Commonly referred to as “Princess Diana”, her proper title was actually “Diana, Princess of Wales” She retained this title even after her divorce from Prince Charles, but was not allowed to keep the designation of “her royal highness”.  Although she was a popular and well-loved member of the British Royal Family, here are a few things about Diana you may not have known:

Diana’s step-grandmother was actually Barbara Cartland, a famous romance novelist.

She was actually a descendant of King Charles II via her paternal bloodline.

The Spencer family boasts relationship to at least eight former U.S. Presidents. They are: George Washington, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, Millard Fillmore, Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, and Franklin D. Roosevelt in order of their presidency.

Diana’s brother was the godson of Queen Elizabeth II

Diana herself was the godmother of 17 different children

In their childhood days, Prince Andrew and the Princess of Wales were actually playmates.

As a schoolchild, Diana was once honored with an award for exceptional care of her pet guinea pig.

750 million people worldwide witness the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. However, more than 2 billion people tuned in to her funeral in 1997.

Diana was adept at ballet and tap-dancing. She dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but her height made it difficult for her to do so. Three years before she began dating Prince Charles, she actually taught him how to tap dance.

Her photograph appeared 42 times on the cover of People magazine, selling out almost instantly on each occasion.