Princess Diana's London: Her Favourite Spots and Her Secret Social Life

"London's oldest and most celebrated French restaurant" was a favourite dining spot for Diana in the '90s. Because of its close proximity to the West End, it has always been popular with the theatre crowd, and Stephen Fry wrote in his book More Fool Me: A Memoir that he once encountered Diana there on her way to the first floor dining room. The princess also used to eat in the main restaurant and would apparently order the seared tuna with lentils.

The no-frills cafe was named after the princess in 1989, and the owner couldn't believe it when she popped in just a few days later. Diana became a regular and would often bring William and Harry for breakfast. The princes would order a fry-up while Diana stuck to a cappuccino and a croissant — although she would occasionally have a cooked breakfast herself. The walls have always been plastered with pictures of the princess, and when the owner requested that she donate one herself, Diana brought in a black and white shot signed with her name in gold at the bottom. The last time she went in was for a cappuccino just a month before she passed away.

Diana owned some lavish jewels, but when it came to fun daytime pieces, she often turned to Butler and Wilson for its colourful costume jewellery. She favoured its earrings and pins and would often buy gifts for friends, occasionally stopping by with Sarah Ferguson.

Comedian Cleo Rocos wrote in her book The Power of Positive Drinking that she enjoyed a few fun nights out with the princess, along with their mutual friends Freddie Mercury and comedian Kenny Everett. "She would regularly sneak out on her own, in disguise, to go to places round the corner from the Palace," Cleo recalled. "I remember drinking peach Bellinis with her, Kenny, and Freddie Mercury at the Bombay Brasserie nearby, before we all went up to Kenny's penthouse to continue drinking. I'll never forget watching Diana, Kenn, and Freddie dancing around the lounge to the Gypsy Kings, each waving one of Kenny's feather dusters in the air."

The Victorian tavern has been a landmark gay pub for decades and has recently been made a Grade II Listed Building in reference to its history as an important LGBTQ+ venue. Back in the late '80s, it also happened to be the spot where Freddie Mercury took Diana — disguised as a male model in army jacket, cap, and sunglasses — on an undercover night out. Cleo Rocos wrote in her book, "When we walked in . . . we felt she was obviously Princess Diana and would be discovered at any minute. But people just seemed to blank her. She sort of disappeared. But she loved it."

The family-run traditional Italian restaurant was Diana's favourite lunch spot, and she would meet friends there, take William and Harry when they were on a break from school, and also took a small group of staff there for a thank you and farewell lunch after she and Charles separated. The princess would often order the seafood pasta and occasionally fresh mango for dessert.

Diana used the services of the salon for 10 years, and although a hairstylist would often be dispatched to Kensington Palace, the princess would also frequent the salon itself. Daniel once revealed his favourite memory of Diana was when the in-house manicurist came in on her day off to tend to Diana's nails and had to bring in her baby boy. Daniel recalled, "Princess Di said, 'I'll look after him, you look after my nails!'"

Diana used to bring William and Harry to the pizzeria for lunch, and now there are several reminders of her custom. There's a six-foot-high oil painting on the wall and Pizza Diana on the menu, made with four different cheeses and an artichoke heart. Da Mario is also where Renée Zellweger ate out to gain weight before the first Bridget Jones movie, as she was staying in a flat nearby. The actress would apparently order pizza, garlic bread, and beer.

Diana was a huge fan of the ballet, and the home of the Royal Ballet was a spot that she loved. In 1985, she danced on stage there with former Royal Ballet dancer Wayne Sleep as a birthday surprise for Prince Charles, but she had actually frequented the place for years before that and first met the dancer, who later became a friend, in the Crush Bar in 1981.

The other big fancy department store in the area was another of Diana's favourites, and it's where she would stock up on beauty products, regularly hitting the Clinique and Dior counters.

Diana had her pick of the most expensive beauty products in the world, but one of her favourite stores was The Body Shop, the main street store that specialises in cruelty-free fruity lotions and potions. The princess was such a fan that she cut the ribbon on the new company HQ in 1986.

Diana often took William and Harry to the movies when they were home from school for the weekend. They went to see The Jungle Book and The Devil's Own there. Decades later, it's now William and Kate's local cinema — it's where they saw The Avengers.

Another one of Diana's favourite restaurants was the chic and discreet former townhouse. Serving modern British cuisine, the place was perfect for the princess as it's made up of a string of little rooms, which would give her privacy while she dined. The restaurant is still thriving and has since been awarded a Michelin Star.