leave the food in the refrigerator," McGrady told the outlet.

But while Diana did reportedly spend her holiday alone, McGrady implied that she may have preferred that over spending time at Sandringham. "She would go off for a walk on her own and often I would bump into her when she was out walking," he said of his time with Diana at the estate. "So, I think that's probably what she wasn't keen on."

Princess Diana's Christmas in 1996 would be her last, as she tragically died less than a year later in a car accident.