Princess Diana's Wedding Can Teach All Kids This 1 Important Lesson

Published on 8/8/2018 at 5:00 PM

As a new parent, I've already started to think about the sorts of things I'll teach my daughter . . . and the sorts of things I'll show her. The distinction for me, of course, is about creating an environment in which she absorbs certain lessons simply by being exposed to them. And while our family has received a fair amount of enlightening feminist books that teach empowerment and courage (so far Rosie Revere Engineer is my favorite), I'm especially looking forward to teaching her — nay, showing her — that Mom and Dad are equals.

Gender equality in the home was something I was fortunate enough to be exposed to growing up, and all parents can lean on a number of different resources to provide similar lessons for their children. One place we can all look to, surprisingly, is Princess Diana's legacy.

When Diana married Prince Charles in July 1981, she omitted the word "obey" from their vows, which were read from the Book of Common Prayer. She was the first royal bride to do this, and the tradition continued when her son Prince William married Kate Middleton 30 years later, and they too decided to remove the word from their own vows.

Honing in on the fact that Princess Diana removed the word "obey" from her vows doesn't have to be a singular event that lives on just as a wedding fact. Her willingness to be true to herself (and ultimately, to be different) can teach a lot to parents — and to children — about perceiving men and women as equals.

— Additional reporting by Britt Stephens