A work contract signed by Diana Spencer at the age of 17, two years before her marriage to Prince Charles, is set to be auctioned in the United Kingdom, with expectations of fetching thousands of dollars. The document, filled out by the young Diana in May 1979, was an application to the elite nanny agency Solve Your Problem Ltd. Interestingly, she listed her date of birth as 1960 instead of 1961, possibly to expedite job placement or negotiate higher pay.
Expected to garner around $10,000, the contract is believed to be Princess Diana’s earliest official employment agreement. Andrew Stowe of Auctioneum Ltd described it as a significant historical artifact, noting the pivotal moment of securing one’s first job, especially for someone who later became one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century.
Regarding the altered birthdate, Stowe suggested that Diana may have intentionally misrepresented her age to appear older, potentially increasing her chances of securing employment or negotiating better compensation. However, he acknowledged the possibility of it being a simple oversight.
In the contract, Diana expressed her desire for employment “as soon as possible” without specifying the nature of work or expected salary. The document was filled out shortly after her relocation to London, with her address listed as Cadogan Place SW1, where she resided temporarily before moving to her own flat at Colherne Court, Kensington.
The contract is believed to mark Princess Diana’s initiation into various short-term jobs as a nanny, mother’s help, and child carer. Prior to this formal agreement, she had worked unofficially for friends and family in 1978, with some of them listed as referees on the contract.
Princess Diana’s profound impact on the world, through both her philanthropic endeavors and personal life, solidified her status as one of the most prominent women globally. Her untimely death in a car crash in August 1997 left a lasting legacy, with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, aged just 15 and 12 at the time, continuing her humanitarian work and advocacy efforts.