Editing Diana, Princess of Wales (section)

==Education and career==
Diana was initially home-schooled under the supervision of her [[governess]], Gertrude Allen.<ref name="robinson"/> She began her formal education at Silfield Private School in [[King's Lynn]], Norfolk, and moved to [[Riddlesworth Hall School]], an all-girls boarding school near [[Thetford]], when she was nine.{{sfn|Bradford|2006|pp=21–22}} She joined her sisters at [[West Heath Girls' School]] in [[Sevenoaks]], Kent, in 1973.{{sfn|Bradford|2006|p=23}} She did not perform well academically, failing her [[GCE Ordinary Level (United Kingdom)|O-levels]] twice.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/diana/ob-child.html|title=The Life of Diana, Princess of Wales: Childhood And Teenage Years|work=BBC News|accessdate=16 October 2023|archive-date=3 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103010518/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/diana/ob-child.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/diana/1561266/Princess-Diana-An-injured-angel.html|title=Princess Diana: An injured angel|work=The Telegraph|first=W. F.|last=Deedes|date=25 August 2007|accessdate=16 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731084725/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/diana/1561266/Princess-Diana-An-injured-angel.html|archive-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> Her outstanding community spirit was recognised with an award from West Heath.<ref name="TeenageRoyal">{{cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/diana-princess-wales|title=Diana, Princess of Wales|work=The Royal Family|access-date=17 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170124095030/https://www.royal.uk/diana-princess-wales|archive-date=24 January 2017|date=21 December 2015}}</ref> She left West Heath when she was sixteen.{{sfn|Bradford|2006|p=35}} Her brother Charles recalls her as being quite shy up until that time.{{sfn|Bradford|2006|pp=40–41}} She demonstrated musical ability as a skilled pianist.<ref name="TeenageRoyal"/> She also excelled in swimming and diving, and studied ballet and [[tap dance]].{{sfn|Brown|2007|p=55}}

{{multiple image|align=right
 | footer    = [[Coleherne Court]] in Chelsea, London, where Diana lived between 1979 and 1981. An [[English Heritage]] [[blue plaque]] is located at the address.
 | width     =
 | image1    = Coleherne Court, (April 2007) - panoramio.jpg
 | width1    = 150
 | image2    = Lady DIANA SPENCER later PRINCESS OF WALES 1961–1997 lived here 1979–1981.jpg
 | width2    = 127
}}

In 1978 Diana worked for three months as a nanny for Philippa and [[Jeremy Whitaker]] in Hampshire.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/12/05/major-jeremy-whitaker-eccentric-soldier-served-adc-nigeria-malaysia/|title=Major Jeremy Whitaker, eccentric soldier who served as ADC in Nigeria and Malaysia before establishing himself as an in-demand photographer – obituary|work=The Telegraph|date=5 December 2019|accessdate=6 July 2022|url-access=subscription|archive-date=6 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706052345/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/12/05/major-jeremy-whitaker-eccentric-soldier-served-adc-nigeria-malaysia/|url-status=live}}</ref> After attending [[Institut Alpin Videmanette]] (a finishing school in [[Rougemont, Switzerland]]) for one term, and leaving after the Easter term of 1978,<ref name="tributepageroyalgovuk">{{cite web |title=Childhood and teenage years |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/family/diana2.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000302063016/http://www.royal.gov.uk/family/diana2.htm |website=The British Monarchy |publisher=The Crown |access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=2 March 2000}}</ref> Diana returned to London, where she shared her mother's flat with two school friends.{{sfn|Bradford|2006|pp=41, 44}} In London, she took an advanced cooking course and worked at a series of low-paying jobs; she worked as a dance instructor for youth until a skiing accident caused her to miss three months of work.{{sfn|Brown|2007|p=68}} She then found employment as a playgroup pre-school assistant, did some cleaning work for her sister Sarah and several of her friends, and acted as a hostess at parties. She spent time working as a nanny for the Robertsons, an American family living in London,{{sfn|Morton|1997|p=103}}<ref name="ie20170519">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8yxRBu1Bo |title=Meet The Woman Who Hired Princess Diana As A Nanny Before She Married Charles |date=19 May 2017 |publisher=Inside Edition |access-date=16 June 2024 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and worked as a nursery teacher's assistant at the Young England School in [[Pimlico]].{{sfn|Bradford|2006|p=45}} In July 1979, her mother bought her a flat at [[Coleherne Court]] in [[Earl's Court]] as an 18th birthday present.{{sfn|Bradford|2006|p=46}} She lived there with three flatmates until 25 February 1981.{{sfn|Morton|1997|p=118}}