KEY POINTS

  • Princess Diana was a kindergarten teacher before marrying Prince Charles
  • She received a hefty settlement after her divorce from the Prince of Wales
  • Diana, her rumored partner Emad "Dodi" Fayed and their driver Henri Paul died in a car crash in 1997

Diana, the late Princess of Wales, made her mark by diverting attention toward society’s most pressing issues back when she was at the height of her fame. While her life had been short, she left a fortune to her two sons — Prince William and Prince Harry.

Lady Diana Spencer was born in Norfolk, England, on July 1, 1961, to the late John Spencer, 8th Earl of Spencer, and Hon. Frances Shand Kydd, according to the official website of the British royal family. She worked as a kindergarten teacher before marrying Prince Charles in July 1981.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a tumultuous 15-year marriage that ended in a highly publicized divorce. The couple started having extramarital affairs in 1986, Vogue reported. Diana was involved with army officer James Hewitt, while Charles was with his longtime flame and now-wife, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Before her death in 1997, Diana’s net worth was at $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The fortune she left behind mostly came from the settlement she got after her divorce from the Princes of Wales.

Diana received an estimated $22.5 million, plus an extra $60,000 to furnish her private office, according to Readers Digest. She also got shares, jewelry and other personal items from the divorce settlement.

The beloved Princess of Wales made her mark post-royal family with her work in charities involved with addressing leprosy and AIDS. But her life was cut short at age 36 by a car accident in Paris, France. Diana, rumored boyfriend and Egyptian billionaire Emad "Dodi" Fayed and their driver Henri Paul were all killed in the crash.

After her death, her fortune was invested in the name of her children. Her two sons started getting their mother’s fortune at age 25 and fully received it at 30 years old. Prince William and Prince Harry each got about $9 million from their mother, Forbes reported. The Sun disclosed that the amount reached $13.9 million by the time the two princes fully received the inheritance.

In his and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey Sunday, Prince Harry revealed that the money left by his mother allowed him and his family to move to California after breaking ties with the royal family.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Prince Charles and Princess Diana are pictured attending a centenary service for the Royal College Of Music on Feb. 28, 1982 at Westminster Abbey, London. Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images