Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana were one of the most talked about couples in the 1980s. At the time he was an incredible bachelor and heir to the throne while she was a teacher's assistant in a kindergarten
The couple first met in 1977. Diana was 16 and Prince Charles was dating Diana's older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. The relationship, however, did not last long and Carlo went on with his life.
Prince Charles and Diana met again over a weekend in the English countryside. It was the summer of 1980; Carlo played polo and Diana was very impressed by him: in the end the two talked and their relationship began shortly after.
He made the proposal after only 12 appointments
Prince Charles was clearly considering Diana as his future bride and made no attempt to hide his affection. He invited her to their first date aboard the royal yacht Britannia, for a weekend in Cowes.
Subsequently, Prince Charles invited Diana to Balmoral (the Scottish residence of the royal family) where he formally introduced her to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. This happened in November 1980.
Prince Charles and Diana went out together more times, twelve in all. And on February 6, 1981, less than a year after the start of their relationship, Carlo made the proposal. Diana agreed, but their engagement was not made public until February 24, 1981.
Diana seemed very excited after the engagement, but there were mixed signals in the air when reporters happened to interview the couple. When asked if they were in love, Diana replied, "Sure!", While Prince Charles cut it short by saying, "Whatever 'being in love' means."
Their life together and divorce
Prince Charles and Diana married in July 1981. The wedding was a complex ceremony, with several international personalities among the guests.
Over 600,000 people eager to see the royal couple filled the streets of London.
Prince William was born in 1982 and Prince Harry arrived two years later. Later, rumors began to circulate about an alleged extramarital affair between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
An audio recording of a provocative conversation between Prince Charles and Lady Camilla was disclosed which further confirmed the speculations. From that moment on, the relationship between the royal couple rapidly declined.
Princess Diana struggled with bulimia and confessed to having attempted suicide at least five times. This was her attempt to escape the problems that plagued her relationship with the prince. By December 1992 it was obvious that the relationship had come to an end.
Prime Minister John Major released a public statement stating that the royal couple were separating in a "friendly" way. An official order from Queen Elizabeth II followed and the divorce was formalized on August 28, 1996.
Princess Diana earned a special place in people's hearts; she was the first "non-royal" to marry a member of the British royal family in over 300 years; the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana was like a fairy tale. But the tragic events that followed made him fail.
