Princess Diana's Former Lady-in-Waiting Anne Beckwith-Smith Given 6-Month Driving Ban for Speeding

Janine HenniThu, April 9, 2026 at 7:16 PM UTC

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Princess Diana and Anne Beckwith-Smith board a helicopter outside Kensington PalaceCredit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty -

Princess Diana's former lady-in-waiting Anne Beckwith-Smith received a six-month driving ban after accumulating 12 penalty points on her license

She argued the ban would cause "exceptional hardship" for her brother in a care home

Beckwith-Smith served Princess Diana from 1981 to 1997 and was honored for her royal service in 1990

A former lady-in-waiting to the late Princess Diana has been told to slow down after speeding.

On April 8, the late Princess of Wales' longest-serving lady-in-waiting, Anne Beckwith-Smith, was given a six-month driving ban and ordered to pay several hundred dollars in fines, the Daily Mail reported.

In August 2024, Beckwith-Smith pleaded guilty to driving her blue Audi at 36 mph in a 30 mph zone in Salisbury, Wiltshire, the outlet said.

The incident caused her to hit 12 penalty points on her driver's license, which is enough to disqualify drivers in Britain if they rack up that many within three years, according to Gov.UK. The former courtier already had points on her license from prior speeding offenses in October 2022 and April 2025, but she tried to keep her license in order to travel to see her brother at a care home near Salisbury.

Anne Beckwith-Smith leaving Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court, London, where she was charged with speeding over an incident in Wilton, Salisbury in August 2024, on April 8, 2026.Credit: Alamy

The six-month driving ban was made effective on Wednesday, and Beckwith-Smith argued at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court that it would cause her brother "exceptional hardship," The Times reported.

Diana's former courtier said that she would travel about 100 miles from her Kensington, London home to see her brother in Salisbury, but she allegedly didn't disclose that her family owned a house in Salisbury that is around a 15-minute drive from where her brother lives.

"You have an address in Salisbury — is there a reason you haven’t mentioned that?" prosecutor Oliver Hall asked, according to the outlet, and she replied, "No one ever asked me."

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Though she pushed that it would be "quite catastrophic" for the brother who relied on her if she couldn't drive, Beckwith-Smith was banned from driving for six months and told to pay a $412 fine.

Beckwith-Smith previously served Princess Diana as a lady-in-waiting from 1981 until her death following a car accident in 1997, making her the longest-serving lady-in-waiting to the late Princess of Wales, the Daily Mail said.

Princess Diana in her sitting room at home in Kensington Palace with her lady-in-waiting Anne Beckwith-Smith.Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Her royal role expanded as assistant private secretary in 1986, and she was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1990 for her dedication to duty.

In the courtroom on Wednesday, bench chair Isobel Vass commended Beckwith-Smith for her devotion to her brother and said she'll be free to drive in a few months' time.

Anne Beckwith-Smith during a royal tour of North wales on Nov. 25, 1982.Credit: Alamy

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"We are not going to find 'exceptional hardship.' We do not underestimate the medical and care needs of your brother in the care home. We note your dedication and commitment to visit him regularly, but we find you will be able to live in the area several days a week to meet your obligations," Voss said, the outlet reported.

"I must warn you not to use any motorized vehicles during this period. There is a risk you could be brought back to court and punished. The points will come off due to the disqualification. You will be absolutely free."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”