- Frances Shand Kydd was a Viscountess who is more popular as the mother of Princess Diana
- The mother of four was married and divorced twice
- Her life was plagued by a lot of saddening events but she later found peace in charity works until her death in 2004 at the age of 68
Frances Shand Kydd was a famous English woman recognized as Princess Diana’s mother. She was born to a family who had strong ties to royalty, affording her great privileges including numerous connections, the best education, and even a waiting husband.
Even though her fame was mostly linked to her daughter, the Princess of Wales, the two did not have a great relationship at the time of Diana’s death. In the same manner, Frances had a bad fallout with other members of her family.
After many years of rejection, self-pity, and guilt, Frances realized that she couldn’t change much but starting over was never late. The mother of four converted to catholicism and her faith gave her a new start. She picked up the broken pieces that were left and spent her last days supporting the broken and less privileged.
The Birth of Frances Shand Kydd Coincided With the Death of George V
Frances Shand Kydd was born Frances Ruth Roche to her parents on January 20, 1936. She was raised at the royal estate at Sandringham, Norfolk, England. Her father Maurice Baron was the 4th Baron Fermoy and a friend of King George VI while her mother Ruth Roche was a Baroness Fermoy and a friend of Queen Elizabeth.
While many celebrated the birth of Princess Diana’s mother Frances, it was a sad day for others who mourned the death of George V, the great king of the United Kingdom. It was rather unfortunate that the events occurred on the same day.
Born to wealthy parents, Frances Shand Kydd went through one of the best education systems in the early 40s.
She was First Married at the Age of 18
Princess Diana’s mother, Frances first got married on June 1 1954 when she was only 18 years old. Her husband John Spencer was 30 years old at that time. Details about how and when the pair met have not been disclosed to the public even though many think that it was an arranged marriage. Notwithstanding, the ceremony was attended by members of the royal family and Queen Elizabeth II. It was held at Westminister Abbey.
Following the union between the two, Frances became the youngest woman to have gotten hitched in Westminister Abbey in the last five decades. Her first husband John Spencer was a British nobleman, military officer, courtier, and later the 8th Earl Spencer.
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Meet The Children Frances Shand Kydd
Frances union with Spencer birthed five children including Sarah, Jane, John, Diana, and Charles. Following the influence and affluence her family commanded, her children were always in the spotlight even though Princess Diana became the most famous of the clan followed by her brother Charles. Her elder sisters were mostly seen during royal gatherings. However, after the death of Princess of Wales Diana, they all became very private.
- Lady Sarah McCorquodale
She was the first child and daughter of the family born a year after her parent’s marriage. Sarah was born on March 19, 1955, and gained the title ‘Lady’ in 1975 when her grandfather died. It was also the same year her father became the 8th Earl Spencer. In her early 20s, she suffered from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder but later outgrew the disease.
Lady Sarah got married in 1980 to Neil Edmund McCorquodale and their union birthed three children including Emily, Celia, and George. The 69 years old is still alive and hearty. She resides in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and is usually present at royal gatherings.
- Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes
Jane was born two years after the birth of her sister Sarah precisely on February 11, 1957. She is the second child and daughter of the family. According to sources, she was an excellent student while at the West Health boarding school.
Jane got married to Robert Fellowes on April 20, 1978. At that time, her husband was an assistant private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II and in 1999, he became Baron Fellowes, of Shotesham in the County of Norfolk.
- The Honourable John Spencer Jr
John was the third child and first son of the family, sadly, he died as a result of lung complications 10 hours after his birth on January 10, 1960.
- Diana, Princess of Wales
The third daughter and most popular of Frances and Spencer’s children was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961.
She earned the name Princess of Wales after her marriage to Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. Unfortunately, the couple parted ways in 1992 after the birth of her two sons Williams and Harry, and divorced in 1996. Their separation was allegedly linked to her extramarital affair with Dodi Fayed the Egyptian film producer and son of the billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed.
Sadly, the mother of two died on August 31, 1997, a few weeks after her 36th birthday. Princess Diana may not have lived long enough to fulfill her dreams and see her children grow into Princes, howbeit, she is remembered as an international figure of activism.
- Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer
Charles is the youngest child and the only son of Frances and Spencer’s union. He was born on May 20, 1964, and is currently 60 years old. After the death of his father John Spencer in 1992, he became the 9th Earl Spencer.
Charles was previously married to Victoria Aitken (1989-1997) and Caroline Freud (2001-2007) but both marriages ended in a divorce. At present, the father of 7 is married to a Canadian philanthropist named Karen.
Frances Shand Kydd Lost Custody of Her Children After Her Marriage of 14 Years Ended
Frances’ marriage to Spencer was considered a fairy tale until trouble began to brew in paradise a few years later leading to a divorce in 1969. The reason for their divorce was linked to Frances’ affair with Peter Shand Kydd, a recognized business magnate. Asides from this, the mother of four also stated that she had fallen out of love after being pressured to have a male child who would be the heir to her husband’s fortune.
Upon their divorce, Frances’ youngest children Princess Diana and Charles who were 6 and 3 years old respectively were living with her in London until a custody battle began between the former couple. Be that as it may, Frances lost custody of her children after her mother allegedly sided with John Spencer and tagged her a bolter and adultress.
Her Second Marriage, Divorce and the Aftermath
After Frances’s divorce and custody fight, she moved on to marry the love of her life Peter Shand Kydd who was previously married to Janet Munro Kerr. Recalling their love story, Frances said it wasn’t love at first sight but he made her laugh so much. The pair got married on May 2, 1969, in a private ceremony that was witnessed by a few friends and family.
As a result of the strained relationship, she had with her family and her inlaws, Frances and her husband Peter moved to the remote island of Seil to live a private life. Unfortunately, after spending almost two decades with her second husband Peter, their marriage came to an end in June 1988.
Details as to what led to their divorces have been linked to several reasons. While it was said that Peter had ditched her for a younger woman, other sources claim that the frenzy of Princess Diana’s engagement to Prince Charles was too intense to handle. According to Frances, her husband Peter was not recognized by the royal house. She added that they only wanted her as Diana’s mother and not as Peter’s wife.
Whatever caused the two to part ways took a toll on Frances. She resolved to a life of privacy and reportedly became an alcoholic. In 1996, the mother of four and former Viscountess faced public shame following her conviction for drinking and driving. Thusly, she was banned from driving for a year.
Frances Had a Strained Relationship With Princess Diana
When Frances’ daughter Princess Diana rose to stardom, she was overly compared to her mother in everything including looks and choices. As a result Frances reportedly saw her child as a rival. Consequently, Frances wanted to be involved in every decision Princess Diana made but this didn’t sit well with Diana, especially in the case of Dodi Fayed.
As the story goes, after Diana divorced Prince Charles and moved on with Dodi Flayed, her mother was against her decision and reportedly called her to render bitter words. For this reason, the Princess vowed to cut off all communication with her mother and even returned the unopened letters her mother sent, as revealed by Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell.
While mother and child never spoke again after their fight, the news of Diana’s untimely death, left Frances feeling guilty about her actions. Diana died tragically at the age of 36 in a car accident that killed her alleged boyfriend Dodi Fayed and the Driver.
Although Frances couldn’t take back her words and death denied them the privilege of a reconciliation, Diana’s death, gave her a new meaning in life. She converted to Catholicism and took up the unfinished charity work her daughter had started.
She Died in 2004 at the age of 68
Frances Shand Kydd died on June 3, 2004, at her home in Scotland at the age of 68 after battling Parkinson’s disease and brain cancer for many years. Her life recorded many sad events nonetheless, It is said that her last days brought her peace and fulfillment.
She was laid to rest in Pennyfuir Cemetery in Oban Argyll and Bute after her funeral at the Roman Catholic cathedral on June 10. In attendance were her children and grandchildren including Prince Harry and Williams.
Its been over two decades since Frances said goodbye to the world yet, her memory still lives on in the hearts of many for her charity works and devoted services to society.
