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Princess Diana's Lady-in-Waiting Banned From Driving
10 Apr
Summary
- Former lady-in-waiting Anne Beckwith-Smith received a six-month driving ban.
- She was caught driving 36mph in a 30mph zone in Wiltshire.
- Magistrates denied her exemption request to care for her brother.
Anne Beckwith-Smith, who served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Diana from 1981 until the princess's death in 1997, has been banned from driving for six months. The 74-year-old was caught driving at 36mph in a 30mph zone in her blue Audi Q2 in Wiltshire in August 2024.
Lavender Hill magistrates' court heard the case on April 8, 2026. Beckwith-Smith, who resides in South Kensington, London, admitted to the offense. She had requested an exemption from the driving ban, stating it would be 'rather catastrophic' as her brother lives in a care home in Salisbury, an area with poor public transport. However, magistrates refused her plea, noting that a bus stop was available and taxis were an option.
