Princess Diana Lost Her Temper in a Relatable Mom Moment Caught on Camera: "Shush!"

The late princess got stern with one of her kids during a resurfaced interview.

Princess Diana wearing a red cardigan over a white button up shirt sitting at a table playing a puzzle with a toddler Prince William
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Unlike some of the royals who came before her, Princess Diana was known for her warm, hands-on approach to motherhood. She famously broke tradition by choosing her sons' schools to be closer to home and giving them a taste of "normal" life by taking them on public outings (and even letting them eat burgers and pizza). While Prince Charles didn't get to enjoy such freedom in his own childhood, Diana wanted Prince William and Prince Harry to experience theme parks and go to McDonald's like any other kids in the U.K. Although the late royal insisted on a more permissive parenting style and loved to stuff her kids' pockets with candy, even she reached her breaking point sometimes.

Diana is seen sitting for a formal interview at her Kensington Palace home in a clip shared on Instagram. She closes her eyes and sighs, then turns and gives her kids—who are off camera—a stern look before saying, "If you come in here, you sit down and be quiet! Very quiet."

The princess tries to go back to her interview, barely starting a sentence before Prince Harry starts laughing in the background. "Harry, shush!" Diana says before grimacing and telling the interviewer, "I can't even string my words together." He quips, "Well, it's very hard. You've got two of the most impossible people sitting here with us."

Diana interview

A photo posted by on

Princess Diana, Prince Harry, and Prince William at Thorpe Park amusement park in April 1993

Princess Diana enjoyed taking her sons on fun outings, like a trip to Alton Towers theme park.

(Image credit: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

But before Diana can continue, you hear a young William hilariously telling his brother to shut up. "Exactly. Harry, shush!" he says, with his mom chiming in, "Sit. Down. Just sit! Just sit."

The moment is over in seconds, but it's a flash of something every parent recognizes: the eternal struggle to stay composed when your child is acting up. Fans jumped in to praise the princess for keeping her cool and being so relatable, like one who wrote, "She's a mum of boys that's next level 😂."

"Omg she’s just like a normal mama! She’s so real!! This is why Diana is the queen of hearts ♥️" another added, while a third commenter wrote, "Love her “uh” and eye roll in the beginning of the video. Mums can relate 😂❤️."

At the end of the day, the clip serves as a reminder that Diana was, at times, just like any mom juggling work and kids (while getting just a bit annoyed in the process).

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.