Princess Diana's complex relationship with the media has long been a subject of fascination, and now, nearly three decades after her passing, new details continue to emerge. In a recent interview, Richard Dalton, the late Princess's long-time hairdresser, opened up about how Diana discreetly accessed tabloid newspapers during her years in the royal family—despite strict palace rules.
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Here's what Dalton had to say about helping Diana bend the rules and how the press coverage affected her behind closed doors.
How Diana secretly accessed banned tabloids?
While royal protocols may have restricted access to certain publications, it appears Princess Diana—who knew Charles and Camilla’s marriage would be strong— found a workaround with a little help from her trusted stylist. Speaking to People Magazine, Richard Dalton shared that Diana asked him to sneak tabloids into the palace. He said:
One of the hairdressers smuggled them in.
He jokingly added:
Did I say that? They were smuggled in, but it’s not to do with me.
Still, Dalton went on to confirm Diana would often say:
Richard, can you bring them in for me?
According to Dalton, once he passed through security and reached the pantry, 'it was all plain sailing from there.'
His recollection paints a picture of a royal who, despite her public role, was deeply invested in knowing what was being said about her in the media. Though palace staff were likely unaware, the princess’s determination ensured she stayed informed—albeit through unconventional means.
It was well known that Diana was not permitted to engage directly with the tabloid press, even Dalton revealed:
She wasn’t allowed to see the tabloid newspapers.
Diana's reaction to tabloid headlines
Despite being someone always in the media and tabloids, Diana at times had a challenging time reading the tabloids. Dalton shared that once the papers were in her hands, Diana's reactions varied from humour to deep frustration.
He recounted moments when she would flip through pages during hair appointments, reacting audibly to the coverage. He said:
I’d be doing her hair, she’d be flipping through the pages [of a tabloid], and she’d go, "Ugh,"
Then another one comes along and then [she'd go], "Ohhhhhh."
One particularly painful rumour involved ongoing speculation around the paternity of her youngest son, Prince Harry. He said:
They always [went] on about, ‘Is Charles the father of Harry?’ Of course he is.
He added that the red hair Harry was known for also ran in the Spencer family, noting that Diana's brother Charles Spencer had 'bright red' hair. However, he explained that he couldn’t tell the tabloids this at that time, while they were busy speculating James Hewitt was Harry’s father. He said:
Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, when I used to cut his hair, his hair was bright red.
Lady Sarah, also red. The Spencers definitely had red hair. But at that time, I wasn't in a position to actually say, ‘Hello, Charles Spencer’s hair was red.'
Though unable to publicly defend her at the time, Dalton's recollections underscore the emotional toll such gossip had on Diana.
Read more:
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James Hewitt says Princess Diana would have 'tried her best' to reunite son William and Harry
Sources used:
People Magazine: Princess Diana's Hairdresser Reveals How Tabloids Were 'Smuggled' into the Palace for Her (Exclusive)
