Princess Diana has topped a Church of England poll to be named the "ideal mother" ahead of even the Virgin Mary.
The Princess of Wales beat the mother of Jesus Christ to the top spot by five per cent, making her the most popular choice.
The Virgin Mary trailed behind in eighth place, beaten by the likes of Michelle Obama and the Queen.
"My own mother" was the second most popular choice, closely followed by Mother Theresa.
The top ten 'ideal mothers':
1. Princess Diana
2. My own mother
3. Mother Teresa
4. The Queen
5. Michelle Obama
6. Molly Weasley
7. Mary Poppins
8. Virgin Mary
9. Mrs March (Little Women)
10. Marge Simpson
Fictional character Molly Weasley, of the Harry Potter novels, came in sixth place ahead of Mary Poppins.
The poll, of 2,000 people, carried out by ComRes, also asked respondents about the most important things their mother had done for them.
Ten per cent said she had taught them the value of hard work and seven per cent of both women and men said their mother had been a positive role model.
A fifth said she had taught them to do the right thing, while a tenth said she had taught them the value of hard work.
The Revd Dr Sandra Millar, head of life events at the Church of England, said: “It’s great to hear that people appreciate mums way beyond stereotypes of cooking and cleaning.
“Being there for you, teaching and modelling good values and working hard are qualities that inspire and shape lives."
