Names are funny things. Most of us get one before we’re even out of the hospital, but when you're born into the upper crust of the British aristocracy, there’s a lot more pressure. When the fourth child of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, arrived on July 1, 1961, at Park House, Sandringham, she didn't actually have a name. For a full week, the family just sort of waited.
They were hoping for a boy, honestly. They needed an heir to carry on the Spencer line, and when a girl showed up instead, it took seven days of deliberation before they settled on the name that would eventually be etched into history.
The princess diana second name is Frances.
Specifically, she was born Diana Frances Spencer. While the world eventually shortened it to "Lady Di" or "Princess Diana," that middle name, Frances, carries a heavy weight of family history, maternal ties, and a bit of a tragic omen from a relative she never met.
The Story Behind Frances
Kinda surprisingly, the choice of Frances wasn't just a random pick from a book of baby names. It was a direct tribute to her mother, Frances Ruth Roche (who later became Frances Shand Kydd).
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In the 1960s, naming a child after a parent was a standard move for the nobility. But for Diana, the name Frances became a complicated link to a mother she would eventually have a very rocky relationship with. Her parents’ marriage was, to put it mildly, a disaster. They divorced when Diana was only seven, leading to a bitter custody battle that her father eventually won.
Growing up with your mother’s name as your middle name when that mother is largely absent creates a weird emotional dynamic. Friends and biographers like Andrew Morton have often noted that Diana felt the weight of her parents' disappointment—both that she wasn't a boy and that the family unit had crumbled so spectacularly.
It wasn't just about her mom, though
The Spencers are deep-rooted in British history. They don't just pick names; they curate them.
The "Diana" part of her name was actually a nod to Lady Diana Spencer, a many-times-great-aunt who lived in the 1700s.
Here’s the spooky part: that 18th-century Diana was also a potential bride for a Prince of Wales (Frederick, the son of George II). She was also a massive fashion icon of her time. And, sadly, she also died young—at age 25. When the Spencers chose Diana Frances as their daughter's full name, they were basically reaching back into a deck of historical cards, unaware they were repeating a pattern of fame and tragedy.
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Why Do People Get the Princess Diana Second Name Wrong?
You’ll often see people asking if her second name was "Spencer" or if "Lady" was part of her legal name. It’s confusing because her name changed about five times throughout her life.
- The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer (1961–1975): This was her birth name. She was "Honourable" because her father was a Viscount.
- Lady Diana Frances Spencer (1975–1981): When her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer, she got an upgrade. This is where "Lady Di" comes from.
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales (1981–1996): Once she married Charles, "Spencer" legally dropped away.
- Diana, Princess of Wales (1996–1997): After the divorce, she lost the "HRH" (Her Royal Highness) but kept the title and her name.
Technically, her "second name" in the sense of a surname changed from Spencer to Windsor when she married into the Royal Family, though royals don't usually use last names in the way we do. But in terms of her middle name, it was always Frances.
The Wedding Vow "Blunder"
One of the most famous moments involving the princess diana second name happened at the altar in 1981. If you watch the old footage of the "Wedding of the Century" at St. Paul’s Cathedral, you can hear a very nervous 20-year-old Diana mess up Prince Charles's name.
He has a lot of names: Charles Philip Arthur George.
Diana got them out of order. She called him "Philip Charles Arthur George."
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People at the time thought it was just nerves—and it definitely was—but it also highlighted how formal and rigid the naming structures were in that world. You weren't just marrying a guy; you were marrying a string of historical identifiers. Diana’s own name, Diana Frances, was much simpler, but it still carried that Spencer branding.
The Legacy of the Name Frances
If you look at the Royal Family today, names aren't just names; they're tributes.
When Prince William and Kate Middleton had their daughter, they named her Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Notice how they didn't include "Frances"?
Some royal experts suggest this was a conscious choice to focus on the "Diana" brand, which the public loved, rather than the more private Spencer family name. However, the Spencer side hasn't been forgotten. Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has kept the family names alive within their own branch of the family.
Honestly, the name Frances is the most "human" part of her title. It connects her to a woman (her mother) who was deeply flawed and a life that existed before the cameras and the crowns. While the world saw "Princess Diana," her private documents and her family history always anchored her as Diana Frances.
Actionable Insights for Royal History Buffs
If you are researching the Spencer family tree or Diana's genealogy, keep these specific details in mind:
- Look for "Roche" and "Fermoy": To understand the "Frances" side of her name, you need to look into the Baron Fermoy line. Her mother was the daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy, which brought a lot of Irish and even American (through the "Work" family) ancestry into Diana's bloodline.
- Don't call her "Princess Diana" in formal research: If you’re writing an academic paper or a formal history, use Diana, Princess of Wales. As many royalists will tell you (loudly), she wasn't born a British princess, so "Princess" shouldn't technically precede her first name unless she were a blood royal like Princess Anne.
- The Althorp Archives: If you're ever in Northamptonshire, the Spencer family seat at Althorp holds the primary records of her birth and early name. It’s where she’s buried and where the Spencer naming tradition is most visible.
- Verify Name Origins: When checking other family members, remember that the Spencers often reused names like Sarah, Jane, and John (her brother's name). Always check the dates to ensure you aren't confusing the 20th-century Diana with her 18th-century ancestors.