It is well known that the Royal Family buy each other joke presents for Christmas each year, but it would seem the festive season is not the only time that these gifts are exchanged. It seems the late Diana, Princess of Wales was the chief prankster of the family and would often do cheeky things or buy naughty gifts for her two sons.

But while those gifts are pure family fun, the Royal Family also receive hundreds of gifts and tokens every year from members of the public. And according to Diana’s former bodyguard, the late princess had a genius tactic to keep her sons’ feet on the ground.

Diana is often praised for the excellent mother she was to Prince William and Prince Harry. She often took them to private charity visits and on normal days out as she wanted them to live without the restrictions of strict royal protocol.

Her biographer, Andrew Morton said: “She took the young royals with her on her private charity visits from a young age – one of the reasons was she didn’t want the boys to grow up thinking the whole world was 4×4 Range Rovers, shotguns and nannies.”

And this sense of normality extended to the festive period. According to a close former member of the late Princess of Wales’s staff, Diana would restrict the number of presents her children received.

Diana, Princess of Wales is often praised for being an excellent mother ( 
Image:
2007 Getty Images)
According to her former bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, she would sometimes return gifts that people would send to them or donate them to charity. Mr Wharfe explained that Christmas gifts would show up at the palace for Princes William and Harry from unknown sources.

The bodyguard previously told OK!, “Diana was very careful to ensure that they weren’t flooded with gifts – gifts did appear from unknown sources, and they were often returned or given to charity because they didn’t need them.

She was very conscious about what she bought as she knew the hallway at Sandringham would be full of presents.”