Inside Princess Diana's 'terrifying' and 'uneasy' last Christmases with royals

Reports have emerged describing how Princess Diana spent her final Christmas in 1996 without then-estranged husband Prince Charles and their sons Prince William and Prince Harry. 

By that point, Diana and Charles' divorce had been finalized months prior, ending their tumultuous marriage.

According to sources, Diana dismissed her staff so they could enjoy the holiday with family and apparently spent Christmas Eve and Day entirely alone. Former royal chef Darren McGrady recalled it was always “sad” working with Diana at Christmas.

He recalled: "William and Harry were going to Sandringham and Princess Diana was there, alone. She insisted that the staff spend time with their families for Christmas and that we leave the food in the refrigerator."

Prior Christmases spent at Sandringham had proven difficult for Diana, who felt she received a "frosty reception" from the rest of the royal family. She joined them for her sons but found the environment “tense and uneasy.”

He continued: "But she didn't stay for lunch. Instead, she went home alone to Kensington Palace and spent the rest of the day there before flying to Washington to stay with friends.

"The same thing happened in 1994, but Diana felt she was given a 'frosty' reception by the other royals."

Per the Daily Mail Editor at Large Richard Kay, "Diana didn't feel welcome at all. She could see how her being there just made everyone so tense and uneasy. She'd joined them for the boys' sake, but it wasn't working."

Audio tapes revealed Diana's feelings of being an "outsider" during Sandringham visits, which were "terrifying and so disappointing".