Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother

by Max Riddington, Gavan Naden

This is the story of the fascinating life of the Honourable Mrs. Frances Shand Kydd, mother to one of the most famous women in the world, Princess Diana. It features exclusive interviews and previously unseen photographs, and details the many similarities between the lives of Frances Shand Kydd and her daughter—from adultery, scandal, and divorce, to conflict with the British Establishment.

Genres: Biography, Royalty

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good look at the life of Diana, Princess of Wales' mother. She led a pretty quiet life away from the spotlight as best as she could. In many ways her life was very sad but in collaborating with this book she finally broke her silence about her first divorce and relationship with all her children. I think she told her story in a very dignified manner. Very enlightening.

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting study of the life of a much publicized but little-known woman. It was a bit repetitive in places and perhaps painted a slightly over-glowing picture of its subject, while being seemingly unfair to the Queen in certain areas. It also contained a few alarming (to me as a copy-editor) factual errors. But overall it is a useful addition to the books on Diana and her background and life, as well as an insightful look into the worst aspects of the British aristocracy and establishment in the last century.

[Yooperprof · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my "guilty pleasures" is reading gossipy "royalty" biographies, dealing in the sorrows and tribulations of the exceedingly privileged. This is a good example of that genre, written with the subject's co-operation, and, not surprisingly, sympathetic to her perspective.

[Suzanne Fournier · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very interesting biography and in many ways felt like an untold story of a woman who had been not only vilified but pressed into silence. I have no doubt of the many hardships Frances suffered at the hands of the Firm and the press, however it did feel like the author was trying too hard to make her seem like a victim. The repeated mentions of the loss of her first son and later miscarriage (which I will admit I've never experienced and cannot imagine the trauma) seemed to be grasping for sympathy. In the end she did come across as an interesting and strong woman, however.

[3PCats · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although interesting to hear many parts of the story in Frances’ own words (she was interviewed for the book), this is at times frustratingly non-linear and very repetitive, especially near the end.

[Gail Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this look at Diana's mother. Very interesting see how Frances's life had such a huge impact on Diana's. It explains a lot.

[LadySlippersAndLoons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this 5 stars even though it's a far from perfect book. I still enjoyed it and recommend this to any Diana fan as it paints a much different picture of Frances and Diana's relationship (Ken Wharfe, James Whitaker, and Sarah Bradford do this as well).

Frances was a commendable woman that had her children wrenched from her after she left her abusive husband (read Whitaker's account, he doesn't mince his words concerning Johnny Spencer). This set the background for Diana's many actions against the House of Windsor as Diana feared that her boys would be taken from her too (history would have been so much different if the courts had given Frances her children).

I give it 5 stars because in order to understand Diana, you need to know Frances. She's just that pivotal to Diana's story.