Why Diana Will Always Be Our Favorite Royal Bride

By Samantha Peters Updated: May 18, 2018

Tags:

If you’re anything like us, you jumped for joy when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally announced their engagement. The engagement ring is beautiful. The pair’s first official interview together is heartwarming. And we couldn’t be happier that after many years of searching, the former bad boy prince has finally found the love of his life. But we have to admit that all this talk about royal engagements and weddings calls to mind our favorite royal bride of all time — Princess Diana.

It’s been 36 years since Princess Diana and Prince Charles‘s famous wedding (and kiss), but previously unknown details seem to be emerging all the time. They make us appreciate the late royal as a bride even more than we already did — and we’re not even talking about all the fabric that went into making her fabulous wedding dress.

Princess Diana Wedding Dress

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Despite the fact that she was about to become a princess — not to mention one of the most famous women in the world — Princess Diana was a refreshingly relatable bride. According to a recent book by Sally Bedell Smith, the royal’s iconic nuptials had a few hiccups. And we have to say, we would’ve definitely made Diana’s mistake at our own wedding.

In her novel, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, Smith reveals that Princess Diana accidentally called Prince Charles the wrong name during her vows.

princess diana prince charles kiss

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

But fear not — the blunder wasn’t actually as bad as it sounds. According to a historical article written by the BBC, Diana called her husband-to-be “Philip Charles” instead of “Charles Philip.” Ultimately, the BBC attributes the slight flip-flop to “wedding day jitters.” Hey, we’re pretty sure anyone who’s ever had a wedding can relate to jitters, right?

Another reason why we appreciate Diana so much as a bride is because she was a class-act who handled the event with grace under pressure. And what huge pressure it was! Not only was the July 1981 wedding was one of the most watched events in TV history, she also had to deal with Prince Charles’ old flame Camilla Parker Bowles being there — with whom he would later have an affair. That said, one of the world’s soon-to-be most photographed women knew exactly how to give every single person her signature winning smile — not to mention a gracious wave.

princess di favorite bride

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Deal of the Day

Get Ready for Summer With the OLOV Bikini Trimmer Now 34% Off! View Deal

But we think the biggest reason why Princess Diana was our favorite royal bride because there was never one — and dare we say, there will never be one — exactly like her. After all, many brides make their way down the aisle to get to their husband. But Princess Diana — knowingly or not — walked down the aisle to a path that would later lead her to helping the world’s least fortunate people, raising awareness about serious issues that had been largely ignored, and sharing inspirational quotes so that others could follow her glorious example.

She walked down the aisle to later make a huge difference in the world — one that only she could make.

h/t HouseBeautiful.com

Learn more surprising Princess Diana facts below.

Princess Diana Facts Collage

via Getty Images
Share this:
There's always more to learn about Princess Diana. Find out some little-known facts about the People's Princess in this slideshow.
Princess Diana Facts Poor Student
Share this:
She did not make good grades in school. She failed important exams and had to leave the West Heath School at age 16. via Facebook
Princess Diana Facts Ballet

via Getty Images
Share this:
Though academics weren't for her, she was a very talented dancer. She actually wanted to be a ballerina when she was much younger.
Princess Diana Facts Teacher

via Getty Images
Share this:
She was a kindergarten teacher at Young England Kindergarten before her engagement to Prince Charles was announced in 1980.
Princess Diana Facts George Washington

via Getty Images
Share this:
She is a distant relative of eight presidents of the United States, including our very first! She is the eighth cousin five times removed from George Washington.
Princess Diana Facts White Roses

via Getty Images
Share this:
White roses were her favorite flowers.
Princess Diana Facts Tiaras

via Getty Images
Share this:
Though she looked absolutely regal in tiaras, she didn't like wearing them because they gave her a splitting headache--especially on her wedding day.
Princess Diana Facts Bread And Butter Pudding
Share this:
Though she typically ate very healthy food, she had a weakness for Royal Chef Darren McGrady's irresistible bread and butter pudding. Can't say we blame her! via Facebook
Princess Diana Facts Worst Cook

via Getty Images
Share this:
According to Royal Chef Darren McGrady, Diana's own cooking skills were less than stellar. “She was just the worst, a terrible person in the kitchen,” he said.
Princess Diana Facts Favorite Record

via Getty Images
Share this:
Though she enjoyed many different genres of music, from The Eagles to Beethoven, it's believed her favorite record was the soundtrack to Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet.
Princess Diana Facts Favorite Vacation

via Getty Images
Share this:
Her favorite vacationing spots were the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda. Judging by this photo alone, we can definitely see why!
Princess Diana Facts Cindy Crawford

via Getty Images
Share this:
She once invited supermodel to the Kensington Palace just because Prince William (then age 13) had a huge crush on her. Aww!
Princess Diana Facts Makeup

via Getty Images
Share this:
She had great skin and didn't need to wear much makeup, but she always had a full makeover with foundation and concealer because she was photographed so much. We think she was beautiful no matter what!
Princess Diana Facts Prince Charles

Getty Images
Share this:
Princess Diana’s oldest sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, dated Prince Charles for nine months in 1977. Their short-lived romance came crashing down after Sarah gave an embarrassing interview about the Prince, claiming that the duo was "just friends."
Princess Diana Surprise

Getty Images
Share this:
During the early days of her marriage to Prince Charles, Diana wanted to put her dancing skills to use and surprise her new husband. While the duo was on a date at the Royal Opera House in England, she politely excused herself then appeared on stage to perform a magical duet with dancer Wayne Sleep to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girls!"
Princess Diana Brother
Share this:
Most people know that Princess Diana had two older sisters, Jane and Sarah, and a younger brother, Charles (pictured), but the late princess also had a secret older brother who was born on January 12, 1960. He was named John after his father, but sadly he died 10 hours after his birth due to severe deformities. He is buried on the grounds of Sandringham where Princess Diana often visited him. His death stayed with her for many years, and she once remarked: “I was the girl who was supposed to be a boy.”
Princess Diana father
Share this:
When Princess Diana and her siblings discovered that their father had secretly married Raine the Countess of Dartmouth in 1976, Diana was so furious that she slapped her father. Diana's father, John Spencer, had divorced Diana's mother, Frances Shane Kydd, in 1969, but Diana and her siblings did not like Raine.