After making such a profound impact on the royal fashion scene, it’s hard to remember a time when the late Princess of Wales wasn’t an international celebrity.
Princess Diana, nee Diana Spencer, was pictured taking on bridesmaid duties at her older sister Lady Jane’s wedding in 1978, two years before she began dating King Charles. Despite it being a high-society wedding, Diana’s role went largely unnoticed, with one rare unearthed photo showing her puff-sleeve bridesmaid dress.
Following their ceremony at the Guards Chapel in London, Jane and her new husband Robert Fellowes posed for photos alongside their bridal party. Standing on the right of the photo was Diana, who looked striking in a floor-length floral dress with piping around the scoop neck and empire waist, a ruffled hem and a white blouse layered underneath.
She held a dark coloured bouquet that matched her dress and wore flowers in her hair. Unlike the very short layered blonde tresses royal fans associate with the late royal, Diana sported a dark blonde bob that fell to her shoulders, finished with a thick full fringe.
Charles’ relationship with Sarah Spencer
Just months earlier, Diana’s sister Lady Sarah Spencer had hit the headlines for her brief relationship with then-Prince Charles.
© Getty ImagesThe pair had met at the annual Royal Ascot house party at Windsor Castle and dated in the summer of 1977, with photos showing Sarah joining Charles at high-profile polo matches.
In November of that year, Sarah was responsible for Charles’ first-ever meeting with Diana. Charles joined the Spencers for a shooting weekend at their ancestral home, Althorp in Northamptonshire, when he bumped into then-16-year-old Diana, whom he described as “very jolly and amusing and attractive.”
Playing ‘cupid’ for Diana
© Getty ImagesBy February 1978, Sarah’s confession that she didn’t love Charles was leaked in a Klosters skiing interview, and their relationship ended. Sarah went on to marry Neil McCorquodale in May 1980, while Diana reconnected with Charles at a polo match that summer.
They announced their engagement in February 1981, with Sarah joking: “I introduced them. I’m Cupid.”
For her own wedding at St Paul’s Cathedral in July 1981, Diana chose to have a young bridal party – including Lady Sarah Chatto and India Hicks – dressed in white, as was tradition for royalty. Though not an official royal rule, it’s believed that royal bridesmaids dressed in white due to a historical belief that white deterred evil spirits.
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