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Diana’s parents often used material gifts to compete for her and her siblings' affection. A notable example is her father hiring camels from the Bristol Zoo for her seventh birthday party, illustrating a focus on grand gestures over emotional intimacy.

Their courtship was marked by a heavy sense of formality; Diana famously referred to Charles as "Sir" until their engagement. This distance was famously underscored when Charles, asked if they were in love, replied, " Whatever 'in love' means ".

The whirlwind engagement was far from a modern romance. Diana and Charles only met approximately 12 times before he proposed.