The Crown Season 5: What was in Princess Diana’s divorce settlement?

Season 5 of Netflix's The Crown follows the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage, including Charles' affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, leading many to wonder what was in Princess Diana’s divorce settlement.

• Season 5 of The Crown sees Princess Diana ask for £35m as part of her divorce settlement with the then Prince Charles
• As The Crown is known for it's exaggerated storylines, many viewers have been left wondering how much Princess Diana actually received as part of her divorce settlement
• In other royal news, many fans of The Crown are wondering who is Princess Diana’s friend Dr. James Colthurst and who plays him in The Crown?

The Crown's fifth season, despite all the controversy surrounding it, has lit up Netflix screens once more, this time to follow the highly publicised breakdown of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' marriage.  

Set in the 1990's, season five see's Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, and Prince Charles, played by Dominic West, as they navigate a royal separation, the then Prince’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and the infamous scandal of Camillagate.

Following their decision to divorce, The Crown shows Princess Diana asking for £35m as part of her divorce settlement. But how true is the storyline? 

It's not too far off, though definitely exaggerated. In reality, when the divorce was finalised in 1996, Diana was reported to have received a lump sum of £17m, plus an additional £400,000 per year.

In addition, Diana was also permitted to keep her title of Princess of Wales, but did have to give up the title of Her Royal Highness. The Queen was allegedly more than happy for Diana to keep the title, but the then Prince Charles was rumoured to have pushed for its removal. 

At the time of their divorce, Buckingham Palace released a statement to say that Diana would continue to be “regarded as a member of the royal family” and “will from time to time receive invitations to state and national public occasions.”

Alongside the divorce settlement, the former royal couple also had to come to an agreement regarding their two children, Prince William and Prince Harry. This decision was said to be a straightforward one, with Charles and Diana both being given equal custody of their sons. The arrangement made the well-established, but unofficial, custody agreement that the pair had been using throughout their four-year long seperation official.

Diana was also allowed to keep her apartment at Kensington Palace, with apartments eight and nine also being entrusted for her exclusive use. She was also allowed to continue using the state apartments at St James’s Palace.

Last, but by no means least, Princess Diana was also allowed continuing access to the royal family’s private jets, with The Independent reporting the decision was made "so she could continue to travel in the style to which she was accustomed."

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