- I tried Princess Diana’s morning routine, and it got me out of my trapped slump.
- I started with a morning stretch before eating a plate of beans and a pink grapefruit for breakfast.
- Then it was time to create Diana’s signature look: blue eyeliner and an oversized sweater.
- Visit the Insider homepage for more stories.
The world fell in love with Princess Diana again after that first glimpse of the royal roller skates at Buckingham Palace was seen in “The Crown.”
The late Princess of Wales led a remarkable life, documented through books, documentaries and vivid accounts of her former staff.
Like many Diana fans, I always wanted to know what it would be like to spend a day in the princess’s shoes – so that’s exactly what I did earlier this week.
Read more: I tried the Queen’s lockdown routine every morning for a week, and I wouldn’t do it again
With articles from Insider, The Free Library and Hello! Magazine, I tried to replicate Princess Diana’s morning routine. Here’s what the princess’s schedule reportedly looked like:
- Woken up at 7:30 am by a royal butler
- Swim or stretch at Buckingham Palace
- Breakfast: a can of beans and a pink grapefruit with orange juice
- Get ready for the gym
- A training session at the Chelsea Harbor Club
There was one part of Diana’s morning routine that I would like never to do again
I decided to follow Diana’s morning routine on a workday, which meant the 7:30 am wake-up call wasn’t a big shock to the system. Although unfortunately I didn’t have a butler to wake me up.
According to a 1989 article in the Saturday Evening Post, which was republished by The Free Library, the princess traveled from her home in Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace, where she used the pool and went for a walk.
As local gyms, recreation centers and swimming pools are currently closed due to the UK lockdown, I settled for a five-minute stretch routine from a video I found on YouTube.
I admit that I’m not normally a person who stretches in the morning – but just five minutes of exercise helped me feel more energized for the day ahead.
Then it was time to prepare Diana’s favorite breakfast. I recently interviewed the Princess’s former chef, Darren McGrady, who told me the royal family preferred a can of beans, a pink grapefruit, and an orange juice.
“She wanted Heinz beans because someone told her they are low in carbohydrates, low in fat, and high in protein, which is great for someone who is exercising,” said McGrady.
Read more: Princess Diana’s former chef says he made the ‘cardinal sin’ of serving Americans her favorite breakfast – a can of baked beans
While baked beans are considered a regular breakfast here in the UK, it is usually served as part of a cooked breakfast rather than a meal in itself. It is absolutely unusual for it to be served with grapefruit.
The Diana Breakfast: a glass of orange juice, a sliced pink grapefruit, and a plate of baked beans with toast.
Mikhaila Friel / Insider
I usually have a small bowl of muesli and fruit for my breakfast, so consuming something as filling as baked beans was certainly a challenge.
Although, I can see where Diana’s logic comes from. Heinz’s website describes the UK version of the product as “high in fiber, high in protein and low in fat”, so I knew it would prepare me well for my training session later that day.
That said, I could have done without the grapefruit. Surprisingly, I had never tried it before – and I won’t try it again. The sour taste meant I could barely get through one bite.
Then it was time to create the ‘Diana look’
Diana was known for her daring blue eyeliner, which she wore to multiple engagements in the 1980s. The princess favored Elizabeth Arden’s Blue Kohl 636 pencil, which she applied to her lower lash line, Hello! Magazine reports.
I have used the Exaggerate Aqua Sparkle pencil from Rimmel London. Here’s how the finished look compared to Diana’s:
I followed the princess’s favorite makeup look.
Mikhaila Friel / Insider, Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
Since I work from home, I don’t usually wear makeup. When I entered the London office (before the first UK lockdown last year) I would never have worn such a bold color on my eyes.
I have to say it was a surprisingly nice change and made me feel like I had to be somewhere important – a rare feeling during lockdown.
Read more: Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer said she was ‘shocked’ to see the royal woman wearing it because of the crease
I also tried to make one of the princess outfits. As I planned to play sports later in the day, I decided to mimic the royal family’s oversized jersey and bib shorts that she wore to the Chelsea Harbor Club in 1997.
I wore an outfit similar to Diana’s during a gym session in 1997.
Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Mikhaila Friel / Insider
I chose to wear my Inglewood / California sweater – which I bought from Nasty Gal for £ 32 ($ 43) last year – with black shorts.
There were several options when it came to Diana’s workout routine
I ended my morning with a Diana inspired workout.
According to Diana’s former personal trainer Jenni Rivett, the princess enjoyed a variety of exercises, including step aerobics, power walks, and roller skating. She was also seen frequently at her local gym, the Chelsea Harbor Club.
The princess was an avid cyclist and there are several photos of her cycling through Kensington before her engagement to Prince Charles, and also with her family while on holiday in the Isles of Scilly in 1989.
Princess Diana and Prince Harry are cycling on holiday.
PA Images via Getty Images
Unfortunately, I don’t own all the equipment needed to track most of the Royal Family’s favorite activities, but I do have a stationary bike.
I cycled for 30 minutes at home. As the gyms are currently closed this was a welcome activity and something I have missed regularly.
I sat on an exercise bike for 30 minutes.
Mikhaila Friel / Insider
Having the beans for breakfast earlier that day also gave me enough energy for the workout, something I struggled with from time to time in the past.
Read more: Princess Diana’s former chef told us what it was like to live with the royal family at Kensington Palace
Overall, it was a fun and productive end to an already excellent morning routine – with the exception of the grapefruit.
My favorite part was recreating the “Diana look”. The blue eyeliner forced me out of my comfort zone. It helped me feel less like I was at home, even though I didn’t have a specific reason to leave home that day.
Spending the morning like a princess was a fantastic distraction from lockdown and the ultimate mood boost. I would encourage anyone – especially those who work from home – to give it a try.