As the world looks back on the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, who would have been 56 this year but died tragically in 1997, they can also look back on some of the interesting and lesser-known facts about the childhood that made Diana who she was—the princess who might not have been queen, but will forever rule the public's heart.

Much of what we know about Di's childhood is thanks to Andrew Morton's biography, "Diana: Her True Story," which at first was thought to be an unauthorized account of her life. The biography is now known to have been created in collaboration with the princess herself, thanks to secret tape recordings.

The following 15 facts about the "People's Princess" are taken from Morton's book.