They say no one understands you quite like a sibling. Siblings are there from the very beginning—they witness your earliest triumphs, your first heartbreaks, your unfiltered fears. In the rarefied world of British aristocracy, where emotion is often hidden behind decorum and vulnerability is rarely expressed, the bond between Lady Sarah and Princess Diana stood out. It was a connection few could comprehend, rooted in shared experiences, whispered secrets, deep misunderstandings, and an unwavering sense of loyalty.

Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale, the eldest daughter of Frances Shand Kydd and John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, was born in 1955 into one of Britain’s most aristocratic families. The Spencers were steeped in tradition, status, and history, but beneath their polished surface was a family fractured by emotional distance. Sarah, as the firstborn, carried the weight of expectations from a young age. Six years later, in 1961, Diana was born—a spirited, deeply emotional child whose sensitivity and yearning for connection often clashed with the reserved, duty-bound world she was born into.

To the outside world, the Spencer sisters grew up in privilege. Their home, Althorp House, was a grand estate symbolizing centuries of heritage and nobility. But behind its stately walls, their childhood was marked by turmoil. Their parents’ marriage was turbulent, and when Diana was just six years old, their mother left the family. Raised primarily by their strict, emotionally distant father, the Spencer children were forced to grow up fast.

In that emotionally barren household, Sarah and Diana found solace in each other. Sarah, ever the responsible eldest, often acted as protector, peacekeeper, and sometimes the reluctant disciplinarian. She understood the rules of their world—speak only when appropriate, always present the family with grace, and never bring shame to the Spencer name. Diana, by contrast, often pushed back against those expectations. She was less interested in conforming and more interested in understanding and feeling.

Despite their differences, their bond was undeniable. They shared bedrooms and midnight conversations, fought over small things as siblings do, but always returned to one another. Underneath their disagreements was an invisible tether, forged in the quiet, painful moments of their youth, where they realized that survival—emotional survival—was something they had to navigate together.

As they entered adolescence, the contrast in their personalities became more pronounced. Sarah stepped confidently into her role as the heir, composed and measured, fulfilling her duties with grace if not passion. Diana, on the other hand, remained unpredictable—filled with warmth, humor, and a deep emotional intensity. Teachers and friends remembered Diana as kind-hearted and generous, often moved by others’ suffering. She once gave away her lunch to a friend who had forgotten theirs, a simple act that spoke volumes about her empathy. She dreamed of becoming a ballerina, yearning for a world that allowed her to express herself freely. Though her academic performance was modest, her teachers noted her strong sense of loyalty and duty.

As adulthood approached, Sarah’s influence in Diana’s life became even more significant. In 1977, Lady Sarah briefly dated Prince Charles. She was poised, refined, and well-suited to royal expectations. But her relationship with the future king ended abruptly after she told reporters she would never marry someone she didn’t love—even if that person were the Prince of Wales. The comment embarrassed the royal family and effectively ended their courtship. Unintentionally, Sarah’s candor paved the way for Diana’s entrance into Charles’s life.

Diana first met Prince Charles during a grouse hunting event at Althorp. She was only sixteen; he was twenty-nine. At the time, the meeting left little impression—Diana joked later that he barely noticed her—but things changed as she grew older. By the time she was eighteen, Charles began to show interest. Sarah, ever supportive, encouraged the budding romance. She even remarked to friends that Diana was better suited to Charles than she had ever been.

What followed was a whirlwind courtship that captivated the world. In 1981, at just nineteen, Diana became engaged to the future king. While the media painted their union as a fairy tale, Sarah saw a more complex reality—one shadowed by uncertainty and unease. She stood by Diana throughout the wedding preparations, helping her navigate the mounting pressures and lending her strength during moments of doubt.

Diana confided in her about Charles’s emotional distance and his enduring closeness to Camilla Parker Bowles. Sarah tried to reassure her, chalking up her anxiety to pre-wedding nerves, but the signs of something deeper were clear. On the night before the wedding, Diana broke down in tears. Sarah and their sister Jane tried to comfort her, but the unease was palpable. Diana was stepping into a life that would isolate her more than she ever anticipated.

Once Diana assumed her role as Princess of Wales, the sisters’ dynamic shifted. Fame transformed Diana into a global icon, while Sarah remained grounded in the traditional world of British aristocracy. She married Neil McCorquodale in 1980, started a family, and continued to support royal duties. Diana, however, was beginning to resist. She called Sarah when she needed comfort—when the scrutiny became too much, when Charles grew more distant, when she needed a voice that wouldn’t judge. But over time, the calls became fewer. Diana didn’t want to appear vulnerable. She feared that Sarah, with her loyalty to the establishment, might not be able to help.

Still, there were moments that reminded them both of their unbreakable bond. In 1992, as Diana’s marriage publicly deteriorated, she invited Sarah to Kensington Palace. Behind closed doors, Diana unburdened herself—speaking of betrayal, isolation, fear. She told Sarah that she felt watched, that her phone calls were being monitored, that she feared her brakes had been tampered with. Sarah listened, torn between skepticism and the raw terror she saw in her sister’s eyes. When she asked Diana if she wanted to leave, Diana admitted that she did—but she was terrified. She feared that telling the truth would cost her everything. Sarah promised she would protect that truth.

Not long after, Diana sat down for her now-infamous interview with Martin Bashir, telling the world, “There were three of us in this marriage.” Sarah watched the interview live. She had no idea it was coming. She felt shock, pride, and fear all at once—because now Diana wasn’t just revealing private pain, she was challenging powerful forces.

In the years that followed, the sisters’ contact lessened—not from lack of love, but from necessity. Diana’s life became increasingly chaotic. She traveled extensively, became involved in humanitarian work, and began a relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed. Her existence was fast-paced and, at times, dangerous. Sarah, still within the royal circle, was kept at a distance. But the connection never faded. When Diana died in a tragic car crash in 1997, it was Sarah who traveled to Paris alongside Prince Charles and their sister Jane to retrieve her body. She stood by her sister one final time, accompanying her coffin back to England, and eventually to Althorp, where Diana was laid to rest. The grief never truly left her.

Sarah has carried that pain silently for decades, but grief has a way of evolving. Over time, it solidifies into something else—something resilient. It becomes resolve. After years of watching her sister’s story be retold, often distorted, Sarah is stepping forward. She wants the world to remember the Diana she knew: the sister who dreamed, who suffered, who loved fiercely, and who ultimately spoke out even when it cost her everything.

Some moments in history feel predestined in hindsight—etched so deeply into the cultural psyche that it’s hard to imagine they could have unfolded any other way. The wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981, is one of those moments. Broadcast to over 750 million viewers worldwide, it was dubbed a modern fairy tale. The image of Diana in her ivory silk gown stepping out of the carriage has become iconic. But behind the pomp and splendor, Lady Sarah now confirms that the fairytale almost never happened. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Diana was overwhelmed with doubt.

Still living in her modest flat with her roommates—nicknamed “the girls” by the press—Diana juggled part-time jobs as a kindergarten assistant and tried to remain low-key, despite increasing media attention. Yet beneath the surface, she was already starting to fall apart.