Inside Princess Diana's Secret Island Getaways—And How They Differed From William and Kate's

When it comes to vacation destinations, members of the Royal Family need to consider options a bit more carefully than the average person. Privacy and security play a huge role in where to take a holiday, as Prince William and Kate Middleton know all too well. With the couple having recently traded their BAFTAs formalwear for swimsuits on the island of Mustique, some royal beach getaways of old have come to mind—and Princess Diana had a different destination she came to love.

Mustique has been a favorite royal destination for decades—just ask Princess Margaret—and the Middleton family even hosted matriarch Carole's 70th birthday party at the late princess's $46,000-per-week island villa, Les Jolies Eaux. However, Princess Diana preferred a different Caribbean island for some of her own family escapes.

Bringing her young children to a normal beach resort wouldn't have been possible given the intense media scrutiny and wild public adoration Diana, Harry and William experienced in the late '80s and early '90s. However, Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, invited the princess to Necker Island, his private retreat in the British Virgin Islands—and the secluded space was perfect for Diana and her kids.

The royal visited Necker Island with Prince William and Prince Harry on at least two occasions, including January 1989 and April 1990. Guests can rent the entire island, which allowed the princess complete privacy (except for the occasional paparazzi who managed to snap photos of her from boats).

Although Mustique also offers guests a high degree of privacy—down to enforcing a no-fly zone over the island when royals are visiting and not allowing journalists to visit—there are more than 80 villas dotted across the island. Therefore, anyone staying there could run into the Prince and Princess of Wales having a cocktail at Basil's Bar or Prince Louis giving his grandma Carole a good telling-off, as one vacationer later reported to the media.

Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi share a similar vacation philosophy as the Wales family, visiting Edo's father's house on the island of Lamu, Kenya. While it's not entirely private, the secluded destination does allow them to be able to mostly stay out of the public eye.

But for Diana, Necker allowed her to bring her two children on a beach holiday like any other mom. Whether it was playing in the sand in her iconic leopard-print one-piece or splashing in the sea in a red bikini, Princess Diana was able to relax on the private island without worry.

"Diana loved Necker, and Richard Branson was as fascinated by the royals as anyone else," journalist Carole Malone told the Express. "Luckily for him, he had an island he could invite them to and an airline he could fly them there on."

In 2017, Branson shared a moving tribute to Diana to remember the 20th anniversary of her death and revealed a detail about her trips to Necker Island. "She also always handwrote thank-you notes, after flights or her trips to Necker Island. In fact, we have a few of her notes displayed in pride of place on Necker, right by the kettle we brew tea at many times a day."