If not Princess of Wales, was Lady Diana destined to be a ballerina?

When you talk about the British Royal Family, a name that automatically comes to your mind is that of Late Diana, Princess of Wales. Apart from her high-profile public appearances, divorce with Prince (now King) Charles, and the accident that took the people’s princess away too soon, did you know that she was trained in ballet and professed great love for the art? As the world celebrates her 65^th birth anniversary today (July 1) we take a trip down memory lane and uncover some interesting facts about the erstwhile Princess.

Princess Diana and her love for ballet dance

Even before Diana became the Princess of Wales she was born into the noble Spencers lineage. And for girls of those time, especially those belonging to the aristocratic lineage, engagement with the culture and arts was a mandate. Due to this Diana was always immersed in understanding art, culture, theatre, and dance. Thus, ballet training became a part of her life.

Ballet is not just a dance form; it is a way of living. It teaches one the right grace, posture and brings softness in facial expressions. These became her lifelong friends as Diana is known for her kindness, emotional gestures and grace throughout the world. In fact, friends, family and acquaintances have often revealed in later media reports that she was the happiest when she could express herself through dance. However, her actual relation with the dance was short lived.

A ballet dancer needed a certain height, weight and body build. Diana did not match that. At 5ft 10 inches, she was considered of tall frame and this made her stand out than other female ballet dancers of her time. But she did not entirely give up on the art. Time and again, she was present as part of her official duties in several ballet recitals.  She also supported the sustenance of ballet as an art through many of her charity works. And of course, one cannot undermine the influence ballet had her in becoming the ‘perfect princess’.

Princess Diana had performed a ballet recital in her later life

While Diana loved ballet and trained in it as a child, the art also loved her back. In 1985, she paired up with one of her friends from the ballet world Wayne Sleep and gave a surprise charity performance. Several accounts suggest that she had secretly rehearsed for the Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl. In fact, she did tower over a 5ft 2 inches Sleep, but that height difference was aesthetically incorporated in the ballet narrative. This performance was a major surprise and left many in the audience speechless, and yet compelled them to admire her grace, passion and hard work.

While Diana left her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer as her life progressed, she never forget her childhood training and supported the art form in any way possible throughout her lifetime.  

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.