Why the Queen "Didn't Know How to Handle" Princess Diana

Princess Diana was dubbed "the people's princess" because of the adoration she received by so many around the world, but that reverence may not have been as strong within the Buckingham Palace walls.

As frequently rumored, Diana and her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, sustained a long and troubled relationship that led to their undeniable disconnect. And now, thanks to a new book ​The Queen's Speech: An Intimate Portrait of the Queen in Her Own Words​, author Ingrid Seward is giving an insider view of their complex ties.

Their challenges all came to a head as Diana's marriage to Charles privately unraveled. Seeing this, Queen Elizabeth found herself frustrated by her increasingly unhappy daughter-in law.

"The Queen was desperate to help Diana but she just didn't know how, and Diana couldn't connect with the Queen," Seward told ​People.​ "She just broke down in front of the Queen and no one had ever done that before in her life. She just didn't know how to handle this emotional young woman."

Sadly, between this raw emotion and their vast generational gap, Queen Elizabeth was unprepared for dealing with a woman who was "really just a child," Seward claims, and their relationship only worsened from there.

Guess it just goes to show even royals aren't immune to the complexities of in-law relationships.

[via People]