Princess Diana Was ‘Visibly Blushing’ While Dancing With This American Singer, Photographer Reveals
Diana, Princess of Wales was known for her genuine demeanor and her love of having fun. The late princess has been remembered by countless people over the years as they recount how she acted when the cameras were on her — and off. One of those on-camera moments has made waves on social media.
Princess Diana visited the White House in 1985
In 1985, Diana and her husband Prince Charles visited the White House for a special gala dinner. The evening was a who’s-who of public figures at the time, from big-name actors to high-profile political figures.
The New York Times at the time published a list of guests that included actor John Travolta, singer Neil Diamond, famed scientist and vaccine innovator Dr. Jonas Salk, and fashion icon Betsy Bloomingdale.
Princess Diana danced with John Travolta and other celebrities
At one point in the evening, the Princess of Wales began to dance with other attendees at the dinner, including President Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood, and John Travolta. In an April 2021 interview with Esquire Mexico, Travolta reminisced about his dance with the late princess.
“Think of the setting,” he recalled. “We were at the White House. It’s midnight. The stage is like a dream. I approach her, touch her elbow, invite her to dance.”
“She spins around and gives me that captivating smile, just a little sad, and accepts my invitation,” he continued. “And there we were, dancing together as it were a fairytale.”
During her dance with John Travolta, the military band played a medley of songs from Travolta’s movie Saturday Night Fever.
Princess Diana blushed when she danced with Neil Diamond
Former official White House photographer Pete Souza took to Instagram to look back on getting to capture moments such as these. He also revealed something about Diana’s dance with famed singer and songwriter Neil Diamond.
“Accompanied by the military band, Neil sang a few of his songs. I distinctly remember him singing, ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,'” Souza recalled. “My recollection — and I can’t be sure this is correct — is that he continued singing this song as he danced with her.”
“The one rock-solid remembrance I have is that Diana was visibly blushing when she danced with Neil,” he continued. “In the photograph, you can see that her cheeks are a bit red but in the moment it was even more obvious.” Souza noted with his photo of Diana and Travolta that she danced with President Reagan and Clint Eastwood that night, but not with Prince Charles.
