Princess Diana's former personal chef says she seemed to 'grow in confidence' after separating from Prince Charles

• Princess Diana's chef said her confidence grew after she separated from Prince Charles.
• Darren McGrady worked as Diana's personal chef at Kensington Palace for four years until her death.

Princess Diana's former personal chef said that after the royal separated from Prince Charles in 1992, she seemed to "grow in confidence."

Darren McGrady, who was depicted in Pablo Larraín's 2021 biopic "Spencer," told Insider that he believes Diana got stronger after the separation.

"She'd always got that wicked sense of humor. She's always loved risky jokes, but she was a little quieter, a little more reserved," he said of the first 11 years he knew her.

"It was after the separation that she seemed to grow in confidence," said the chef, whose website notes that he worked for at Buckingham Palace for 11 years from 1982, before moving to Kensington Palace in 1993 to work for Diana until her death in 1997.

Insider's Erin McDowell previously reported that Charles and Diana married during a widely televised wedding on July 29, 1981. They announced their separation in 1992 and began carrying out separate royal duties, remaining legally married for 15 years until August 1996 when they filed for divorce.

Diana was granted permission to continue to use the title of "Princess of Wales," but had to relinquish the title of "Her Royal Highness" and any future claims to the British throne.

McGrady, who said he made sure to call Diana "Her Royal Highness" at all times as a mark of respect, said Kensington Palace became the "House of Diana" in which she thrived while carrying out her engagements, both charitable and cultural.

"She was the patron of 119 different charities, working out at the gym three days a week, looking the best she ever did," he said of the years he spent in her household.

In June 1994, Prince Charles admitted to having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles during an interview with documentary filmmaker Jonathan Dimbleby, The New York Times reported at the time.

According to People, on the night the documentary aired, Diana attended a Vanity Fair party wearing what came to be known as the "revenge dress," a Christina Stambolian off-the-shoulder little black dress.

Addressing her apparent amplified confidence at this time, McGrady said: "After the separation, there was a very strong-willed princess there."